If you go down to the woods today...

My respite from a traumatic morning of shopping for garden furniture in local garden centres was a detour via the bluebell woods at Finchale Abbey on the banks of the River Wear.  

I am of the belief that all the garden centres buy their plastic coated garish tat with frames guaranteed to rot after 2 summers from the same factory in China.  Probably located next door to the BBQ factory who manufacture to similar standards.  Can you believe this - I saw a BBQ frying pan, a normal looking utensil but full of holes so the fat from the meat drops onto the hot coals!  Seemed to me like a sure fire way to waste £17.99.  I can perform the same feat with a household fork and a wire oven tray from a 1967 Tricity Countess.  

At one centre MrsDB tried to get me to buy a couple of  tall bamboo plants but when I saw they were £54 each I declined.  I may nick some from the hedgerow near the Kilberry Inn.  I'm tempted to every time I pass.


(I did manage to force down a rather splendid all day breakfast bun at Dobbies in Birtley, which soothed my distress somewhat).