A trip to Southwell and Reg Taylors.

 

Yesterday was very much a 'quid pro quo' day. In return for a trip to Southwell, including a browse and a bite to eat at Reg Taylor's garden centre, I had to marvel at the wide range of tractors available at the nearby John Deere showroom (for the 2 year old). On the way to Southwell we had to slow down every time we passed either a tractor, a digger or a dump truck....making our car not one you wanted to be behind (or 'in' as far as I was concerned) if you were keen to get somewhere!

A small price to pay for eventually arriving at Reg Taylors in the neighbouring village of Normanton. As garden centres go, this is a corker! It's in a beautiful setting, out in the Notts countryside, close to Southwell....a very pretty Nottinghamshire town boasting a Minster, numerous attractive period houses and a choice of places to eat amongst other things.

Reg Taylors is enough of a reason in itself to go there. Not only is the nursery stock bursting with choice but there is a fabulous interiors shop (Christmas is a great time to visit) and an outdoor living section. For the boys there is the lawn mower shop! (Yawn! But very useful whilst Mum does interiors!)

After having a good mooch around and making a couple of small purchases in the interiors shop, we had a spot of lunch in the tea room. This is not your average tea room though. It's actually a licensed restaurant as well as a tea room. The surroundings are bright, modern, crisp and stylish and as yesterday was such a fantastic day we sat at an outside table with far reaching views over the adjoining 9 acre swan sanctuary also run by the Taylor family.

As we sat there at the rather nice rattan glass topped table with lovely comfy rattan chairs and enormous parasol, for a moment or two, I actually imagined I was on my hols not at a garden centre!

That was until 2 year old dropped his ice cream onto the cream cushion before announcing to the world that he needed a nappy change with the usual degree of detail! It was time for a sharp exit.