Latest Moan From You and Me 2025

There have been Halloween decorations, complete with carved pumpkins, around my way for a couple of weeks now. There is a really disturbing "display" that has someone hanging from a roof in a body bag.
If we haven't brought our pumpkins home, or camouflaged them somehow, from the allotments by the start of October, they would be scrumped.

Last year the first Christmas decorations I saw in a house window were about now and there were lots of houses bedecked in early November.

 

Our local garden centre has loads of Halloween and Christmas decorations. I was disappointed that I couldn't find any Easter decorations or Easter eggs.

 

Was a time when garden centres only did gardening now you struggle to find things for the garden

 

@mac12. Ain't that the truth. At the one we visited today, the layout is on the lines of Ikea i.e. you can't just go to the bit you want. To get to garden tools you currently have to get past all the Halloween and Christmas stuff, The Works, household goods electrical and otherwise, then the clothing concessions. Finally there are the tools, virtually hidden in one corner.

 

Most people seem to go for the cafe, especially all the OAPs midweek.
One I occasionally go to has a coach party descend on the place some afternoons, always reminds me of the chimps tea party.

 

@pete The cafe is the other problem at this place. They've had the bright idea that customers should select a table and then go to order the drinks or food. Great until, like today, you get stuck behind a couple who didn't do that. He sent his missus off to get a table number but she got sidetracked by spotting a couple of friends. He simply kept waving at her which unsurprisingly didn't work as she had her back to him and was deep in conversation.
Their second bright idea was to have semi table service whereby they bring the drinks over once made. That can result in long wait on busy days and/or half cold coffee, which I experienced today. I won't be hurrying back there.

 

My garden centre does that, a pain if you are on your own trying to find a table for one.

 

Using a cafe on your own is a pain I find, especially now I have a dog, not referring to garden centres but they have a really nice cafe in the park, but how do I use it with a dog, it has outside seating but you have to go inside to get what want then take it outside.
I'm not leaving him tied up outside while I go in.

I dont use them.

 

You don't live near Gloucester do you?

 

Round here it's Sunday Lunch at the GC. Means that although the car park can be pretty full the actual plant sales area is empty between 1230 and 1400.

 

If I go out for Sunday dinner then the garden centre is the last place I would consider, it's the same if I wanted a shirt, shoes or a 3 piece suite

 

Haven't been to a Garden centre for over 25 years + 40 years since going out for a meal. some of us live a sad life but tis nice to be a hermit

 

If you look at the job vacancies at British Garden Centres, there are Santa, Mrs Claus and Elves vacancies, no Easter bunny vacancies, yet.

Most of the vacancies are for cooks/chefs and restaurant team members, which backs up that the core business of Garden Centres is nothing to do with gardening anymore.

The government is currently looking at allowing supermarkets and larger stores to stay open longer on Sunday's, including pub's and restaurants, they say it will help to boost the economy. This will be just another nail in the coffin for smaller retailers who can't justify opening on a Sunday let alone longer. The supermarkets and larger retailers offer self checkout, which justifies staying open longer. Where as the smaller retailers overheads are more likely to be greater than what small extra revenue they will take.

The government has either totally lost the plot in running small businesses in the UK or it is being done intentionally to promote big businesses that are going down the cashless point of sales route.

 

Just went into a dog friendly GC WITH DOGS PEEING DOWN THE FLOWER POTS AND ON THE IMITATION GRASS. The assistant when I complained said they also pooed. Small yapping dogs should also be banned from all eating areas sick of these owners allowing them to jump on vacant seats and sit on the tables. Large pub dogs are fine.

 

I've witnessed small yappy lapdogs licking plates in GC cafes! I just hope the kitchen staff have lots of very hot water for washing up.