THE BOTANIC GARDENS

Posted by Debbie Atkinson on April 25, 2008 6:43 AM

After 56 years living in Southport, I'm still amazed when I visit The Botanic Gardens in Churchtown. The manicured lawns and beautiful colourful beds are a treat. The perfume wafted in the air this week when we walked round the gardens - I was a bit disappointed that there were only a few wallflowers (my favourite flower) - but the colour was just dazzling. I had a chat with the parrots and the mynah bird and then we enjoyed a drink sitting in front of the Hesketh Arms - did I spy my old work mate, Alan Pinch on a village bench, looking bronzed? Churchtown is the lovliest part of Southport and it's village has retained the quaint little shops - unlike Ainsdale which is now full of estate agents, beauty salons and hairdressers.

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ST PAUL'S EYE HOSPITAL

Posted by Debbie Atkinson on April 19, 2008 7:50 AM

Not the sort of place I would normally propose for a day out but if you have to visit an eye hospital I can recommend this one. After seeing flashing lights for three weeks I decided I'd better do something about it when they changed from innocent white spots to the full-blown Blackpool illuminations - scary. Thank God for the internet. Apparently I'm just getting older (as if the wrinkles couldn't prove their own point, they had to enlist the help of the heavy brigade) and the flashing lights signified that the vitreous gel was pulling away from the back of my retina. The main worry being that in pulling, it could take some of my retina with it. Full marks and more to everyone at the eye hospital and I came away calmer but blinder thanks to the pupil-dilating drops. Now two spiders legs have replaced the illuminations and I suppose I'll have to live with that - well, I can hardly do what I normally do with spiders - run away. However fast I run, they're staying put.

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LUNCH AT DOBBIES

Posted by Debbie Atkinson on April 15, 2008 7:32 AM

I went for lunch with a friend to the brand new Dobbies Garden Centre yesterday. Millions have been spent on it and there’s a fairly impressive deli there - but it seems a bit chaotic. You can’t find the tills and then when you do only one is open, there are no bags for the frozen fruit and croissants and no-one knows if the deli cafe is open or not. After I’d left, my friend continued to browse and I’ve just received an email from her saying that a voice over the tannoy told everyone to visit the deli where they could sample cold cheeses. Then the young lad who’d made the announcement arrived looking all pink and embarrassed after using the mike for the first time and picked on my friend to ask how she thought it went. She told him that cold cheeses didn’t sound particularly appetising. Apparently it was supposed to be �cold meats and cheeses� but he said he was flustered and left it out!
The main restaurant is set out just like the one at Lytham - you have to queue all over the place - one side for food then move over to another side for drinks and then move again to pay - by which time, if you have a bowl of soup as I did, it's cold!

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THE OPEN

Posted by Debbie Atkinson on April 13, 2008 12:24 PM

If you're looking for tickets for The Open golf at Royal Birkdale in July - BEWARE. Some websites are charging VAT and £10 postage which pushes a daily ticket up to over £70. Go the Royal and Ancient website and buy them there. You'll only pay £1 for postage.

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THE PHEASANT

Posted by Debbie Atkinson on April 13, 2008 12:20 PM

Please don't think that we spend all our time dodging from one pub to another, but this week we called in at The Pheasant on the bends to Hightown. I didn't really want to because the last time we went (years ago) it was what I would call "a dump". In my youth it was THE place to go and it was impossible to get a meal without booking weeks ahead. The day we called there was a log fire burning. The furnishings are cosy and the menu looked good. We'll definitely be back.

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FOOD AT THE SARACENS HEAD

Posted by Debbie Atkinson on April 13, 2008 12:13 PM

I did say that I'd return to the beautifully-refurbished Saracen's Head for something to eat - true to my word (as ever!) we went and had lunch there last week. My soup was piping hot and served with warm bread and my husband's tasty sandwich was served with what seemed like home-made chips. A couple of people checked to make sure we were happy with the food - so top marks. The order-taking seemed a bit hap hazard but it's still early days.

You might spot our daughter on - or rather in - the Marine Lake, if you wander past. She's taken up sailing and at the moment is on a four day training course. Within the first hour of day one she was in the freezing water - it hasn't put her off and she's back today for more!

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ISIHAC AT THE LOWRY

Posted by Debbie Atkinson on April 6, 2008 8:10 PM

I'm a huge fan of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue - have all the tapes and CDs and always try to catch it when it's on the radio. So when I heard it was on at The Lowry, I had to go. We were in the upper circle and could have done with a pair of binoculars, but it was the funniest thing I'd seen in a long time. Humphrey Lyttelton is the absolute star and got a standing ovation at the end. The Lowry is leading the way in getting brilliant shows and I was delighted to see that there wasn't a single spare seat in the house.

Humph

The team

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