BLOOMING MARVELLOUS
The undercover cafe critic
The garden centre with a sideline in scrumptious scones.
WHEN did you realise you’d finally grown up?
It’s a discussion your Scone Spy had recently with friends.
Now, regular readers may think I still have to pass that particular milestone.
You know, I often have the devil in me and I can still be very juvenile.
However, I think I know the moment. It was when I felt a shiver of excitement wandering around the garden centre in Berwickupon-Tweed and chose a lovely clematis for my garden.
Let’s face it. It’s a rare youngster who wants to hang out in a garden centre, let alone one who feels joy and happiness at the thought of buying a flippin’ plant.
So there you go. I think I can count on myself as a fully grown-up Spy now, don’t you?
It’s a lovely clematis, too. It’s already giving me happiness, seeing its pinkypurple flowers grow up my garden wall.
At this rate I’ll be watching Gardeners’ World next.
The older you get, the more you realise it’s the simple things in life that count.
A wander round Berwick Garden Centre, complete with farm shop and cafe, was a lovely way to while away an afternoon.
And you don’t need to ask – of course I took the weight off my feet in the cafe and sampled the wares.
It’s fair to say I got lucky today. The sun is shining and people are enjoying their lunch and cakes in the outdoor seating area.
You could kid yourself it’s just like being abroad. Well, sort of. Let’s not get carried away here. People still have jackets on.
My chum has vegetable soup and a cheese scone to go with it. She takes great delight in dunking it into her soup.
Is that even acceptable? I’ve no idea but she seems to be enjoying it.
I have a fruit scone, which has plump, fruity bits and a lovely strawberry jam to go with it. And a lovely, builders’ brew pot of tea.
The cafe has cheery staff who enjoy a bit of banter with their regulars.
There is also a friendly cat, too, called Tico, who wanders around, checking out this and that. He seems quite at home here.
Anyway, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here. The new, grown-up me approves of this place.
We get up to leave and I go to pay – I’m all heart. My chum is carrying my new pride and joy, the clematis.
Somehow, though, she trips over her big banana feet and stumbles.
The clematis goes flying and she very nearly does, too.
I rush over to help her, of course. What do you take me for?
But I’m not much use. I’m afraid I can’t stop laughing. She isn’t hurt and it is just such a spectacular stumble.
Hmm. Not quite so grown up, after all.