I’m the first to admit it takes me a long time to get into the Christmas spirit, I absolutely love Summer and want to hang onto it as long as possible.
These days preparations seem to be starting earlier and earlier with lights going up in October and advent calendars on sale as soon as the sun creams have been sold off! Barr humbug! everyone says to me but come December I do get the buzz and nothing gets me in the Christmas spirit more than a trip to the local garden centre. Not just any old garden centre but Bent’s in Glazebury near Warrington is transformed every year into a Winter wonderland.
There are dozens of award-winning festive displays that must have taken a very talented creative team of workers an age to assemble. I love to visit on a Sunday afternoon to just chill out and take a stroll around maybe get a coffee and of course a slice of cake in the beautiful coffee shop there.
I’ve actually been coming to Bent’s since I was a little girl when my mum and dad would bring me and my sister to look at the amazing Christmas trees and even though they are very designer and colour themed we would go home and decorate our tree in every colour you could imagine. This year they are better than ever with everything from black and white to copper and even a whole tree of teddy bears.
Bent’s is the best place to come if you’re looking for tree decoration ideas, of course I like the all white and silver trees with stunning glass baubles, everything is bigger and better with large bows, flowers and even a pair of glitter ice skates on a tree. Its Christmas heaven and with festive music playing you cant help but feel like a child again.
Whilst here I did a bit of shopping and although you could easily go Christmas crazy and spend a small fortune on tinsel I was quite good and only selected just a few bits.
Every year there’s a decoration trend and this year it seems to be the owl theme. Every where I look there are owls in every shape size and colour to hang on your tree, door or light up your front garden.
When you’ve been working all week this is what Sunday afternoons are all about, walking around, my eyes are just dazzled and lit up, it really does just ease your mind of any stress and give you a feel good feeling.
It was time to head to the coffee shop bumping into santa on the way I of course grabbed a photo opportunity with him.
After a major renovation last year Bent’s has expanded and now has craft shops, toy shops and a luxury food hall perfect to pick up some Christmas treats. There is also a huge lake at the back and a bird of prey visiter centre I definitely plan to visit in the summer.
To finish off a lovely day and of course with it being a Sunday there’s nothing more British than going for a pub Sunday roast, my favorite being The Toby Carvery. The one we always go to has open log fires and we always leave so full up we need a lie down on the sofa afterwards whilst watching a film and snuggling up. This is my perfect kind of afternoon and has left me full of the joys of Christmas.
Hope you all have a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Much Love
Caroline xx
