Re: Trip to U K

do you stuff the shark with it or spread it on

Re: Trip to U K

Well we decide that we had to go to a garden center!!!! we do have them but they do not have the range of plants that there are in U K, mainly because many would just die in the winter. SO from where we are staying there is only one that is a must, many on here will maybe have been WEBBS of wychbold.This has grown from a small garden to a vast enterprise now.
I think it is now more of a large store than a garden center.
Santa hadnt arived yet , so unable to sit on his knee. Bought some stuff , Christmas cards and wrapping paper. Then had lunch!! blimey its fantastic, and although maybe seem expensive, but not to us . Back to cottage, and I decided to go for a walk. It is possible to walk across the fields by crossing styles ??. Funny you can see for miles, not a mountain in sight , and the trees, not a conifer in sight, we are surrounded by loads of 80 foot ones. I havnt seen a field even half the size of one of these in Norway, usually if it IS a field it goes up a slope. I walked for miles over these fields, not seeing a soul, much like in Norway.
Dinner at night , Cumberland sausages, and wine , musnt get too used to this lifestyle.

Next day , I do wonder why these un frequent trips to U k despite all the great ideas as to where we are going to go nearly always end up with so many visits to shops. So off we go again to MERRY HILL shopping center, more shops there than in the whole of our nearest Town, oh and the comfort of shopping without being in the wet and stumbling over rough car parks. Well she that has to be obeyed was having a field day, I just kept saying yes thats nice and not think of the money.The place is so vast, all those eating places, oh and my god the noise, so many people , but so clean. Anyway most of you know what these places are like, but we have NOTHING like them, well not suprising when you consider that the total Population of Norway is only just over 5,ooo,ooo and probably at least half of that will be in the main cities Oslo, Bergen, Tromso.
Found it quite strange in the stores, nobody latching onto you asking if they can help. Found the staff in store very helpful when you needed help though.
Back to cottage for a doze then home made lasagne and of course a glass of wine , got to make the best of this.

Re: Trip to U K

Interesting to read your views on the subject of the changes in our shopping habits and the accessibility of luxury foreign goods at reasonable prices it has brought. It has happened gradually, so we don't really notice it now, I suppose.
However, the huge, multi-national supermarkets have depleted our small town centres. Local businesses cannot hope to compete on price and variety. Holyhead, where huge cruise ships drop off tourists who cross the futuristic stainless steel flying bridge, and step into a run down, depressing street comprising a Boots, a Coop, several charity shops and many empty store fronts. Bewilderment is the expression on most of their faces.
I was stopped once by a young foreign man who asked me where he could find a 'Green groker'. I realised there wasn't one and directed him to Tesco on the out of town retail park.

Re: Trip to U K

We just seem to find the range of goods on offer in the large supermarket incredible, for example take sausages, yes i will anywhere, there must have been 30 40 different varietes of a sausage, chickens, im sure there were some with three legs or maybe even 4. Cheese, ohhhhh died and gone to heaven

Re: Trip to U K

Enjoy!!! You obviously are. That's one of the benefits of self-catering; eat what you like, when you like and cooked how you like it. Worry about the pounds/kilos when you get home.

Re: Trip to U K

But look on the bright side.....employment in the local area.
Those stores employ far more than the family run businesses.

And all the other benefits.

@ Norway

It sounds like you're enjoying your trip, Norway.
It's a shame you're not nearer to Stapeley Water Gardens, now that IS a garden centre worth a visit.

I like your style re the wine

Re: Trip to U K

with regard to the Town center shops , i think it is so sad to see so many empty ones, and oh the cheap shops, estate Agents etc. Empty ones probaly due to the fact that the owners of the property do nothing, just waiting to be able to charge a higher rent? maybe , but not something I know anything about.

Optitians !!Its chaerper for us to have eye tests and new glasses here than at home, so trip to our old optitians.

Great my eyes have not changed much since the last time , so not having new Glasses, well if I did , at 77 I may not get the full value out of them Wife had new ones , even here , glad im not paying, but to get a pair with progressive lens , tinted etc in Norway would cost in the region of at least £600 so its even cheaper just to fly over stay with someone and get new glasses then fly back than to get them in Norway, and thats paying for everything including Eye Test.
Back to Food, we went to Farm shop , bought a SMALL piece of sirloin, just enough for two of us and a bit left for a sandwich. It was beautiful, certainly something that I do miss. Its not possible to get anything like it in Norway, they dont do Beef as the British know it, its tough and tasteless. So we enjoyed this , and of course the wine to go with it.
A visit to my eldest nephew and his partener GRRRR! sorry im an old bugger and think marriage is a must to live together, BUT also a realist, and can see that other than being man and wife it has no other advantages. Anyway they have a nice small rented house with just enough furniture in for two, a bed , a sofa, cooker , well you know what I mean. Also they are still doing the things that thay like doing , concerts , etc, so no saving money, but so what , they are happy. Funny though to think he is now 28 and I still remember him climbing on my back whilst i crawled around the floor when he was about 2.

Upps did have one slight misjdgement with the car , went the wrong side of a keep left bollardat a road junction .

Right today , hopefully atrip to Stratford on Avon with the hope that oit does not coincide with the Stratford Mop, if so it will be a change of plans.

Re: Trip to U K

Hi

Lovely to read your blog Norway.

I have never been to Norway, do want to get there because of the fishing.

My son has been and loves it.

If you get chance, try Shrewsbury, lovely place, not too far away and the River Festival is on this week.

Stapeley Water Gardens was fantastic, unfortunately now closed and being developed for housing.

Re: Trip to U K

Norway It is sad to see so few decent shops in some of our small towns .
Many properties are rented out, it is not so much the rent but the business rate charged by councils on top of the rent and that fact that many people shop on line that is killing the shops in our small towns.
New shops open up only to disappear again within a short time because they can't make it pay. Around here charity shops predominate , they can claim 'relief' on business rates.


Enjoy Stratford the shops there are able to survive due to the high number of tourists.

Re: Trip to U K

if its salmon fishing , Laerdal river is one of the best in Norway, its where the King fishes , but any of the lakes or rivers are good and the fjords for Cod , haddock , plaice and salmon