Advantages: Friendly service, efficient, good job, cheap
Disadvantages: no MOT/servicing

...About 5 months ago, my fiancee's Rover metro got a hole in the front part of the exhaust by the engine. Ouch at the potential cost we thought. We rang around about 7 garages trying to find the best deal with most saying about £140-160. Then we rang our local ATS in Welwyn Garden City for a quote. They quoted us £96. We took the car into ATS and they had it up on the ramp straight away and diagnosed the problem. They quickly ordered in the new part and after it arrived only took them 45 mins to fix. Since being fixed we have had no problems. The staff were extremely helpful and polite, explaining what was wrong and what they would need to do without being patronising. We have also taken our other car in for an oil/filter change and we also received good service then. Unfortunately, their services are limited to oil... Read review

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Advantages: Nice rest stop
Disadvantages: Nothing Fancy

...stop. I wouldn't bother specifically targeting it out though. *Additional Information* From the website: www.muffinbreak.com.au/online/default.asp?deptid=35&ArticleId=&Country=UK There are the following stores : Birmingham Derby East Kilbride Lewisham Manchester Nottingham Redditch Tunbridge Wells Welwyn Garden City * Woking * The one I am basing my review on. It is also to remember that this is a franchise and quality may vary. Pictures are from the website so may actually be slightly different to what is shown on here. Hope this helps. x... Read review

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Advantages: Excellent quality goods, friendly staff, freedom to browse, sells everything INCLUDING the kitchen sink.
Disadvantages: Relatively expensive, store layout confusing, can be hard to find assistance during busy times.

...Our nearest branch of John Lewis is in Welwyn Garden City, and I was initially bewildered to discover that life seems to revolve around that store. Until recently the town centre has been totally dead each Monday. Puzzled, I did a large survey of customers in WGC town centre, and found that the most common reason for this quietness was John Lewis being shut on Mondays. Sure enough, since ithe store has changed its opening days, Welwyn Garden's shopping habits have varied accordingly. This may have a lot to do with the history of shopping in Welwyn Garden City: before the company arrived here in 1983, the store site was a social centre for the town, offering shopping, refreshments, a launderette, and a venue for meetings and dances. Although John Lewis doesn't provide several of these, it is still a central part of the community... Read review

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Advantages: year round entertainment
Disadvantages: not good in rainy weather!

...Bang in the middle of Edinburgh, running the length of Princes Street (which is also the main street in the city) are the Princes Street gardens. Loved by visitors and locals alike, they are yet another crowning feature of this beautiful city. In the summer, they are host to a wide variety of events, as they (like many other places) become subsumed to the all-encompassing Festival. Delights this year included the Flea Circus, Lady Salsa, puppet shows, childrens theatre and live music acts both day and night. One of the most magical evenings for me this year was lying on the sloping grass with a picninc, glass of wine, and good friends on a balmy summer's evening, listening to a free jazz concert. The gardens are frequented by both students and workers, and yet manage to preserve their air of tranquility and calm... Read review

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Advantages: Peacfeful Place In The Heart Of A Bustling City
Disadvantages: Closes Quite Early Even During The Summer

...Sheffield is the fifth largest city in England in terms of population but it is also one of the greenest cities in the country. I remember reading a few years ago that there were more Parks and Recreational areas within the Urban boundaries of Sheffield per square acre of its total area than other city in England and any visitor to the city will probably vouch for this. The four largest Parks in the City: Graves Park, Norfolk Park, Hillsborough Park and Endcliffe Park cover an area of over 300 hectares but there are actually 75 different Public Parks within the city, plus hundreds of Public Gardens and Recreational spaces, and many of these are right in the heart of the city centre. One such oasis situated right in the heart of the city is the Sheffield Botanical Gardens which is a place where you can quite literally step off one... Read review

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Advantages: Stunning gardens, lovingly presented by Monty Don
Disadvantages: Not much information on specific plants

...Around the World in 80 Gardens is a gardening programme with a difference, because it's looking at the contribution of gardens to cultures around the world rather than explaining how to grow your own garden or the basics of garden design. There are 10 episodes in the series, and as I am writing this only one has aired. In the first episode presenter Monty Don (who is also the main presenter on Gardeners World) visits gardens in Mexico and Cuba. Details of first episode The first 'garden' visited is the Floating Gardens at Xochimilco, near Mexico City. These gardens were built by the Aztecs, to provide food for their capital city, and have been in constant cultivation ever since (although the area cultivated has decreased considerably). The gardens don't really float, but they are man-made islands in a huge lake and rely... Read review

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Advantages: Relaxing, Open all year, Good visitor facilities
Disadvantages: Expensive, Can get very busy, Signposting could be better

...I expected an expensive day out and had come prepared for it. It was peaceful and relaxing, a wonderful way to escape from the city for a few hours (although I'm quite sure the Northumberland Farm ice cream helped out a lot on that part), and the visitor facilities were excellent. The grounds were large and absorbed the crowds well, and apart from in the shop I didn't feel overwhelmed by the number of people there. I think I can happily recommend Alnwick Gardens! The Pros: - Can be combined with a visit to Alnwick Castle, which is next door - Helpful staff, great visitor facilities - Plenty of car parking space - Beautiful gardens, whichever time of year you go - Relaxing day out The Cons: - Expensive tickets and they charge you for parking - Miserly student discount on ticket prices - Shop is a bit small and very crowded... Read review

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Advantages: Fantastic water Features, Easily Accessible
Disadvantages: In The Centre Of The City

...Sheffield lays claim to the fact that it is the greenest City in England and to back up this claim it boasts over 200 different Parks and Public open spaces within its boundaries. One such place is the Peace Gardens, which occupies a location right in the Centre of the City, between the bustling Shops of Pinstone Street and Norfolk Row. This could quite easily be described as an Oasis for visitors and it has always been a popular place for shoppers to rest their weary legs for a few minutes. This award winning Public Square is directly opposite the Winter Gardens and within easy reach of the Millennium Galleries. Within the Peace Gardens there are fancy cut Lawns, Water Features, and spectacular Fountains. The Peace Gardens went underwent a major refurbishment prior to the Millennium which was completed in 1998. This included... Read review

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Advantages: Encourages a mini eco-system right on your doorstep
Disadvantages: Does involve a small amount of effort!

...to hammer the living daylights out of snails: you'll know if the birds have had their lunch by the clutter of empty snail shells lying around! A bug box is a good idea, to attract beneficial insects like Lacewings and Ladybirds to your garden - again this is something you can make yourself by cutting short lengths of bamboo or hollow sticks and tying them together in a bundle. Place them in a bush or tree, but don't hide it too well, or the insects might have a job finding it! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ *****Conclusion***** Even in the middle of a big city there is still fantastic scope for members of the wildlife population to come and set up home in your garden. And once they're there, they provide immense joy and satisfaction: they also help you to manage pest problems. For me there is nothing quite like... Read review

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Advantages: Wide range of good quality goods
Disadvantages: Not the cheapest

...I can vaguely remember a time when garden centres didn't really exist and they were called nurseries instead. Strangely enough they only sold plants and garden accessories. How things have changed though, now you can almost do your weekly shopping there (well maybe I exaggerate a little), but they really do sell almost everything and you can even get a bite to eat when you're there. Peter Barratts Garden Centre in Newcastle is no exception. WHERE IS IT ? It's located to the north of the city next to Gosforth Park / Newcastle Racecourse. It's only a 5 minute drive from the A1 if you take the Killingworth / Wideopen junction, or similarly 5 minutes from the Killingworth turn off of the A19. One of the other main route's running out of Newcastle city centre, the A189, literally passes by too, so it's very accessible by car... Read review

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