Very quiet weekend

So Tom finished school on Friday and came back with lots of art work from school and a cough and plenty of snot.  Great timing Tom!

He wasn't too good on Saturday, and the weather was abysmal.  We asked him what he wanted to do and he said a train ride.  We headed to Carnforth and got the train into Lancaster as Matt was wanting to visit Atkinsons (a very old and lovely coffee shop where they do their own roasting in house so it has a very powerful aroma) we went along, it was full to bursting with people but Matt got his coffee.  We then decided to go to their cafe for lunch, but they didn't do lunch items, just cakes so we crossed the road and went to another cafe instead.  The cakes did look very good though, so we should return one afternoon when we are in need of tea and a bun.

Tom faded in the cafe and said he was very tired and wanted to go to bed, so we got the next train back to Carnforth and drove straight home.  He didn't fall asleep in the car so he went upstairs for a nap.  He didn't fall asleep then either, but had a good hour's rest and then came downstairs to watch some telly before we all put on our Sunday best and headed to Kirkby Lonsdale for Matt Young Translations Ltd Christmas Party.  We had booked seats at The Orange Tree where we had been recommended the steaks.  It looks quite plush outside so we were expecting it to be posh, but it turned out to be a rugby pub, not a problem, we had steak each and it was good (not as good as Miller & Carter) but good.  Tom had chicken nuggets but didn't eat huge amounts.

Sunday was another grey and miserable day.  Tom looked a bit better, but we didn't want to do too much.  We needed to do something inside that didn't involve any town centres.  I suddenly thought of Barton Grange Garden Centre - a place I've heard recommended in the playground and on Facebook. It was worth a try.

Tom and some dancing snowmen

We went the back way via Slaidburn in the Forest of Bowland - oops, bit of a mistake took us way longer than expected a good 1.5 hours.  We got there - wow!  It is massive.  This is a destination Garden Centre, but bigger and better than any other one I've ever been to.  It has a separate cook shop (full of great little gadgets I haven't seen anywhere else), a separate farm shop with the most amazing butchers and cake department, a restaurant and a cafe (where we had lunch - huge with good variety and good quality food), a hall full of Christmas lights, loads of Christmas displays as well as the usual garden centre stuff.  We were all really impressed.

They are proposing an extension to the area as well, with a leisure centre for the over 40's including indoor crazy golf, outdoor crazy golf and get this - a curling rink!  They seem to do everything with quality in mind, so it will be interesting to see if it is built (we are their target market after all!)  Anyway, we think this is a place both sets of Grandparents would like to visit next time they are up - so please remind us.

More amazing urinals

Amazing urinals

Matt and Tom went to the loo and came back very excited.  The urinals were flowers!  Don't they look great?  The ladies was very dull in comparison.  Anyway, we managed to spend quite a bit of money, but we all had a good time and it wasn't too full so no crowd rage.  It was the perfect thing to do on such a miserable day.  We came home the fast way (only 45 mins) and then Tom had fun making a den in the kitchen and making a paper chain before watching a CBeebies panto on the telly. Another quiet day, hopefully Tom is better tomorrow - don't want him giving his grandparents the lurgy.