It Was Diana's Day Off,

so no breakfast, 

as soon as we were up and after a quick coffee we were driving out of the park, 

to the car wash, the car was absolutely filthy, it is nice living in the park, but the road past our home is unmade up, so every time a vehicle passes dust every where, 

any minute now, 

and we were off, 

the photographs a tad dark, 

Diana was just pressing the button, 

but as the camera did not appear to have a 'automatic' setting like our Lumix cameras who knew what it was doing? certainly not the two of us!

for today I stuck with f4, as it happens I did not have a choice, I did not have the booklet with me to know how to change it, so to keep a shutter speed of 160 to 200, to avoid camera shake, I moved the ASA dial until it hit those shutter speeds, 

it seemed to work, so into the seafood bar at Polhill Garden Centre,

such a selection, 

as it happens we both love seafood, 

I took one photograph of Diana, eyes shut naturally, I bought a medium sized pot of cockles which we shared, 

outside to the entrance to the garden centre and past the waterfall,

inside a selection of fresh fruit, 

all looking so nice, 

we were hoping to buy a couple of packets of almond macaroons, but alas all had been sold, 

a quick look at the vegetables, I have to say the new camera seems a little more, 'colourful' somehow, 

out of the farm shop into the plant area, a few orchids, 

some peace lilies, 

and a air plant on display, this one I believe is a Tillandsia ionantha rubra, we grew so many of them when we lived in Thailand,

 as indeed we did with Venus fly traps, we were quite successful with them in the UK as well on our window sills, for 2 years they flowered and flourished, then within 2 months everyone of them died for no apparent reason, 

the cyclamen display looking so colourful, 

I mentioned to Diana now we have bare window sills I would like to give these a try next time we are buying a few plants, living stones, (Lithops),

back in the 1950s my mother had one of these, a rubber plant, (Ficus elastica), but in those days there was just one variety, green, 

outside we past some gayly coloured planters,

into the aquatic shop there, 

lots of fish for sale,

so many we had kept, 

like this Siamese fighting fish, (Betta splendens),

they had a nicely planted aquarium as well,

back outside, 

primroses and primulas, 

again this year, 

so many different colour varieties, 

featuring, 

almost,

all colours of the rainbow, 

many with double flowers, 

or multiple ones, before we left we called into the butchers that is in the centre and bought some saveloy sausages for tonight's meal, and heaps of seafood for salads and sandwiches for the rest of the week,

back into the car, 

for our second port of call,

Coolings Garden Centre, 

inside,

 

again a colourful selection of house plants, 

and for the garden, 

fairy lights, 

we made our way outside, 

through the plants to the restaurant for our breakfast, coffees and a sandwich for both of us plus a slice of cake for Diana, the bill came to £32.00, a tad higher than last year, 

outside, 

it looked and was grey and overcast, 

into the glass houses, 

again huge displays,

primroses and primulas, 

lots of strong, 

vibrant colours, 

a nod to the past, one of the company's fleet of vans, 

we had to stop here, 

at Koi Water Barn, which is in the grounds of Coolings, 

a great place, 

for a few photographs, 

with huge koi, 

back inside a few more lithops, we the jumped into the car and made our way home, in the evening what else? saveloy and chips with some gherkins, after which a Outback Opal Hunters then a film, followed by the second episode of,

 Agatha Christie's Seven Dials, a tv mini series we had started watching a few nights ago, after which Diana was off to bed, for myself a couple of Bangers & Cash which like the evening before were being shown back to back, after which I too was off to bed.