Worst of British, Best of British 😟😱😊
So. Today. I'm not sure how to summarise it really. Flashed at 😵 Armed Police all over the moors covering a massive area 😱 Treated atrociously then ignored at one garden centre 😣, left and treated wonderfully at the other 💜 All in 4 hours. Four hours. Trust me! 😂
Firstly we decided to go to Cherry Hill Garden Centre on Stokesley Road outside Middlesbrough, usually a really lovely place to visit, and loads of goodies to look at or buy. We get there, the cafe isn't very busy and hot food is displayed clearly in the counter and no obvious sign in that area to say it's not available. The sign that is available says talk to staff about allergies, special needs but no one at this point. My parents ask the woman at the next counter how to order the quiche and salad as listed and still on display in its plate. No hot food. There is only sandwiches or cake available. I can only eat Soft or Pureed food, and being diabetic cake is not suitable or wanted. Another lady asks to buy hot food and complains when told curtly no, not available. So WHY display it so prominently?? 😤 Unknown to me my father then tried to tell the woman indicating to me in my powerchair that I am diabetic, probably in hypo and need special food. She turned her back to him. 😤😡 We will take this further, they need educating, no point having a sign about special needs if the staff don't know or don't give a fuck. The cafe there was open for another hour or more. We left.
We went to Arcadia Garden Centre just a few minutes down the road but the Stokesley end of Stokesley Road. We got to their cafe at 3.50pm, just ten minutes before they stopped serving. Instead of groaning at our last minute arrival they couldn't have been more helpful and cheerful 😊 I was able to have a cheese and tomato quiche with salad and it was delicious. (As long as I can cut the salad up small it's usually OK to eat). We spent £28 in their cafe then i spent £38.47 in the top section of the shop. Today the disabled pound was worth almost £70 for them ♿💷 and Zero to the other garden centre. We never felt rushed or pushed in the cafe although they had long closed with us still in it.
In the top area full of gifts it was a split level floor with a mini disabled lift. Simple to work but my mother and I could not for the life of us figure out how to use it, well to get the gate to open! My mother found the young lady who helped us and her help enabled my £38.47 spend. By now this section was also closing for the night but none of the staff there made us feel pushed or rushed 😊 One of the items that I bought has actually solved an idea I had for a false window display but couldn't work out how, this is much better than I could have done ☺ Pics tomorrow, I'm writing this sitting in bed!
I just wish I'd had more time to look around it takes ages to unload the powerchair, then reload it (the first place), then unload again at the next whilst thinking there's going to be no food left that's suitable for me or they'll have stopped serving by the bloody time the wheelchair is ready to go. Definitely returning soon to the Arcadia Garden Centre but hopefully a less surprising trip afterwards with no random guy flashing his arse at me on the road and none of the armed police about either 😁😨
Firstly we decided to go to Cherry Hill Garden Centre on Stokesley Road outside Middlesbrough, usually a really lovely place to visit, and loads of goodies to look at or buy. We get there, the cafe isn't very busy and hot food is displayed clearly in the counter and no obvious sign in that area to say it's not available. The sign that is available says talk to staff about allergies, special needs but no one at this point. My parents ask the woman at the next counter how to order the quiche and salad as listed and still on display in its plate. No hot food. There is only sandwiches or cake available. I can only eat Soft or Pureed food, and being diabetic cake is not suitable or wanted. Another lady asks to buy hot food and complains when told curtly no, not available. So WHY display it so prominently?? 😤 Unknown to me my father then tried to tell the woman indicating to me in my powerchair that I am diabetic, probably in hypo and need special food. She turned her back to him. 😤😡 We will take this further, they need educating, no point having a sign about special needs if the staff don't know or don't give a fuck. The cafe there was open for another hour or more. We left.
We went to Arcadia Garden Centre just a few minutes down the road but the Stokesley end of Stokesley Road. We got to their cafe at 3.50pm, just ten minutes before they stopped serving. Instead of groaning at our last minute arrival they couldn't have been more helpful and cheerful 😊 I was able to have a cheese and tomato quiche with salad and it was delicious. (As long as I can cut the salad up small it's usually OK to eat). We spent £28 in their cafe then i spent £38.47 in the top section of the shop. Today the disabled pound was worth almost £70 for them ♿💷 and Zero to the other garden centre. We never felt rushed or pushed in the cafe although they had long closed with us still in it.
In the top area full of gifts it was a split level floor with a mini disabled lift. Simple to work but my mother and I could not for the life of us figure out how to use it, well to get the gate to open! My mother found the young lady who helped us and her help enabled my £38.47 spend. By now this section was also closing for the night but none of the staff there made us feel pushed or rushed 😊 One of the items that I bought has actually solved an idea I had for a false window display but couldn't work out how, this is much better than I could have done ☺ Pics tomorrow, I'm writing this sitting in bed!
I just wish I'd had more time to look around it takes ages to unload the powerchair, then reload it (the first place), then unload again at the next whilst thinking there's going to be no food left that's suitable for me or they'll have stopped serving by the bloody time the wheelchair is ready to go. Definitely returning soon to the Arcadia Garden Centre but hopefully a less surprising trip afterwards with no random guy flashing his arse at me on the road and none of the armed police about either 😁😨