One thing that we all enjoy is a day out. We have been on some wonderful daytrips, but they all seem like a distant memory now. The pandemic put pay to a lot of our favourite pastimes; although I must add that whilst the rest of the country shut down, we were extremely lucky to be able to continue to make use of our on-site facilities. We were some of only a handful of people who continued to have access to a bar, a tearoom and a library. We continued to dine together and take part in various activities provided by the team here at Hazel End. The team have been phenomenal, nobody here has taken their hard work and dedication for granted. We will never be able to thank them enough, but I digress.

This week we finally got the green light for an outing, a trip on the bus to the Van Hage’s Garden Centre. We were beyond excited. This trip was more than just a day out, it was an indication that we are over the worst of this pandemic and that is a very reassuring thought.

We love going out on the minibus. I think most people revert to children as soon as they hear the click of the seatbelt. As an adult it’s not a common mode of transport and being onboard takes us right back to school trips, the laughter and the excitement of being away from the classroom. 

Van Hage’s is wonderful, the smells, the intriguing plants and of course, the cakes. We wandered for hours, taking it all in, sizing up the flowers and garden ornaments, planning our own garden. We stopped by the café and had a well earned sit down with a pot of coffee and a slice of cake. We even had time for an ice-cream in the sun.

We were all slightly less energetic on the ride home, we took our seats and relaxed back into them. We looked out of the windows, watching the world go by, happy to finally feel part of it again.