Afternoon tea with my sister, we tried to book but couldn't get through on the phone so just turned…read moreup. A little disorganised but one of the girls helped us out, confirmed that we could swap out a tea for a coke for me as I don't drink hot drinks. The selection was OK, but it could have been a selection from a range and it would have been nice if the comfy seating area was reserved for the high tea. Other than that it was nice, the sun was out and the bright airy room was pleasant to sit in, the food was tasty and the crustless sandwiches were fresh.

Even if you're not a keen gardener, Dobbies is a great shop…read more Obviously, they mainly sell plants, but they're offering is actually very large and covers everything from artificial, indoor, conservatory, outdoor.... There's a maze outside to keep the nippers, old or young happy and there's a very large coffee area. (try one of their scones - yum yum). At the other side of the shop there's a dedicated deli area that offers all sorts of cooked meats, antipasta, breads, oils and chutneys. (Note, they're steak pies are one of the best i've had) Christmas time at Dobbies is great too. (though my husband has now banned me from going !?) Fabulous decorations for all tastes and I think they have a sanata's grotto too.

If you're an avid gardener or even just an armchair gardener I'd suggest you ditch the local…read morefranchises and their overpriced wares and instead head to Mclarens nursery. They cater for every style of garden from the traditional small bedding plants to colourful exotic grasses, they even have a huge section devoted to trees. Frequented by landscape gardeners and the general public alike, this is the place to go for good quality plants and value for money.

From the owner: At McLaren's Nurseries Ltd you will find all of your plant needs. A massive range of many different…read moreshrubs, perennials, conifers, grasses, fruit bushes and trees, climbers, bamboo, Rhododendrons, Azaleas and Roses. A family run buisness we now span 50 acres and are a plant lovers paradise!

A Walled Garden built on a farm on the edge of Devilla Forest. In addition to the Garden, there is…read morea Farm Shop selling their produce and a lovely log cabin cafe. The cabin is kept warm in winter with a feature stove fireplace and the owner is equally as welcoming. We fancied a snack, so opted for homemade soup with crusty bread. One of the party had a cheese & spring onion toastie - good uncomplicated fare. For afters, Mum had the Meringue with a pot of Earl Grey. Being more of a savoury fella overall, I don't often go in for cakes etc, but I decided to try the Apple & Cinnamon Scone with Butter & Jam. It was delicious, I have to say. They are expanding at the moment to allow more visitors to the cafe. Given the quality of the food, I think this will prove popular with ramblers and those looking for somewhere to relax that's a little bit different from the norm.

Lovely little gem hidden away. Ideal for a nice afternoon. Lovely helpful staff and you can bring…read moreyour (well behaved) four legged friends.

Slight hiccups aside, our experience with Alloa Bedroom Centre was a smooth one…read more We needed a mattress for our new flat and, having noticed that there's always sales advertised here, thought we'd try our local furniture store. We got a comfy new mattress for just over £100. - A £60 reduction. And we were able to add the delivery to our flatmate's delivery, coming the same say, at no extra cost. Hiccup one: The delivery man added £2 to the delivery charge. A tip is service-dependent, not an add-on! - You cheeky delivery man, you. Hiccup two: A wooden slat was missing from my flatmate's bed. All in all, we got a bargain and service, for the most part, was great. In particular, the lady who helped us during our initial browse and the order process was a huge help and really friendly and welcoming. In this instance, shopping local for furniture topped the journey out to IKEA, for sure!

This shop is a great place to buy...well.....anything for you house at pretty good prices…read more The shop itself isn't too well organised and it does kind of feel a little bit like a warehouse than a shop and that there are things falling off lorries and ending up in boxes on the shelves. But when you get in and get a good root around, you'd be surprised at just what is on offer. There is pretty much everything that you'd need for a small garden and it's certainly cheaper than big retail park sized shops like B&Q. From bulbs, to spades, to blinds, to table cloths, to lamps and even dog food - this shop has it all. If you see something that you like or think you need then there is no point in putting it off until buying it the following weekend though as the turnaround of the stock is so quick that there's little chance the same item will be there. You have been warned!

Rarely do I review but I expected a nice lunch out with my wife down the…read more Clydeside. Not been in for a few years and based on lunch I won't be back ever. Only 4 main items on the lunch board with one rubbed out - I went for sausage with onion gravy and mash - big mistake. Square sausage (assuming lefts overs from the breakfast menu), no onions visible in the gravy by sight or taste - mash mysteriously turned into frozen chips. Unfortunately my wife was fairing just as poorly with a bedraggled ham salad baguette. Both dishes , the lack of service and the total lack of attention to detail all added to an extremely poor experience but we are at least wiser now.

This garden centre is to the smaller locally owned businesses, what Asda is to your local green…read moregrocer. The shop is bigger and some things might appear cheaper, but I have generally found the actual range of items available and the knowledge of the staff somewhat lacking. It feels as though most of the place is taken up with conservatories and china and candles, is that what a garden centre should be? The last couple of times I've been in looking through the garden tools and thought: yes this is all very good for a bit of topiary, at the most, but where are the proper tools. I'll stick to going elsewhere in future.

I used to feel like this garden centre was a second home and I felt at one amidst the bracken and…read moreshrubs in the green house. My Grandparents used to take me and my brother here when we were young and I can remember going pretty much every other day. Quite bizarre now I think about it, as they only had a tiny garden. This place is huge and you can get everything you could ever imagine for a garden, gnomes, compost, plant pots, you name it, it's all here. So if you're green fingered then head down to Rouken Glen Garden Centre to pick up a plant or two and maybe even some tips from the other plant fanatics.

Is there anything more exciting that wondering round a garden centre?…read more Yes, lots of things. In fact anything! But that's not the point! As far as garden centre's go Rouken Glen is one of the best. I'm not a big plant lover because they require care and attention and I am too busy caring for and attending to myself but, they don't just have plants at Rouken Glen! There is also a large gift shop which sells all manner of randomness from vases and candles to jewelry and mugs. The pleasant little coffee shop sells some yummy cakes and light lunch items. When I go to visit my wee 89 year old Granpa I take him to this coffee shop and he flirts with all the old ladies, sweet and disgusting in equal measures! My favorite thing about Rouken Glen is the Christmas section; it is a magical winter wonderland! I particularly like the outdoor Christmas light section, a little wonder around here is a great way to get you in the festive mood!

Jacks is somewhat of a Lanark institution. I think The original Jack (whoever he may be) might be…read moreLanark's favourite Jack, edging out Nicholson, Ruby, Kerouac and even Daniels... It's one of those old fashioned ironmongers - if you remember the sorely missed Crockett's in Glasgow, this is a smaller version, but essentially the same theory. If you can use it in the house, on the house, above the house, under the house or near the house, then Jacks will have it. The price for this mish mash of usefullness is that some things will be more expensive than, say, Homebase, which doesn't exist in Lanark any more - Jacks was here before them, and is here after them. Three or four times this past month I've needed something and the phrase "Aye, Jacks will have it" was the first thing said to me. I went in today and sure enough, got everything I needed. There's something great about just wandering around these kinds of places, and discovering things you never knew you wanted, probably didn't need, but you end up with three of them anyway. That's Jacks... and nobody in Lanark would change it.

I have to say that this place is a hardware shop very much in the mould on the one seen in the Two…read moreRonnies fork handles sketch, but in a good way. It's one of those shops that's actually surprising to find, a small local business where the staff are helpful, friendly and knowledgeable all in the right quantities. This is the place to go locally for all manner of hardware items, fireplaces, tools, mouse traps, axes, scythes and all other weird bits and bobs. They also sell homeware items and ornamental things, the range and the service that this shop provides just can't be touched by somewhere like B & Q or Homebase.