Malvern

9.00am Friday 11th May:
Here we are trying to get off the M6 motorway behind a very big queue of cars all presumably going to the same place we are! It is obvious that the Malvern Show is as popular as they say it is, fortunately, I am not driving so not in too much danger of DVT - perhaps a little Fleetwood Mac will help!

10.15am - after following the signs and everyone else we are here at last. Easy parking and the clouds have disappeared. The hills offer a gentle backdrop to the showground and everyone seems in good spirits.

11am - Just spotted Monty and the team but too interested in looking at the gardens to take much notice.

12noon - there are some amazing stalls at this show and have just purchased a wonderful Victorian seed rake - overjoyed - well worth the traffic queue to get here.

1pm - Met a lovely man on the hosta society display - Tom Elliott - who helps me with some very interesting information about my favourite subject - waging war against snails! Good on yer Tom.

2pm - The band entertains, everyone is in mellow mood - plastic plant trolley full - they are so popular down in the Midlands and particularly at BBC Gardener's World and they are here as well. It's amazing how much some people get into them. Lovely plants of all shapes and sizes being lovingly carted to cars!

3pm - the long journey home beckons - why does it only take ten minutes to get back to the motorway junction along one road when it took us over 50 minutes to come into the showground! I think I will invest in sat nav in future and learn to ignore signs telling me where to go!

I can see why Malvern is popular, at first I couldn't put my finger on it then I realised it's because everyone wants to talk to you and I mean really talk to you not just involve you in nice weather banter. Everyone here is friendly and there is a very English laid-back atmosphere about it.