Profil von bubblerock

Not the most picturesque of places to visit, but very historical and plenty to look at including the waterways museum, antiques warehouse with lots of small shops selling all different nik naks and Robert Opie Museum which specialises in packaging from years gone by, it’s actually really interesting to see which brands you recognise and how they have changed over the years. Also some pubs and little independent shops. Not a spectacular day out, but pretty interesting. You can take boat trips or just look at the different boats moored. Parking is really easy there are usually plenty of spaces.

I HATE our JJB Sports shop, it is spread out on several floors yet still seems completely muddled and crowded. The prices are expensive compared to SportsDirect for the same products.

I don’t rate this store at all and avoid it at all costs.

Phoenix is a superb shop for youngsters looking for hippy style funky clothing. They stock lots of ethnic style, tie dye and batik print clothes. Very unique and perfect for a studenty town like cheltenham.

They also stock funky shoes and sandles, I’m a little out of touch with the scene now - maybe when I revisit the hippy style in my forties I’ll head back there, but it’s definitely for the young and funky kids out there.

They stock some beautiful jewellery and gifts downstairs which is definitely worth a mooch around.

Freeport is so picturesque, a shopping village right by the sea! It’s very easy to get to by car or bus - there is loads of free parking. There are lots of shops that are supposedly discounted but many are still fairly highly priced. The Thorntons and Cadbury shop are probably the worst for this, they are not hugely discounted.

You can get little cars to push toddlers around whilst shopping which is great fun for them but pretty cumbersome for the parents trying to shop!

The village is completely flat and ideal for wheelchair users.

The Hallmark shop and Next are my favourite stores, they really do have good deals and I can get a lot for my money in these shops.

Freeport is always growing and plans are in place to create more outlets there, hopefully prices will drop as they are in the highstreet and more bargains will be available!

Sainsburys is a pretty good supermarket, the prices are a little high compared to Asda and Tesco but the quality is generally very good. This Sainsburys is on such a busy roundabout it can be a complete nightmare to get in or out of especially if there is an accident on the M5 - all traffic gets diverted down the Golden Valley and the Sainsburys roundabout can become gridlocked.

The food is good quality although the fresh produce isn’t aways as fresh as it could be. I did complain once about mouldy strawberries on sale and the manager literally bent over backwards to make me happy - I just wanted to let him know! Very good customer service from that respect.

The cafe is usually pretty quiet so good for a cuppa. The bakery is lovely, they do some great cakes! It’s not my number one choice of supermarkets but it’s nice to go for a change and get some different products!

This church is my favourite in the whole world, I was christened here along with most of my family. The Church is so picturesque, it is grey stone perfectly in proportion - a chocolate box church. Yep it’s freezing inside, especially when you’re stood in your flimsy brownie outfit - thank god for those bobble hats!! But It is so pretty, surrounded by allotments and countryside. It has a long approach which is great for brides to walk up with their trains on show. The village is so friendly and every time I have visited for nostalgic reasons, the graveyard and gardens have been well kept and although very old the place seems in a very good state of repair.

We have only visited this restaurant once and keep meaning to go back. We really enjoyed our meal, the restaurant has a lovely warm cosy atmosphere. We went as a couple but there were lots of families there and birthdays - as with TGI Fridays (which Frankie & Bennys definitely has the feel of) they make a big deal of birthdays and get a real buzz going in the restaurant. We didn’t feel encroached by the families as we had a lot of room, it is not as crammed in as places like pizza hut.
The food was really nice, lots of choice and piping hot. It was good value for money and we will definitely go back as a family as I feel it is a versatile restaurant and my young children will enjoy it.

Hawkin’s Bazaar is a fantastic shop with so many gadgets and gismos. The best thing is the price, they seem to stock so many pocket money priced items which is great as the products are pretty cool and have good play value.

For Christmas stockings Hawkin’s is a must. Last year we bought 2 sound boxes - a mosquito and a dripping tap. These boxes can be hidden and when dark start making the noise (of course they stop once a light is switched on!). We have had so much fun with these boxes over the last year with guests at our house - my BIL was there for ages removing his lightbulb as he thought the buzzing was in his light!! PMSL

Great fun for big and little kids - lots of items to take you back to your childhood!

The Green Dragon is a wonderful 17th Century cosy pub set in the countryside with AA status. It is a really old fashioned pub with beamed walls and ceilings and open fires. It is glorious in the winter for a romantic meal out.

We went here for our wedding anniversary and had a beautiful homecooked meal which had great portions, piping hot and very tasty. It was wonderful eating by the open fire in the warm surroundings.

We stayed the night in the contrasting modern purpose built rooms behind the pub. The rooms were modern, warm and very clean. It was lovely the following morning to step outside surrounded by countryside and fresh air yet not too far out in the wilds.

Mere Road is a Brilliant Veterinary Surgery - They always seem able to see you as soon as possible, They have very caring surgeons, nurses and reception staff. The prices seem very reasonable too, I have had by dog neutered, vaccinated and treated for a scrape here and I have always been worried about the price yet it seems great. My dog gets emails monthly for his flea/worming tablet which is a great reminder! They were able to micro chip my dog immediately after we had a little 'houdini’ incident. They just always seem to recognise and care about your pet which makes you feel great! I would highly recommend Mere Road for your precious pets!