Three Cocks

Or to give it its proper title, the Old Railway Line Garden Centre at Aberllynfi. not far from Hay on Wye, is Joan’s favourite shop of the moment. Like many you have seen it combines garden centre, cafe, ladies clothes designer centre, children anything to keep them amused shop, and impeccable delicatessen. It’s easy to take the proverbial but they have won garden centre (Wales) of the year since records began so they must do something right, and indeed it is very well presented.

Anyway, the upcoming (hate the expression, sounds like an imminent bilious attach) family gathering enticed Joan to get out (“I need something to wear”), and the impending Easter gifting bonanza means she has to buy us something (“No. we don’t need anything, save your money.”). So we settle on a trip for coffee and scones.

Coffee – run that past me again. Usually bland and tasteless, the last time we ventured there they had a proper barista who knew his way round a coffee bean and a steam wand. “Must go back I enthused over the second cups”, and you know what, in life I have learned, never go back. But we did, and it must be the Easter influence because the second team were on duty who waved a decidedly un-magic wand around in the milk hoping for a religious miracle of all those little bubbles coming together and creating a cohesive, slightly sticky, sweet tasting topping that complements the taste of coffee and gives you the best of both worlds in one cup. In short, we got a warm and slightly sickly milk that coalesced with the otherwise quite acceptable brown liquid that hovered somewhere between Ovaltine and malted milk and something that gnats produce.

However, Joan had a good run around courtesy of Sandie, only essentials were purchased (cakes ansd biscuits for said gathering), no new top, and nothing for us – result! She is a pensioner after all!