Orchid House

After a quick Starbucks pit stop, we were on a train to meet C and D at Woking station just before noon. We took the back exit so that we could wait for the minibus to RHS Wisley to see the gardens.

We had never been before. The shuttle bus was easy, and we were reliably informed that the new bridge, built as part of the M25 Junction 10 project, has significantly improved speeds to and from the place.

PY buys C&D membership, entitling one additional family member. So, we only needed to pay for a fourth ticket, and that was nicely discounted because we used the bus. Although only February and many of the plants are dormant, the Orchid House had colour, and there were snowdrops in bloom. I bet it's even more impressive in summer. The glasshouse seemed bigger than the Kew equivalents, and I like the dry zone cacti. It made me wonder if I should get something similar for my study at home, as I always forget to water the plants.

We ate at the Glasshouse Kitchen. The food was lovely, but I avoided the pizza because I don't like vegan parmesan, which was explicitly called out on the menu for the pizza I thought sounded good. I went for the artichoke and caper pasta, which, while vegan, didn't mention the cheese. So, while delicious, there's a taste to the cheese that lingers. I should have thought about that some more.

We only just managed to secure four seats on the minibus back. I felt sorry for the ladies for whom there were not enough seats. It's a good sign that public transport is popular, and maybe it's time to invest in a bigger bus.

We were really in Woking to help C&D move some belongings to the guest flat in their complex to give the carpet fitters, due on Monday, more room to work. We eventually worked out a chain where I would take boxes or bags from their flat to the lift, and they would meet the lift at the top to take them to where they were being stored. It was about half an hour of work.