On 3/7/07 09:18, in article
, "John McMillan"
wrote:

In article ,
"Alan Jones" wrote:

John T wrote:
We are going to Hampton Court tomorrow for the first time. Two couples
travelling from the Midlands.

I have been advised to take the train and think that is the best
option. Our friends disagree and wish to drive, despite warnings of
congestion.
any unbiased views please


I used to live a couple of miles from the Palace, and as a Show visitor was
therefore able to drive there very early - long before the Show entrance
opened. Even so, the parking areas were already half-full and the roads
congested. Bear in mind that the approaches (just ordinary local roads, not
dual carriageways or such) are very busy even on ordinary days, with traffic
to and from Kingston-upon-Thames sometimes brought to a halt by bottle-necks
miles from the Palace. So, depending on how many changes you need to make by
train, and how early you would be able to set out if driving, I suppose
train might be the the wiser option.

The Show is set out very spaciously on an enormous site (Chelsea would be
lost inside it!) so wear comfortable shoes . . .

Alan Jones

It clearly depends on what your two couples intend to do at the show.
If they just want to look at stuff then the train is clearly the better
option. If they want to buy two dozen plants and a couple of large
terracotta pots, then walk with them back to Hampton court station,
up to Waterloo, round the tube to St Pancras or Euston, back up
to the Midlands and get a bus from the station back to wherever exactly
they live, then good luck to them...

This is true but if they *can* park and take the ferry...... At last year's
show we bought one of those folding wheelbarrows and used that to carry
plants around the show. There are also plant crêches where you can leave
your purchases and pick them up at the end of the day.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
(remove weeds from address)