Have you been to an exhibition that was nothing like you thought it would be?

One Christmas I went to the “Dickens Faire”. It was put on by the same people that put on the Renaissance Faire, and was supposed to be a Victorian Christmas celebration. We were expecting Roast Beef available with Yorkshire pudding, and some dancing and caroling.

Turned out the available food was awful, and not at all British. There was one small trio of girls not in costume (no one was in costume!) who were singing modern season songs (“Jingle Bell Rock”). And it was all crap crafts goods. Instead of spending the evening, we left after twenty minutes to get a decent meal.

Yeah. The movie “The Stewardesses.”

We came across the “Fairy Woodland Experience” purely by chance. All we could see was a couple of cars parked on a desolate tract of land and a large shed. We went in to what resembled a large draughty hangar with makeshift shelves stacked with very crappy merchandise. Abandoned fairies sitting in rows holding magic wands that no longer worked and large colourful boxes of overpriced tat. The girl at the counter was helpful and let us peek from the rear door into the fairy woods. Dark canyons of fir trees hung with drooping lights that emitted next to no light led into sinister distances. I pitied any young child whose concept of Fairyland would be demolished by this nightmare experience and we politely declined to buy a ticket.

On a more cheerful note I can recommend the gardens taking part in Scotland’s Gardens Scheme. You can buy a book listing them all that tells you when the normally private gardens are open to the public. If you choose a nice day you will find the experience is quite magical and they usually serve tea with home-made baking.

@flutherother That sounds like a fantastic idea thanks!