Real Tulips Arrive

Yesterday we got a bit worried as the replacement flowers had not arrived. But early today a neighbour arrived with them as they had been delivered to her in error. My daughter sent me this pic to prove it.

Mail Fail

This image from Wikimedia Commons is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.

I ordered some tulips for my daughter from Post-a-Rose to say thank you for all my birthday treats that she organised and financed. Tulips are her favourites. An email told me they had been despatched last Monday by Royal Mail first class post, so they should arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday. But they didn't.

As they had been intended as a surprise, I waited till Thursday to enquire whether they had arrived. My daughter said that her post had not come through her letterbox till about 6 pm on Wednesday and there certainly weren't any flowers. The mail usually arrives at lunchtime so she had assumed the postman had delivered it to the wrong address and the recipients had delivered it to her that evening.

Now we think whoever it was kept the flowers. So if that did happen, who is more to blame? The postman who delivered them wrongly, or the neighbours who didn't pass them on? And will we ever know? It's not very nice not knowing which, if any, of the people you live near might do that.

Post-a-Rose are sending them again this week, at no cost to us. They say they will claim the cost from Royal Mail. Brownie points to Post-a-Rose and thumbs down to Royal Mail. I suggested she complain to her local sorting office and get them to give the postie a pep-talk.

Fingers crossed the tulips will get there safely this time, but sadly the surprise won't happen.

Bournemouth's Public Gardens

You can see by the tulips that it's been a couple of months since I took this photo. I was in the Lower Gardens in Bournemouth. This linear park starts by the sea and the entrance to the pier, and ends at the Square where most of the buses stop. I like to get off the bus and walk through them to the sea.

This week for the first time, I walked in the Upper Gardens, which go north from the Square, away from the sea. This park is less formal and an absolute delight. I cursed because I didn't have my camera. I'll make sure I remember it next time I go there.

I've discovered that you can walk for miles through these linear parks. Lots to look forward to not too far from my new home (well, it's one year on now since the move, but I'm still exploring.)

Wordless Wednesday: Bringing the Outside In