In This Issue
Christmas Future Trends and GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards Winners to be announced during Glee's on-line Festive Focus Day
CSY in 2020 – Adapting To Change
Alton's praised for tough stance on facemasks
Garden centre owners share their thoughts on being open during Lockdown 3
GARDENA launches Leaf and Grass Collector
The COVID year in numbers
Flymo's 2021 products raise the bar for innovative gardening equipment
Team Smart’s Sue Sharp retires
Boyd's 'no cake and chocolate' pledge takes him into the top 10% of New Year fundraisers
The GTN Xtra Top 100 Most Read Stories of 2020
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Final call for scholarship applications
Order your Begonias from Ball Colegrave now
Expo 2021 Hatay (Turkey) to postpone opening by eight months
Gardeningexpress.co.uk owner closes garden centre during lockdown 3
Launch of The New Heirloom Garden book
The best of last week's
We're Here For You
Dobbies sponsors ITV’s ‘Love Your Weekend’ with Alan Titchmarsh
Millbrook plans for the future of Crowborough centre
Boyd gives up chocolate and cake for a whole year
Bursting fish tank averts aquatic shop blaze
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Haskins Snowhill re-opens after £15m re-vamp
Perrywood at Christmas 2020 - with correct photo gallery now...
British Garden Centres open their 58th centre at Thatcham
Barton Grange Christmas 2020 - Exclusive GTN Xtra Photo Tour
Squires Badshot Lea - Christmas 2020
Garden Centre Photo Tours
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Pet firm buys Ocado's Fetch brand
Pet Brands releases boredom-busting range of games
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Alton's praised for tough stance on facemasks

Following on from publishing the Groves – We Are Here For You – story in GTN Xtra last week (by far the most read story of the issue) GTN Xtra received the following statement from Derek Bunker about the response to his COVID-19 update and his views on garden centres staying open during lockdown 3.

 

Derek told GTN Xtra: “We posted this message on our website on the 4th of January:

 

Obviously, we are so pleased that we have been allowed to continue to remain open however, we would ask you to please make sure that you always wear a mask whilst in the garden centre. If you are exempt, please bring proof of exemption and show us. We are aware that in law you do not have to show us but if you are not willing to do this then we are sorry, but we will not allow you in. This decision has been made to protect our staff from anyone claiming to be exempt when they are not.

We have checked out this decision and we are within our rights to implement this procedure.

We look forward to seeing you and please be assured our garden centre is as COVID safe as we can make it.

 

“The response we have had has been amazing and very heart warming. Comments such as "wish more businesses would follow suit", "thank you very much for what you're doing" and many, many more messages of congratulations on the stance that we've taken.

 

“The government has put garden centres in the essential class. Let's be sensible, this is not because you need to buy compost seeds, plants, etc. at this time of year. This is more for mental health than anything else. It is to give members of the public somewhere that is fairly safe so that they can get growing as soon as the weather improves.

 

“Are the centres that are choosing to stay shut, therefore, sending out the wrong message. If you were happy to be open throughout the previous lockdown when you were selling Christmas, are you not sending out a message that whilst it is quiet, you are going to close to save money?

 

“It is up to individual centres to choose what they wish to do. But after all the hard work that the HTA and the GCA have put in to allow us to open, I feel we should respect that.

 

“Are those that are closed now going to stay closed until the restrictions are altered, maybe not until March or April?”

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Joe Denham
Well done Derek. Another example of a business taking the right decision when the politicians seem unable or unwilling to do so.
John Crowne
Nice one Derek, stick with it. Pity supermarkets don't have the same safe policies. John Crowne
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