What-ho, Hound-followers! While your Newshound’s diligence knows no bounds, nose never far from the ground on the scented trail of knowledge worth sharing with you, facts are sacrosanct.

OK, so occasionally, I confess, a modicum of speculation can’t be resisted, but only when the source of the titbit is as impeccable as a Bonio (especially when it comes to the subject of Wyevale Garden Centres). No place here for gossip or guesswork.

This is one of those occasions, though, when I shall enjoy the role of observer…simply watching what the speculators are up to, speculating on the speculators....knowotimean?

Turns out that some of them believe Dobbies is about to sign a deal to buy 30 of the 97 Wyevale centres still for sale. They imply they’re basing it on insider knowledge – but WGC, as is its custom, says it can’t comment. Dobbies makes no secret of its desire to grow its current 38-centre estate…doing precisely what Wyevale did back in the old days, when Brian Evans was in charge – bolting on a big chunk of instant turnover. So the sources could be on to something.

Whoah…let’s not get carried away with too much ‘spec’…although I have to say I was intrigued by one source’s suggestion that Dobbies made its move after an investor from outside the garden industry dropped its bid for the whole remaining group.

Let’s pause and do the maths; 97–30 = 67. So that’s probably why one of the speculators suggests that other potential buyers are still in negotiation with WGC as well. There are still 67 to shift.

Meanwhile – and this is fact not fake – WGC is to close its Crowland centre on 28 April (the week after Easter) in Lincolnshire after failing to tempt buyers, largely blaming the arrival of the local by-pass a few years ago for falling footfall. When your hound popped by to take a peek last week, the place was heaving as a “50% Off” closing down sale began to clear the shelves.

Finally, one of the unsold 97 is Wyevale Leicester Rowena – which sits next door to a new retail floristry centre planned by APAC Group, the floristry sundries suppliers well known to many garden centres (see story below for more details about that). APAC’s MD Roger MacKay says he’ll be undercutting Wyevale’s prices….something else to speculate on.

Woof woof! until next time.