Turn over a new leaf with the Walker’s Book Club.

Walker’s Book Club will be meeting at 10.00 am in the conservatories on the first Saturday of every Month, and it is completely FREE to join.

Each month the group will select a book from our extensive list and be given a copy to read – it’s entirely your choice. The following month the members will meet to discuss the book, asking questions and hopefully getting answers – as well as delivering verdicts. And if the Book Club wants to recommend their choice to Walker’s customers, we’ll be only to happy to pass on the information.  At the end of the monthly discussions the group will be issued with their next chosen book.

The Walker’s Book Club started in April 2011. If this appeals to you, and you want to enjoy a good read in the company of other booklovers, you can contact the Garden Restaurant to express your  interest. It is as simple as that.  The Garden Restaurant can be contacted on 01302 770564.

Please down load a copy of our book list. Sorry, but we don’t have copies of Shakespeare’s Mulch Ado About Nothing.

Download the Book Club List>>

Mariam is only fifteen when she is sent to Kabul to marry the troubled and bitter Rasheed, who is thirty years her senior. Nearly two decades later, in a climate of growing unrest, tragedy strikes fifteen-year-old Laila, who must leave her home and join Mariam’s unhappy household.

Laila and Mariam are to find consolation in each other, their friendship to grow as deep as the bond between sisters, as strong as the ties between mother and daughter. Then comes Taliban rule, and the women’s endurance is tested beyond their worst imaginings. Yet love can move a person to act in unexpected ways…

The book clubs score 7.5/10

The book clubs review:

“One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs

Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls”

……..  Not exactly the media news image that we have had portrayed of Kabul    (Afghanistan) in recent years! Khaled Hosseini sets his novel against the historical backdrop that is late twentieth century Kabul, a city struggling for its identity and survival in the face of Russian dictatorship, followed by the strains and anarchy of internal factional war, and finally the extremism imposed by Taliban rule.

This is a love story in more ways than one. The powerful narrative is focused on the experiences and struggles of two central female characters – Mariam and Laila- whose lives become inextricably entwined. As the author himself points out, he couldn’t think of a more compelling story than that which portrayed the struggle of women – a particular target of Taliban fanaticism – in Afghanistan during this period.

All members of our book club found this novel informative. However personal responses to it were varied – comments ranged from “depressing” to “uplifting” to “overly stereotypical”. One reader said the book made her angry. I personally loved it!  Khaled Hosseini is a riveting and fascinating storyteller.

When you arrive at our themed evening events you know that you will be getting a Five Star evening. We are entirely focused on ensuring your enjoyment of a wonderful night.

On arrival at Walker’s Garden Restaurant, set in acres of beautiful grounds, and with stunning summer views, (there’s safe and secure parking), we’ll take care of your hats and coats, and then offer you a glass of fizzing wine, which is followed by a fabulous four course meal. Your food is freshly prepared in our kitchens, using local produce and ingredients. You’ll be served at your table by our friendly and experienced waitresses, and you can choose from a wide selection of wines, beers and spirits to complement your meal.

And there’s always live entertainment – take a look at the upcoming artists>>

Our popular Evening Events (so far) have showcased singers from English National Opera, the BBC Radio 3 Open Choir of the Year, the Mark Ellis Big Buda Band, Alexandra Parker, the hugely popular electric violinist, and many, many more….the list goes on.

Tickets are priced at £27.50 per person, with the evening starting at 6.00 pm and finsihing at approximately 10.00 pm. Booking in advance is essential.

The event on Wednesday November 16, at Walkers Nurseries, on Mosham Road (near Robin Hood Airport) will see the finest craft stalls from across Yorkshire selling their wares.

Elaine Bodle who runs Walkers Nurseries said: “Our annual craft fayre has grown year on year and we are expecting almost 40 stalls this year.

“This event provides a great opportunity for people to buy a wide variety of craft based Christmas presents with stalls ranging from glass and crystal jewellery to handbags and aprons and from jams and chutneys to handmade chocolates and baby knitwear.

“There will also be a number of stalls selling Christmas cards and wrapping papers.”

Walkers Nurseries has played an important role in the Doncaster community for the past 60 years and hosts a number of community based events each year.

“We are really looking forward to this year’s Christmas Market and we’ve focused on attracting local talented individuals and companies to take part. The idea is that local people can come along and support local traders,” added Elaine.

Entry to the event, which runs from 4pm until 8pm is free and free parking is available.

For further information please visit www.walkersnurseries.tv

Wednesday 16th November

Doncaster’s finest crafters will be out in force with dozens of stall holders selling a wide variety of products.

For our younger guests – visit Father Christmas in his Winter Wonderland.

Then, when it is time to warm up – enjoy a glass of mulled wine and hearty meal in the garden restaurant, whilst listening to live music.

If you’d like to show off your creative crafting on a stall at one of our events, then please call us on 01302 770325. You will need to call us first to gain access to the stall booking link below.

Book a stall >>

The Stall Holders:

Carrie Hartshorn – Glass & Crystal Jewellery | Felt Decorations | Knitted Accessories

Christine Strophair – Jewellery | Bunting | Wooden Hearts

Glenys Tipling – Cards | Boxes | Paper products

Our Little Craft Company – Handbags | Aprons | Wheaties | Peg Bags

Sue Wilcox – Cards

Linda Armitage – Jams | Produce | Vinegar

Sue Richardson – Knitted Scarves | Bags |Beach Bags

Mollie Cherry – Glass Jewellery | Painted Glass

Paul’s Chocolate Box – Handmade Chocolates

Joanne Heyes – Jewellery

Angie Hardwick – Ceramics | Paper Crafts | Textiles | Book Binders

Mad Cat Jewellery – Jewellery

John Michael – Dichroic Glass Jewellery | Fused Glass

Margaret Walker – Cards | Cushions | Quilts | Crystals

Teressa Thoresby – Cards |Jewellery

Jan Tovey – Cross Stitch

Janet Rayner – Gifts & Mobiles

Lillie Beasley – Amber Jewellery

Linden Richards – Painted Items & Textiles with a shabby chic theme

Dawn Wildman – Jewellery

Sarah Hone – Wooden Gifts | Xmas Decorations | Xmas Garlands

Sarah Vallance – Massage

Peter Winstanley – Stained Glass | Mirror Boxes | Candle Holders | Hand Crafted Bags & Cushions

Amanda Dudley – Baby Knitwear

ChocElate – Hand Made Chocolates

Kate Anderson – Personalised Gift Bags | Cards | Wooden Gifts for Children

Karen Jarvis – Cupcakes

Elaine Snow – Cards

Dawn Wildman – Jewellery

Charmed By Marie – Hand Made Jewellery

Miranda Nelson – Jewellery from Clay, Resin, Shrink Plastic | Book Marks | Fridge Magnets

Grandad Mal Honey – Honey | Bee’s Wax Candles

Friends of the Grand Theatre – Tombola

We are please to have join us the ‘Test Your Health’ team, who will be offering a mini health check. Potential clients have to be residents of Doncaster or patients of a Doncaster GP, be 40 – 74 years of age, non diabetic and not being treated for hypertension.

The spooky wood and haunted house event, for children aged between four and nine years old, on October 29 is a first for the family run business.

Elaine Bodle, who runs the nurseries with her partner Steve said: “As a family run business we wanted to put on an event that would appeal to local families.

“We will turn Walkers Nurseries into a spooky setting with ghostly characters for fun and games with prizes for the best dressed ghoul!”

Halloween is becoming more and more popular in the UK with many children taking part in trick or treating and costume parties.

“We know that some parents want to celebrate Halloween but don’t like the idea of their children trick or treating, so this gives them a good opportunity to dress up and take part in the fun in a safe place.

“After working up an appetite the children will have a hot meal before leaving in the darkness with a goodie bag,” added Elaine.

Walkers Nurseries plays a key role in the local community and puts on a number of events throughout the year.

Tickets for the event on October 29 which runs from 5.30pm to 7.30pm  cost £10 per child . These can be bought from Walkers Nurseries or online at www.walkersnurseries.tv

Walker’s Nurseries, garden centre and garden restaurant, was founded by Lawrence and Vera Walker in 1951 and in 2011 is an award winning success.

The business has come a long way from the plot of land just outside Blaxton, close to Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which had never been ploughed before. Now run by the couple’s daughter Elaine Bodle and her partner Steve, the nurseries have show gardens, exhibit at flower shows around Britain and employ around 24 full and part-time workers.

Elaine said: “Pardon the pun but it is fair to say that we are growing from strength while still keeping hold of the family values.

“Mum and dad started the business which back then was called Walker’s Roses, and today we have beautiful show gardens on that land and have won many awards including a Gold from Chelsea flower show.

“We don’t just sell plants, we are about so much more than that, we want to foster an interest in gardening, whether as an amateur or at advanced level.  Our advice is free and readily available.”

Visitors to Walkers Nurseries can buy shrubs, flowers, bedding plants, grasses, foliage and pines or they can simply enjoy good locally sourced food in the restaurant.

“As a local ethical business it is important to us that we care about where our suppliers come from and that they share the same values as us. We pride ourselves in working with local people to provide fantastic quality food that hasn’t travelled across the globe to get to our tables,” added Elaine.

Walker’s Nurseries plays a key role in the local community and puts on a number of events throughout the year.

“We are looking forward to our first ever Halloween party for children aged four to nine years old. We have arranged an evening of ghoulish delights in our  spooky wood and haunted house,” said Elaine.

Tickets for the Halloween party cost £10 per child and the event will take place on Saturday 29 October from 5.30pm until 7pm. Tickets can be bought from the Garden Centre or online via www.walkersnurseries.tv

Wentworth today is a crumbling and forgotten palace in Yorkshire. Yet a hundred years ago it was the ancestral pile of the Fitzwilliams – an aristocratic clan whose home and life was fuelled by coal mining.

Black Diamonds tells of the Fitzwilliams’ spectacular decline: of inheritence fights; rumours of changeling and of lunacy; philandering earls; illicit love; war heroism; a tragic connection to the Kennedys; violent death; mining poverty and squalor; and a class war that literally ripped the landscape apart.

The demise of Wentworth and the Fitzwilliams is a riveting account of aristocratic decline and fall, set in the grandest house in England.

The book clubs score – 7.5/10

The book clubs review:

Based on the eclipse of the Fitzwilliams, a South Yorkshire aristocratic dynasty located at magnificent Wentworth House, this book was always going to be of particular local interest to our book group.

The book provoked strong and often conflicting responses from the members of our book group – but undeniably its cocktail of social, economic and political history, laced with the contrasting themes of privilege and deprivation, and the added frissons provided by tales of promiscuity, accusations of illegitimacy, and finally towards the end the “curse of the Kennedies” – provided a potent and heady mixture for us all.

Well worth the read.

Saturday 8th October

Lydia Griffith from the West End production Les Miserables and the Doncaster Amateur Operatic Society take us on a whirlwind tour through the musicals.

The evening begins with a glass of fizz before you settle down to enjoy a scrumptious locally sourced four course meal, freshly prepared in our award winning kitchen.

Your tables are dressed with linen table cloths and napkins, together with fresh flowers and tea light.

Let our waitresses look after your every need.

A Night At The Musicals Menu>>

Unfortunately, a night at the musicals has now sold out! Our next evening event will be our Christmas Meal. Further detail will follow shortly.

We look forward to looking after you!

Britain in Bloom – Newport’s Pandas

It’s one of Europe’s biggest yearly campaigns – and it puts a smile on everyone’s face. Over 115,000 volunteers in hundreds of village, towns, cities and urban communities give an estimated 1.7 million hours of their time to making the space around them look better and brighter. It is, of course, Britain In Bloom, and this year there are no less than seventy-seven finalists hoping for the Champion Of Champions title…

Download the rest of the article by Phil Penfold

Britain in Bloom Article>>