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BBC News
17-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Worcestershire garden centres get ready for busy long weekend
Plant growers and sellers have been getting ready for the busy Bank Holiday weekend – traditionally the point in the year when many people want to get their gardens in sunshine has seen sales in plants step up in Worcestershire, with businesses saying the weather "drives everything".At local Bransford Webb Plant Company, where a 45-acre site grows two million plants a year from seed to saplings, the team has been potting about 1,600 plants an hour to keep up with sunny spells forecast by the Met Office this weekend, amid some changeable and wet weather, companies are hoping for potentially record-breaking sales. David Childers, sales and marketing director at the Bransford Webb Plant Company, said: "If you went back six weeks from now, we're at the end of February, early March, it was grey, it was damp."People couldn't get out in their gardens because it was too wet after a wet winter, and equally plants weren't growing much because the light levels and temperatures weren't there."He said that getting to mid-March, the temperatures have increased, adding: "It's gone dry, people are out gardening, garden centres are seeing a massive footfall increase - and then we've seen that turn into sales as people convert that into plant deliveries." 'Inspired by sunshine' Plants leaving the sheds at his company are heading to garden centres up and down the country, including family-owned Laylocks Garden Centre in Worcester, which had its best March in 43 years last Warr, director at Laylocks, said the recent sunshine had brought in the customers and they were expecting a busy weekend over said everyone wanted to be in their gardens as soon as the weather turned added: "They see a huge space outside to use and they're inspired as soon as the sun starts to shine. They want to come here and decorate." Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
28-03-2025
- BBC News
Kent couple's £3k fine for stowaway migrant scrapped
A couple fined £3,000 for unknowingly driving two Sudanese migrants through Calais in a campervan have had the penalty Russell and her partner Geoff Evans from Kent were stopped by Border Force officers in France as they returned from a short family break last Russell, 44, said they had "no idea" when the man and teenager stowed themselves into the bike rack of their van, but believed they hid themselves under the bike cover before they arrived at the port in were fined by the Home Office in February but Ms Russell said they were "absolutely relieved" to receive an email on Thursday confirming the fine has been cancelled. A letter from Border Force seen by the BBC read: "Following a review of the case we have decided to revise the penalty, and conclude that you have demonstrated, to the extent required, that you complied with the regulations. "The Secretary of State has chosen to exercise general discretion and exceptionally, on this occasion, your penalty has been reduced to £0." 'Stressful' Ms Russell said it had been a "stressful few months", adding: "We've a lot of things going on in our lives, like family, work and looking after elderly parents."We didn't need something like this hanging over our heads, £3,000 is a lot of money."Ms Russell said despite the ordeal, she and her family will be travelling to Spain and France, via Calais, during said: "Even though what we had experienced was distressing, it shouldn't stop us from what we want to do."We will be asking the French authorities to inspect our van to ensure there are no stowaways before we go through immigration check."In a similar case, a couple from Essex had their £1,500 fine overturned after a migrant was found zipped inside the cover of a bike rack on the back of their motorhome after returning from France. A Home Office spokesperson said it was "fully committed to stopping people from illegally entering the country and cracking down on people smugglers".They said the "Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Scheme is there to ensure drivers take every reasonable step to deter irregular migration"."We understand that recipients of penalties may disagree with the circumstances of the fine which is why there is an objection process which can trigger a review of cases and a subsequent right to appeal at County Court."
