Car park, Dobbies Garden Centre, Siddington

Image: © Brian Robert Marshall Taken: 17 Mar 2011

Dobbies is a chain of garden centres whose origins date to the 19th century when a Scottish policeman-turned-nurseryman named James Dobbie started the business. The chain joined the Tesco group of companies in 2008 but remains operationally independent with its headquarters in Edinburgh. This image is also of note in that it shows a very well-maintained 1975 MGB roadster just to the right of centre. British sports cars such as the MGB were once aspired to by the likes of this contributor. They were built from 1962 to 1980 at the MG factory in Abingdon, now sadly long-gone. Because most of the production run was exported to the USA the original design had to be increasingly modified to meet the statutory requirements of that country as they became ever more stringent as regards exhaust emissions and safety. As a result later models are decidedly lacklustre in performance when compared to the early examples. The one shown here would be left for dead by the diesel-powered Toyota parked next to it. Thankfully outright performance isn't everything and, for dawdling along a country lane on a warm summer's evening with your blonde du jour in the passenger seat with the top down, the B would be hard to beat.

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