Ideal Home this year

[smurfchops]

Have you been ? Worse year yet, never going again. Nothing upstairs, in fact it was all closed upstairs apart from some cold seating areas with no atmosphere whatsoever, as there is nowhere to sit downstairs when you want a coffee or a meal, seems like half as many stalls as there used to be. Lots of open spaces for walking, put it that way. The houses were good, and Madame Tussauds. If you do go, take a camera for Madame Tussauds otherwise they want you to pay for photos with the 'stars' ... Shirley Bassey, Leonardo di Caprio, Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell, JLo, can't remember if there were any more. Otherwise, forget it. Oh, and don't pay the ridiculous �14, try to get a "2 for 1" Daily Mail voucher during the week. Let us know what you think of it, if you do go ...

[pingping]

went last year for the first time, was really excited to go and expecting to see so much to give me some inspiration. left feeling really disappointed as hardly any design displays just a few tacky stalls. Never again! glad I didn't bother this year!

[Jenga]

I went once a few years ago and found it was rubbish. Over-rated, with queues to go into the show houses and just full of people trying to sell you something.

NEVER AGAIN!

[rabbitygirl]

Years ago I used to go every year. I last went in 2002 when I worked there.

After a few years gap I visited last year. It was unrecognisable as the show of old. There were people selling stuff there who I would describe as one step up from Del boy.

No big companies (why did they stop going) and the houses were uninspiring. It was positively the last time for me.

[smurfchops]

I think the organisers are now so greedy that most people can't afford to hire the stand for the duration. But how most of them (apart from the coffee stands) can make any money I just don't know. Oh and I forgot -- the stall that you wouldn't believe ... selling BOTOX and TEETH WHITENING ! There was a man in a white mask doing someone's teeth would you believe, in full view of everyone, and someone else waiting .. three women in nurses' outfits looking very official .... would anyone in their right mind have anything like that done on a whim? Yes they would !! And what is the come back, for this type of procedure (or anything else you buy) if it goes wrong when you get home ?? Not like John Lewis where you can take it back !!!!

[katerich48]

My daughter and I went at the week-end and thought the same thing - we got the two for one and were so glad after we hadn't paid the full price for what was (compared to other years) half a show...It was supposed to be its Centenary well you would have thought they'd push the boat out a bit more!....I mean to suddenly lose a whole floor and still charge people the same money...we went on Good Friday and my daughter said I'm so glad I never wasted my Saturday morning lie in on it..But on the upside we saved loads of money as we never bought anything (well hardly) unlike most years...God knows how people who came down from the North on coaches to see it must have felt..