The Dines family discovers Ikea!

IT was on Saturday that for the first time I ventured into an Ikea store. The Swedish company has opened within the past few months a branch in Edmonton and as Mrs Dines and I were in the vicinity to celebrate Greek Orthodox Church's Easter, we decided to give it a go.

Our decision to visit was in part encouraged by the booklet which was distributed free with the previous week's Ipswich Advertiser, Mrs Dines saw just the chairs we needed for sitting  on as we look over the garden through the pario doors and as they were on offer at a snip of £19.99, what was keeping us.

Ikea Edmonton is massive. It wasn't as crowded as I expected it to be, but may just have had something to do with the Arsenal-Spurs north London derby which had a lunchtime kick-off.

There's multi-storey and outdoor parking on the site. The showrooms are on the second floor, with an arrowed route so you don't miss all the delights for living, dining, bath and bed rooms.

Of course, we put into the triolley things we probabl;y didn't want but that's the joy of a superstore. The ground floor area is stacked floor to ceiling with larger items which we on display upstairs.

Ikea has a reputation which, admittedly on just one visit, it certainly seems not to deserve. Items might be cheap, but then again if you've got loads of dosh to spend, you'll look down your nose at any such shop and head for Bond Street to buy state of the art housewares and then have them delivered. Most of us aren't in that fortunate position.

For Essex and Suffolk shoppers, Ikea at Lakeside is better placed but Edmonton has one other advantage for the true shop-alholics. Facing Ikea is a Tesco Extra superstore -what a joy of delight!