Last Thursday saw the grand opening of Ted’s splendid new Bicester Village store and, in true Ted style, it was quite the occasion.
Dedicated to the pursuit of the Great British outdoors, the new store’s distinctive interior puts the spotlight on golf, picnics and a spot of good old-fashioned gardening.
Guests were treated to the sight of upside-down flowerpots posing as lampshades, vertical picnic scenes on actual turf adorning the walls and intrepid ducklings waddling across the ceilings. Even a small army of gnomes were in residence, busying themselves among the vintage croquet mallets and birdhouses.
Golfing was the activity du jour, with a miniature crazy golf course, manned by Ted’s dashing caddies, set up to give guests with an eagle-eye their chance to score a hole-in-one in exchange for mystery lucky dip prizes. Even the cash registers housed a most convincing golf pond, complete with exotic fish, ducks and even the odd missing golf ball.
Perhaps most impressive of all were the store’s marvellous changing rooms. Decked out in golfing tartan upholstery, each booth revealed, amidst rustic brickwork and overgrown moss, a unique glimpse of a classic English country garden. Complete with hidden gnomes and inquisitive mallards, the overall effect was both stunning and typically eccentric.
Over the course of the opening weekend, friends of Ted indulged in some of his favourite Bakewell Tarts baked by the lovely people at Mary’s Tea Parties and a refreshing G&T, served by the boys from The Travelling Gin Company straight from their bikes!
Today, Ted will also be calling up one lucky winner who has bagged themselves a pair of tickets to visit historic Waddesdon Manner.
Visit Ted’s Facebook page to see more images from the opening
All in all, Ted’s new Bicester Store is, quite simply, a putt above the rest.
