ONE-STOP SHOP for ROAD-TESTING DOUBLE BUGGIES ANYWHERE?

[farmgirls]

Not sure where to post this;

I have a walking 2 year old and a newborn due in around 8 weeks, so will need double buggy. I don't drive so have to find a double suitable for bus travel also I'm semi-rural so need a double that will cope with rough ground and steep 1 in 5 hill gradients.

I've researched to death on the net and now trying parent forums for personal recommendations.

There looks like little choice but Phil&Teds t the moment, as other buggies are either too expensive (ICandy Pear), too heavy (Kidz Kargo), too ugly (sorry!): Graco Stadium Twin, etc..

What I really need to know though, is there a one-stop retail outlet where you can try several types of buggy? All I know of is the lrger MothercareWorld stores, but they only have Phil&Teds and not much else in double buggies.

Can anyone reocommend such a store near West Yorkshire or possibly the Northamptonshire area?

Thnks!

Depends which bit of northants you are aiming at - if you are near the southern bit and able to make it to Milton Keynes there is a fab baby shop that is in a farm just outside Milton Keynes near a place called Whaddon, called this bump start baby which has quite a few you can try out, they are really nice and friendly and when we needed car seats they were happy to take a few out to the car and fit them in for us to try. We also ended up getting a phil and teds from them when we needed to move up to a double pram - price was as good as I have seen on the internet and was able to take it away with us.

I know MK is technically Bucks but I grew up in S Northants and the shopping centre opened up while I was at school (that dates me!) - previously we had always gone to Oxford or Northampton, whereas nowadays my mum will always head over to MK as it is less than half an hour.

If you are in MK there is also John Lewis, small Mothercare in the centre, much larger one in MK Kingston, where there is also a Mamas and Papas.

Some people have said they like the Kiddicare shop which is supposed to be huge, think it is near peterborough, they have lots of stuff on their site.

The Bumpstart shop used to be part of a baby farm franchise that had several around the country, my sister lived near one in Leics. Apparently they all bought themselves out a couple of years ago, not sure where all of them are, might be worth googling or ringing up bump start and asking them if they have any contacts up in yorkshire!

must admit that I love my P&T, have found it very useful and easy but i am able to sling it in the car. Not sure how you would fair on a bus but I guess that would apply to any double buggy if they wanted you to fold it up and hold a newborn and a toddler trying to wander off!

Other place to look out is an NCT sale - if you are lucky you will find one that you like for sale as a bargain. If not, then there will probably be lots of mums and prams around (even if they are 'parked' in a holding area and not in the sale itself) that you might be able to look at and see people using them/ask them about...

good luck