The food is quite nice with a selection of turkish bread sandwiches, quiches and sweet items. The coffee is quite good but not great. The biggest turn-off is the service -- very slow and if you are eating with friends there is often a big delay between one person's meal arriving and everyone elses'. They need to lift their game in this area.

Very new premises with the latest equipment. The dental nurses are very friendly and good at their jobs. I see Dr Phil and he's a really good dentist with a chatty, friendly personality. This makes the time in the chair pass faster!

Being smaller than the large nurseries in the area seems to ensure a good turnover in plants at Hargraves, avoiding the problem of potbound plants. The plants we have bought have always been healthy. The staff are knowledgable and friendly. Prices are very competitive and they nearly always have a sale on, either of all their stock or of groups of plants. If you join their club you can get a discount on your next purchase based on the cost of what you have bought.

I love this place and often take visitors and guests here for lunch. Everyone I have taken here has commented on the great food and excellent service. In summer or winter sitting out on the balcony area is very pleasant. In winter there are wall heaters to keep you comfortable. Importantly, there is wheelchair access too. Whether you are out on a weekend drive or looking for a lovely weekday lunch Geranium Cottage is worth a visit.

Home of "the longest sausage roll" this bakery, cafe, delicatessan has a great choice of breads, pies and cakes. There is an outdoor seating area that is very popular with both locals and visitors, especially when the Growers Market is on. They have won many awards for their pies which are all yummy. Also, they make gluten-free breads. Well worth a visit.

I'd really like to be able to support this local shop more than I do, especially as I wouldn't like to see small bookshops disappear. However, it is difficult for them to meet or beat the prices available at larger stores and online. They stock some interesting books but their range is limited due to being a small shop. The service is adequate but some assistants I've met do not seem to have as much knowledge about books as I expect in a dedicated bookstore.

Whether you have a puppy or an older dog Hills District Kennel & Training club have classes to suit you. Well-trained instructors will take you through from 12 week old puppy training all the way to Competitive Obedience, if you want to go that far. Classes are held both Monday evenings and Tuesday mornings and the training grounds are situated in Castle Hill Showground, which is a pleasant and safe place for you and your dog. All of my dogs have attended classes here.

Approximate cost: $36 plus $4 per session

We had our venetians cleaned and repaired by this company and were very pleased with the results. They service a very wide area of Sydney so check their website for details. They also sell new blinds.

Andy is fantastic! He has fixed numerous computer problems (including a very tricky one) for us and usually comes on the same day we call. His prices are very reasonable and overall good value for the amount of work he puts in to solving issues. We have bought our last two computers through him and are very happy with them. The area he covers is quite large -- we are near Dural.

Not a fancy place but the pies are great. They have a good range of gourmet pies including Lamb Satay, Lamb Honey & Rosemary, Tandoori Chicken, Thai Chilli Chicken, Pepper Steak and many more as well as fruit pies and Devonshire Teas. I've been here a number of times with family and also with organised groups. Well worth a detour from the F3.