My daughter took an instant shine to this table and chairs set at a friends house recently, and as it looked really useful I decided to splash out, and purchase one for the garden.

The furniture is of a decent quality as to be expected of the Early Learning Centre, however on the downside it is also pricey which is not unusal of this shop. I usually find that the quality justifies the cost though.

This set is not really a set, although the items have been made to complement each other perfectly. The table comes in blue or pink and costs £22, and the chairs are available separately in red or blue for £22 a pair.

I have to say this annoys me slightly as you can't really purchase one without the other, but on the other side of the coin it does allow flexibility for those that already have some toy furniture. I would also prefer if the chairs came in pink but it's quite nice to have the contrast I suppose.

Anyway I digress! As money is a little tight at the moment, I decided to keep an eye out for these on Ebay and was lucky enough to win a table and chairs for just £12, which I was pleased as punch about.

Having collected them I was delighted to see they were in good condition and looked only lightly used. I feel this is testiment to the ELC and its products which tend to stand the test of time.

Both the table and chairs are sturdy, chunky and not at all flimsy, and my daughter has clambered all over them without yet tipping them over, even though they are also lightweight and portable.

The table has long grooves in the top to hold pencils and paintbrushes making it perfect for drawing or arts and crafts. At the moment my daughter is too young for this as she won't stay still for long enough, so she just uses it to sit at and have a snack or drink. She is 18-months and I can really see this coming into its own when she is two or three, especially when she can have a little friend sit on the opposite chair!

I can't fault this set at all, apart from the price, but it really depends how much you are willing to spend as it is certainly durable and in that respect will last years.