Enjoy the Christmas Lights at Covent Garden

London's most eye-catching and exciting neighbourhood is glimmering, glittering and sparkling with festive joy with over 115,000 lights, mirror balls, giant mistletoe sprigs and humungous baubles, as well as the iconic 60ft British-grown Christmas tree decorating the estate.

But look out for much more because there will be exclusive pop-ups, special Christmas offers, new store openings and partnerships, all coming together to make Covent Garden the ultimate destination this festive season.

Covent Garden, the home of unrivalled shopping, dining, entertainment and family fun, will once again be London’s most magical destination. 

Kicking off the festive season with more sparkle than ever, the estate will turn on the magic with over 115,000 lights illuminating the streets and over 30,000 dazzling lights adorning London's tallest and most iconic British-grown, handpicked 60ft Christmas tree, which stands even taller than in 2021. The festive decor will also extend into the Market Building itself, which will see the return of its Insta-famous giant baubles, mistletoe and mirror balls.

The ultimate home of Christmas in London will play host to a variety of new and exclusive pop up shopping moments, the return of some festive favourites and partnerships from world-class brands in the run up to Christmas. These experiences will also sit alongside over 1,000 weatherproof outdoor dining seats across 55 restaurants for the chance to experience the magical festive scheme from all angles.

For visitors seeking the perfect gift, Covent Garden has a wide selection of world renowned lifestyle brands offering unique, personalised and the most desired present options. From luxury pieces at Tiffany & Co, Vashi, Bucherer and TAG Heuer, to premium and fashion forward items from Ganni, Reformation, ba&sh, A.P.C and Free People, and beauty favourites from Glossier, Charlotte Tilbury, Dior, Chanel, Aesop, Tom Ford and Jo Malone, to name a few, Covent Garden is the one stop destination for any festive experience this year.

For festive dining experiences or pre and post theatre meals, visitors can discover delectable menus from a variety of favourites including The Oystermen, La Goccia, Frenchie, Cora Pearl, 3 Henrietta, Balthazar, Ave Mario and Petersham Nurseries.

For party season drinks, visitors can enjoy delectable offerings from the likes of Bullards Gin, Mrs Riot, Balthazar and The Royal Opera House.

To learn more please visit http://www.coventgarden.london.

(Image courtesy TheOtherKev and Pixabay)

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Wear a Christmas jumper and you'll get a discount!

A shop is offering a nice discount to all customers wearing Christmas jumpers or Santa hats.

The York Gin shop is offering a £1 discount for anyone who arrives at their shop wearing Christmas clothes and/or accessories, including angel’s wings, reindeer antlers or festive earrings.

It will even give the ‘Santa Clause’ discount on gin for anyone wearing a real or fake long white beard. And dressed-up pets like York Gin dog, Inigo (pictured) count as part of the discount scheme, too! 

Bosses say they want to get as many people as possible into the Christmas spirit at a fairly difficult time for many.

Customers can either take the discount, or, if they'd prefer, donate the pound to local hospice, St Leonard’s.

Explains York Gin co-founder Emma Godivala: "It’s challenging times for so many of us at the moment, but we’re determined to have some fun this Christmas.

"Hopefully the Santa Clause discount will bring some sparkle, joy, jumpers, hats, antlers, fairy wings and novelty earrings into our city.

"The York Gin shop offers free tasters of all our range, including our Chocolate and Orange festive gin, so we’ve got the Christmas spirit right there too."

The Santa Clause scheme runs from 17 November, when the city’s Christmas Market opens for its 30th year, right through until Epiphany (6 January).

The York Gin shop is officially York’s best, having been awarded retailer of the year at the Visit York Tourism Awards 2022.

York is acknowledged as one of the UK’s most Christmassy cities. Its St Nicholas' Christmas Market,  celebrating its 30th year this year as we have pointed out, is in the top five festive markets in the world according to research undertaken by Planet Cruise. 

Other research showed York’s houses have the third most Christmas lights in the UK.

And in 2017, a study showed that York people sent the most positive tweets in the UK about Christmas with over 9 in 10 liking the festive season.

yorkgin.com

Salcombe Gin Hampers: The Perfect Gift This Festive Season

There really is no better way to get into the festive spirit than with one of Salcombe Gin's new luxurious hampers. 

Whether you're looking for a gorgeous gift for a friend or loved one, or just want the ultimate present to treat yourself this Christmas, the hampers contain everything you will need to make the perfect 'Salcombe & Tonic'. Salcombe Distilling Co. expertly crafts exceptional gins at its waterside distillery in South Devon, which, incidentally, is one of the world's only distilleries directly accessible by boat.

Every drop of gin in its multi-award-winning range is distilled with unrivalled passion, care and attention to detail. 

Each fabulously festive Salcombe Gin Gift Hamper comes with a full-size bottle of Salcombe Gin, a branded pair of copper tongs, two engraved gin glasses, eight 150ml Fever-Tree Premium Indian Tonic Water cans and a Salcombe Gin jute bag. 

Everything is presented in a stylish genuine wicker hamper for the final flourish of luxury.

Gift hampers are available with a choice of three of their exceptional gins, Salcombe Gin 'Start Point', Salcombe Gin 'Rosé Sainte Marie' and Salcombe Gin Voyager Series 'Daring'. Salcombe Gin 'Start Point' is a multi-award winning, classic, citrus-led London Dry gin which is exceptionally smooth and complex.

An extremely versatile gin, it has a backbone of Macedonian juniper with a flavour profile inspired by Salcombe's rich maritime heritage. Salcombe Gin's flagship, it's distilled using the London Dry method and features a blend of 13 fine botanicals with citrus flavours encompassing grapefruit, lemon and lime peels alongside English coriander seed, juniper and orris root.

It is incredibly well-balanced and distinct with layers of intricacy running throughout. RRP £99 for a Salcombe Gin 'Start Point' Gift Hamper, which contains a 70cl bottle, 44% ABV. Salcombe Gin 'Rosé Sainte Marie' is inspired by the Mediterranean coast. Bright, fresh and elegant, the delicate flavours are reminiscent of Southern France and emulate the qualities of a dry rosé wine. 

Salcombe Gin 'Rosé Sainte Marie' is purposefully dry with no added sugar, artificial colours or flavours. It pays homage to the Sainte Marie lighthouse in the South of France, which marks where 19th century Salcombe Fruit Schooners loaded supplies of citrus fruits and herbs. 

Distilled with Macedonian juniper berries and combined with flavours of angelica and strawberries (giving it a subtle sweetness), an additional 12 hand-sourced botanicals including orange blossom, rose petals, fresh lemon, orange peel and pink peppercorns are then added to the distillation. RRP £99 for the Salcombe Gin 'Rosé Sainte Marie' Gift Hamper featuring a 70cl bottle, 41.4% ABV.

Salcombe Gin Voyager Series 'Daring' is developed in collaboration with Michelin-starred chef Paul Ainsworth and inspired by his dish, 'A Tale of Porthilly'. Distilled with whey and foraged Cornish botanicals, this exquisite gin showcases the spirit of the wild Cornish coast and mimics the rich, smooth mouthfeel and fresh umami and zinc-like properties of the Cornish oyster. 

Taking further inspiration from Paul's carefully balanced dish, the gin combines the use of fennel, apple and lime to replicate the accompanying salad and create a complex flavour profile and exciting taste. RRP £129 for the Salcombe Gin Voyager Series 'Daring' Gift Hamper, which contains a 50cl bottle, 46% ABV.

For further information about Salcombe Distilling Co. and Salcombe Gin, visit www.salcombedistilling.com, follow SalcombeGin on Instagram and Facebook and Salcombe Distilling Co on Twitter.

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Storigraphic Offers new recyclable Christmas wrapping paper, cards and more

A new design selection of recyclable Christmas wrapping papers, matching cards, tags, ribbons and twine has been launched by top award-winning paperware designers and independent brand, Storigraphic. 

Their 2022 collection carries an even richer mix of festive finery from glorious '70s vintage and nostalgic through to modern and traditional, with everything thoughtfully created to have Christmas all beautifully wrapped up.

Included in their range of festive eco papers is the new Christmas Vintage Baubles series comprising double-sided gift wrap, a bestseller for the season and for sale at the same price as single-sided papers (at £2.80).

View the full Christmas Collection here: https://storigraphic.com/collections/christmas-at-storigraphic.

All Storigraphic products are carefully manufactured in the UK, completely plastic-free using environmentally certified paper, material or wood, and sustainably made using the smallest environmental footprint. 

All paper-based products are fully recyclable and don't use glitter, foil, metallic ink or lamination.

Storigraphic is an totally independent design studio and sustainable-brand, creating award-winning paperware, gifts and homeware to boldly transform the everyday. All products are plastic-free, recyclable and sustainably made in the UK, with 5% of sales profit donated to homelessness charity, Crisis UK, and a portion of each sale allocated to planting a young native tree across the world. 

A green Christmas present to help your loved ones save on their energy bills from Mira

A showerhead as a Christmas gift? Why not? Let me explain why.

Mira's planet-friendly, pocket-friendly showerhead brings an innovative, sophisticated shower experience to any bathroom.

Help people to go green, whilst keeping clean and saving money!

Mounting energy bills have become a growing concern for Brits and with the cost of living crisis continuing to rise, innovative at-home solutions to reduce energy bills are in great demand. Designed to both reduce water bills and energy bills, whilst being kind to the planet, the Mira Nectar Eco is perfect for moments of rejuvenation. 

Elevating the ritual of showering and reducing the stress of unnecessary bills attached to a daily shower, Mira Nectar saves up to 85% more water than standard showerheads as a result of its integrated flow regulator. Which is a pioneering widget which limits water flow to six litres per minute across all systems.

Offering homeowners a sense of luxury with the option of two neat and elegant designs, the Nectar Eco Single Spray or Nectar Eco Four Spray, each showerhead boasts universal fittings suitable for all mixer, digital and power showers.

Available in a classic premium chrome finish, the minimalist design of the Mira Nectar Eco provides a streamlined, modern aesthetic for any bathroom. Also, it helps to keep energy bills lowert and comes with a five-year guarantee for total peace of mind. 

The Mira Nectar Eco range is available from £49.00. For more details and to find your nearest stockist, visit www.mirashowers.co.uk or call them on 0844 571 5000.