Fowey Christmas Market

Fowey Christmas Market is one of Cornwall’s most magical festive events, which regularly attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the quaint harbour town of Fowey, which comes alive with festive fun and merriment, Christmas shopping, lively seasonal music, and a veritable gallimaufry of high quality locally produced food and drink, plus festive gifts.

 Everyone is invited to come along to the Fowey Christmas Market to join in and celebrate the season with holiday shopping, delicious local fare, tasty yuletide tipples, hand-crafted ornaments, entertainment, family fun, and much, much more.

Festive activities and shopping opportunities take place throughout the town of Fowey, with fabulous Christmas Markets spread across the stunning Fowey Town Quay, Albert Quay, Webb Street and Town Hall venues, where you'll be able to discover and enjoy at least 80 quality regional traders. Locals and visitors alike both relish in the market’s community atmosphere.

Get your Christmas shopping wrapped up with plenty of time to spare. You won’t fail to leave in the Christmas Spirit with some new ideas, a car full of presents, and the very best stocking-fillers.

Provisional Opening Times 2022

Friday 2nd Dec 1730hrs – 2030hrs

Saturday 3rd Dec 1000hrs – 1730hrs

Sunday 4th Dec 1000hrs – 1600hrs

https://foweychristmasmarket.co.uk.

Have fun at the Milestones Christmas Market in Basingstoke!

Join them for the annual Milestones Christmas market! It's the perfect opportunity to do your Christmas shopping, and find that something a little bit different! 

There will be over 40 stalls selling seasonal gifts and treats throughout the museum and the award-winning Milestones shop to visit, too. With children’s entertainment, including a change to meet Father Christmas in his grotto, there’s fun for all the family, from live music and enjoy festive refreshments. 

Please not that some sessions are already sold out and pre-booking essential.

Please note that a Milestones standard admission ticket is not valid for this event. Ticket is valid for one day only and cannot be used to regain entry. 

Additional charge applies. Please book separately in advance. 

Please note 10am and 11am slots on both days have sold out. Book quickly to avoid disappointment.

Date: 3 Dec 2022 - 4 Dec 2022

Price: £6 per person. Please note that pre-booking is required.

Venue: Milestones Basingstoke Leisure Park, Churchill Way West, Basingstoke RG22 6PG.

Find Christmas a bit much, sometimes? Then read on!

Christmas is a busy time for many of us. With more things to do than you can shake a candy cane at, the nights out, visits to family and the added expense not to mention more alcohol (and inevitable hangovers) added into the mix. 

Perhaps you're a bit of a perfectionist and agonise over buying that perfect gift, cooking a flawless lunch or getting everything just right on the day for your kids. 

Or maybe it's being out of your normal day-to-day routine that adds to your list, especially if it means you have less time for yourself or are getting less sleep.

So, what can you do to make the countdown to Christmas festive, happier and less stressful?

 RESCUE®, the UK’s number one emotional wellbeing brand, has partnered with Chloe Brotheridge, hypnotherapist, coach and author of ‘The Anxiety Solution’, to bring six practical strategies for how to help ease some of that holiday load.

What would 'good enough' look like

If you're prone to being a perfectionist, remember this, perfectionism isn't about high standards, it's actually about never feeling that things are good enough. It's not the pursuit of what's good, but instead the pursuit of what's bad. 

You can't win and it's a sure way to burn out and never feel satisfied. If this is the case for you, ask yourself what 'good enough' would look like. What is a good enough gift, outfit or dinner? Then remind yourself that good enough is always enough.

Rethink your triggers

The festive period can be a minefield for our triggers, where the words or actions of others can trigger painful emotions within us. The colleague who asks you 'why you're still single' at the Christmas party, the parent who treats you like you're still 15 or your partner having one too many drinks and being argumentative. 

An effective way to navigate these difficulties is to think beforehand about what things may come up and then mentally rehearse how you'd like to respond instead. That might look like coming up with the ideal pithy reply, deciding to take the high ground and stay in your integrity or choosing to walk away and take some deep breaths. Making a plan for how you'll respond will help you to manage these difficult moments more easily.

Try the 'Physiological Sigh'

Braving the shops on Christmas eve? Up until midnight wrapping presents? Roast potatoes setting off the smoke alarm? Try this breathing method to quickly promote feelings of calmness. Dr Andrew Huberman from Stanford University created the 'physiological sigh'.

It can be done discreetly, and the resulting calmness happens right away. To do this, take a deep breath in through your nose followed by another smaller, quicker breath through the nose. After both in-breaths, exhale slowly out through the mouth. Do this one to three times to calm your nervous system quickly.

Ask for help

Many of us are great at helping others but find it hard to ask for or even accept help ourselves. If you're feeling overwhelmed, think about some specific ways that others could help out. Make the decision beforehand that if someone offers you help, you'll say yes - even if it feels uncomfortable for you to do this. Write a list of tasks that could be taken off your plate, such as bringing a dessert to Christmas dinner, helping you to wrap the kids presents or taking the dog for a walk. There are no prizes for doing everything yourself and many people want to help out and feel useful - don't deny them the joy of helping!

Switch off and unplug

With everything extra that Christmas brings, it can be helpful to remove some of the mental noise from our lives so that we don't get overwhelmed. Whatever that looks like for you, find a way to unplug and switch off. That might mean deleting the social media apps from your phone, steering clear of the news for a few days, making sure your out-of-office is firmly on, or deciding to put your phone in airplane mode after 7pm in the evening.

Stick with some routine

Our routine can be like an anchor that helps us to feel secure and safe. If you find yourself away from home for the holidays, try and maintain some level of normalcy in terms of your routine. Whether that means going on a couple of runs or keeping up with your daily 10-minute meditations, sitting down to drink a calming tea before bed; staying consistent with certain aspects of your routine will help you to take care of yourself and make it easier to get back into the swing of things once Christmas is over.

Maintain your inner control and keep on top of your days with RESCUE® Remedy by your side. It is a combination of five specially blended Bach™ Original Flower Essences and can be used anytime, anywhere and is suitable for all the family.

nelsons.net

Shop Small and Sustainably with Small & Wild

Check shopping small and sustainably off your Christmas wish list with a collection of gifts from Small & Wild.

Small & Wild has the perfect sustainable and tasty options for gifting children this season. From Snoozy Sleep Boxes to Letterbox Tea Taster sets, each tea is full of ethically-sourced herbal and fruit ingredients, and all products are delivered to you in plastic free packaging. 

Small & Wild, happy herbal tea for kids, was founded by two mums with a love for a good cup of tea and a desire to share this passion with their little people. The four delicious infusions in the range, along with new arrivals this season are blended to create flavours that children love.

 At £26, the Snoozy Sleep Box is the perfect gift to unwind little minds at the end of a busy day. The box is crafted to ensure a good night’s rest with a box of the Snoozy Fox tea blend, lavender and chamomile-infused bath salts, and a hand-finished mug. 

Forget the wrapping paper and boxes, Small & Wild offers each tea in a limited-edition gift set for the Christmas season. For £19.50, the sets include a box of 15 herbal and fruity tea bags and a fun, colourful child-sized mug.

Not sure which blend will be a favourite? Why not try each one? For only £4, the Letterbox Tea Taster set is the perfect stocking filler this Christmas. 

Love them all? Small & Wild now offers a four-pack of its blends (£17.80) to keep you stocked for the busy season. 

Try the special-edition blends, Mint Choco and Toffee Apple cosied up by the fireplace. At just under £4, these kraft tea pouches make the perfect gift for families to enjoy on Christmas morning. 

Further information about Small & Wild can be found at www.smallandwild.com / Instagram @small_and_wild_company / Facebook @smallandwild / Tik Tok @smallandwild

British garden designer Maxime Jones-Lloyd Garden Designs promotes ‘Evergreen’ gifts this Christmas over wasteful festive frivolity

This contribution is written by Maxime Jones-Lloyd Garden Designs.

‘Evergreen’ gifting champions the notion of permanence and gifts for all ages and budgets can focus on the garden.

Inspired by a rose she received as a child from Father Christmas, Maxime Jones-Lloyd provides tips on gifting ‘Evergreen’ presents this year.

The highly sought-after designer releases 10 ‘New Year Prelude’ Garden Design vouchers as ideal Christmas Gifts.

As we approach the festive season, bespoke Garden Designer Maxime Jones-Lloyd provides tips on ‘Evergreen’ Christmas gifting, urging consumers to turn their attention to presents that will long-outlive the Christmas season. 

Fatigued by festive frivolity, the established garden designer is encouraging ‘Evergreen’ gifting – by promoting the longevity of gifts for the garden.

“There’s no better place to see a present flourish than in the garden. As a fabulous alternative to short-lived, quickly forgotten presents, gifts for the garden have great longevity and can be enjoyed all year round, no matter the size of the garden.” Commented Maxime Jones-Lloyd of Maxime Jones-Lloyd Garden Designs.

With ideas for all budgets and ages, the garden proves itself as a worthy source of inspiration this winter. From seeds to propagated plants, hedgehog houses to terracotta lanterns, ‘Evergreen’ gifts will inspire all who wish to gift consciously.

To mark the festive season, the Sussex based designer who has over 20 years’ experience of designing gardens for both town and country properties, has launched a special ‘New Year Prelude’ gift voucher, to promote the notion of sustainable gifting. The hand-painted gift voucher can be used for an hour-long Zoom introductory consultation, an exploration into seasonal planting or to discuss future landscaping and redesign projects.

Maxime Jones-Lloyd continued, “I was inspired by a rose Father Christmas brought me as a child and wanted to encapsulate that feeling of permanence. We are using our gardens more these days – Christmas is an ideal time to plan for the year ahead. I hope my ‘New Year Prelude’ vouchers will spread some festive cheer!”

Maxime Jones-Lloyd Garden Design’s ‘Evergreen’ Christmas Gift Suggestions

Home Grown: A cutting from a plant in your own garden gives a wonderful sense of continuity. Good plants for propagating in winter are Box Plants, Climbing Jasmine and Fuchsias, as well as Geraniums and Camellias. I plan to share some cuttings from my prized Bay Trees this year; they offer both ornamental and culinary properties.

Children: The garden offers a great opportunity to teach your child about our native birds and wildlife. I particularly like gifting birdfeeders to children – they provide a chance for the younger generation to play an active role in conservation. National Trust has some great options of standalone, hanging and even window bird feeders and houses, as well as unique bat boxes and hedgehog refuges. Additionally, by purchasing through the National Trust you will in turn be supporting the great work they do in caring for our nature and heritage.

Garden seating: Antique shops and salvage yards can be wonderful places to find things for the garden. Just recently I purchased a beautiful Victorian wrought iron Strapwork Bench for a client who wanted to sit and enjoy their view. For a substantial but long-lasting gift, a bench is a great idea. Wooden benches are more affordable – Jo Alexander has a stunning range.

Roses: You can often find roses with sentimental names; they make wonderful gifts. At this time of year, you will find bare root Roses which can be planted after Christmas ready for the first fledgling flowers to bloom next year. Peter Beales’ Roses are a great quality, I love the ‘Snow Bunny’ patio rose; David Austin also has a great selection.

Seeds: I love gifting seeds all year round – Higgledy Garden is my go-to supplier. Great for young and old, and a cost-conscious choice too, why not theme a selection of seeds such as vegetables for four seasons, or group a selection by colour? 

Gardening Tools: Gardening can be incredibly therapeutic. An excellent pair of secateurs or a high-quality trowel can make perfect gifts to encourage a love of the outdoors and green fingers. Niwaki sell beautifully designed, excellent quality garden tools.

Accessories: In the same way we dress our house, I always urge clients to accessorise their garden too. I’m particularly fond of Pots and Pithoi’s Pelagia Olive Lantern which can be enjoyed all year round. They have a wonderful array of Cretan terracotta Pots too.

Garden Design Consultation: A Zoom consultation can make a wonderful gift, help your friends and family plan for the future with an hour-long online garden consultation. I’m releasing 10 vouchers this year, available on the Maxime Jones-Lloyd Garden Design website https://www.maximejoneslloydgardendesign.com.

‘Pets come first’ says Britain as pets set for purr-fect presents and paw-some treats this Christmas

Most Brits may be planning to cut back on Christmas spending this year, but pets will be spared from the impact of the cost-of-living crisis according to a survey released by Jollyes The Pet People.

Nearly 70% of pet owners will put a present under the tree for their furry friend this Christmas while 60% are planning to make their pet a special festive feed. 

Only one in ten (11%) of people planned to spend more on their friends and families this Christmas and almost half (43%) to spend less, the Cison/Maru survey of 1,000 people across the UK revealed.

But according to Jollyes which has over 80 stores all over the UK, pet spend is being prioritised, with three-quarters of the population (75%) planning to spend the same or more on their pets this Christmas.

And almost as many men (65%) plan to buy a present for their pet as women (71%).

However, the nationwide statistics mask important regional variations. 

When it comes to a meal with all the trimmings, it’s anything but grim up north with over two-thirds of owners in the North West (69%) planning to make a special Christmas dinner for their pets, just ahead of the West Midlands (67%) and London  (68%). 

And while fewer planned the same in the East Midlands, Scotland and the South East, over half of owners in each of these regions were still planning a special ‘dog’s dinner’ this Christmas.

Meanwhile, dogs will be looking their best on Christmas morning as over a third of owners are planning to treat their pooches to a grooming session. In the North East 63% of dog owners plan to groom their pets for 25 December while more than half in the North West say they will do the same.

Jollyes head of marketing, Phil Turner-Naylor said: “The survey confirms what everyone at Jollyes already knows – pets come first. It wouldn’t be Christmas in the UK without the pets we love.

“Our survey shows pet owners are bending over backwards to make ensure their pets are pampered this Christmas.”

Jollyes has made its stores into a one-stop shop for a pet-tastic Christmas this year and knowing that owners want to spoil their animals it has doubled down on its promise to be Britain’s best value pet retailer this festive season.

And as the market leader in Northern Ireland, to highlight its Christmas ranges, this coming Sunday it plans to send its ‘Jollyes Days Are Coming” truck to Stormont in Northern Ireland so dog walkers in the grounds can see what’s on offer in store. 

To find out more about Jollyes’ Christmas range visit www.jollyes.co.uk.

Make Anna Ling's song Oshun your Christmas Number One for £1

Anna Ling, a Devon-based folk musician, has made a timely, but unusual donation to Hope Spring, a Hereford-based water poverty alleviation charity, on November 17, 2022. Why was it unusual? Because the donation comes in the form of part of the royalties from her newly released single, “Oshun”.

In a tweet on the Hope Spring Water twitter page, the water poverty alleviation charity thanked Anna Ling for her kind and generous donation. 

Hope Spring founder and trustee Temi Odurinde said, "How Anna chose us to be the beneficiary of royalties from her track Oshun is quite interesting. Oshun is a river in south-west Nigeria, and a deity of the same name lives in the river. Water from river Oshun is considered sacred by Oshun worshipers in the Yoruba diaspora".

Temi added, "I hope Anna’s song does well in the charts. It will be a great boost to some of the projects we have in the pipeline". Hope Spring worked on three clean water projects this year, and is currently working on the fourth in Ketu, Lagos, Nigeria.

Anna Ling first contacted Hope Spring about donating proceeds from the Oshun single to them, earlier in the year. The Oshun song was released in November 2022, it will be included in the musician’s forthcoming album, which she is crowdfunding to put together. 

Hope Spring fundraising team manager Seun Olonade said, "We are very pleased with Anna’s kind donation. It will be a boost to our fundraising efforts. 

"Our charity Christmas video ecard will not be the only fundraiser over Christmas, we hope some of the royalties from Anna’s song will help as well". You can find more information and a download link to Anna Ling’s song at this link https://annaling.bandcamp.com/track/oshun.

https://www.hopespring.org.uk