Ideal Home Show at Christmas

It's back at London Olympia for what is its seventh highly successful consecutive year, advance ticket prices for the Ideal Home Show at Christmas start from as little as £11.00.

It's being staged from 22 to 26 November, with a very special 'After Dark' evening on Thursday 23 November, what's now acknowledged as the UK's biggest seasonal event will feature over 600 exhibitors under one roof.

New for 2017 is the Eat and Drink Festival running alongside the show.

Visitors to the Ideal Home Show receive free access to the festival, where artisan food producers and top brands join to create a unique experience, celebrating the very best on offer in the world of food and drink.

With street food vendors and mixologists, plus modern cuisine experts, you'll be able to test and taste all the latest trends in Christmas fare at the Eat and Drink Festival.

There are eight dedicated sections across home and lifestyle include interiors and home accessories; home improvements and outdoor living; eat and drink; style; Christmas decorations; a Christmas arcade with toys, games and books; kitchenware and the pet pavilion. Feature areas offer craft workshops to make everything from decorations to hand crafted gifts, and mulled wine and fondues can be enjoyed in the new alpine lodge-themed ski bar, together with tasty Christmas nibbles and festive drinks.

Throughout the show's five days, a roster of household names take to the Christmas Theatre stage with presentations from the worlds of fashion, interior design and cookery. Visitors can learn how to get the best Christmas party looks, indulge in the show's Pamper Lounge and enjoy some wonderful live entertainment at the Christmas Bandstand.

There's something for everyone to enjoy at the Ideal Home Show, the UK's one-stop-shop for everything festive.

Tickets for the Ideal Home Show at Christmas 2017 are now available from
http://www.idealhomeshowchristmas.co.uk/london/visiting/ticket-information or by phone on 0844 209 7330.

A £1.70 transaction fee is £1.70 applicable.

Who are Stag Bakeries? That's Christmas finds out

Stag Bakeries are perhaps one of the most remote bakeries in the entire UK. They are based in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis in the Scottish Outer Hebrides.

This family owned bakery makes a vast range of both savory and sweet items, using traditional Scottish recipes that have been passed down through several generations of craft bakers.

Wherever possible, Stag opts to only use locally sourced ingredients such as sustainably sourced seaweed.

The seaweed is cultivated locally and a unique blend is used baked into water biscuits, oatcakes and shortbread.

The Stornoway Water Biscuit with Hebridean Seaweed won Best Scottish Product 2013 at the Great Taste Awards and their Scottish Seaweed Oatcakes won 3 stars at the Great Taste Awards.

Perfect Christmas Gift for Food Lovers? Yes! Without a doubt!
It’s increasingly difficult to find gifts for foodies as well as dads, grandads and uncles. Stag Bakeries has the perfect solution and something altogether ‘different’ whether their tastes are sweet or savoury.

The appropriately named ‘Something Different for Cheese’ is a luxurious fruit cake that is delicious when served and eaten with cheese. It is presented in a balsa wood box, making it the perfect gift.

Traditionally Scottish? Most certainly!
For something different this Christmas, adorn your buffet table with a selection of Scottish treats. The Water Biscuit with Hebridean Seaweed and Scottish Oatcake with Seaweed offer great alternatives to serve with cheese and are both available from within the artisan food section at Marks & Spencer. For snacking, Stag’s Smoked Dunlop Cheese Straws are made with a carefully selected Scottish Cheese and is again available from Marks & Spencer.

(EDITOR: I can attest to the wonderful flavours of the Stag Bakeries range, so can heartily recommend them to you.)

A garden swing for Christmas

A Tree Swing for Christmas? Now, that is a unique gift. First time we have heard of this idea which is coming to you from Sitting Spiritually.

They are not mass produced, they are genuinely hand carved and can include names or perhaps a meaningful word.

Their gorgeous handmade Oak Rope Swings are available to buy exclusively and are each made to order.

They come with 5 metres of rope attached to either side and come complete with simple to follow instructions to hang it.

Hand Carved names and special, personal inscriptions and longer ropes are available and are priced accordingly. Please ask for details.

They come in four sizes, child's, single, double or round, prices start at £149, including Vat & Delivery.

Incidentally, they are the only Rope Swing Makers Licensed by The RHS.

And for the indoors you can purchase Leather Rope Swings, too.

You can also use these outdoors, but they'd need to be brought in during wet weather.

They are Hand Stitched in Devon by an English Master Saddler who only uses finest quality handmade thread and the finest quality, naturally tanned, unique, full grain bridle leather.

Dimensions 260mm deep & 530mm wide.
Price with 5 metres of rope & fixing clips £269.00 including Vat & delivery. Longer rope available, if required.

For details please call 01297 443084 or visit them at www.sittingspiritually.co.uk.

Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauces? At Christmas!

Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauces? At Christmas?

Yes! And why not?

Most of us love the traditional foods of Christmas, but why not put a new twist to them? Try them with something a little different, perhaps?

And what better different twist could we try but the Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauces range?

What is available? You can try Full Flavor Smokey, Smooth Original Barbecue Glaze, Tennessee Honey™ Barbecue Extra Hot Habanero and Hot Pepper Steak Sauce.

You can add them to a turkey casserole, use them as very tasty dipping sauces for party favourites to give them a bit of extra zing. Pork pies, sausage rolls, canapes, nuts, breadsticks and your cheeseboard never tasted so exciting!

And for a bit of an extra thrill, why not make your guests some Jack Daniels cocktails, too to go with these ultra tasty Christmas and New Near snacks and foods?

To learn more please visit http://jackdanielsbbqsauces.com/products/.

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The Mathmos Neo. The latest word in lava lamps

Stress and mental health issues are written about and published throughout the world.

Each one mentioning the value of relaxation and the importance of a good night's sleep. Anyone who has actually tried to make themselves go to sleep and relax will be aware that it is not an easy accomplishment.

However, Mathmos.com have been producing a possible solution to stress and insomnia for over 50 years.

In the preceding half century there have been many fashions and fads that have gone into history never to be repeated. There have been many opportunities for innovation and design, Mathmos.com have kept themselves at the cutting edge of lighting by using the services of top designers and deploying innovative ideas.

The lava lamp was invented by  mathmos.com. Founder Edward Craven Walker back in 1963 and has been modified and developed to keep pace with the changing needs and expectations of today's generation.

Mathmos.com have created one of the best ways to relax by using distraction and have become living proof that some of the best things in life originate in the United Kingdom. In today's noisy world it is good to learn that something silent and safe can be obtained for a reasonable price and has the potential to enhance the life of everyone from children to great grandparents.  One such creation has held our researchers and writers in awe.

Neo is designed by lighting designer Jonathan Coles Studio and is the only lava lamp in the world that has been completely tested and verified for customers of all ages. Every detail has been designed
with safety and quality in mind.

Neo is made from precision cast metal and is low voltage; powered by long lasting halogen capsules for extended use. Its internal diffuser ensures that the heat and light are directed into the bottle ensuring the best view of Mathmos’ unique lava lamp formulation. The shatterproof bottle is made in Britain and filled in the Mathmos’ factory in Pool,e Dorset.

Within half an hour of the Neo sending up its Lava  it created a relaxing and unique ambience, safe in the knowledge that it was securely fixed, stable and safe without the risk of a burn we all relaxed and enjoyed the experience so much we dozed off. The Neo is safe for kids, the elderly and pets when it is secured and the simple instructions are followed.

Please visit http://www.mathmos.com to learn more.

The Simplex handmade tea kettle

It has been said that nostalgia has no place in the present and certainly there is no future in it!

How wrong this is!

We made this discovery when we took delivery of a Simplex Tea kettle made to the exact specifications and pattern as they were in 1903

The Simplex  Tea Kettle It is truly a work of art in every way, it is beautiful to look at and to hear. It has a sweet sounding gentle whistle that alerts when the water has boiled. inside the spout there is a rattle that will transport anyone back to the days of childhood when all high quality kettles had this touch.of mystery. Simplex Tea Kettles are individually hand made in Birmingham each one is unique and of outstanding quality and design.

Any one with a love of nostalgia will appreciate the Newey and Bloomer Buckingham No 1 kettle made of polished copper with brass trimmings and a tin lining inside. These solid copper kettles have

travelled all around the world and have gained a tremendous reputation for quality and expertise.

Newey and Bloomer was founded back in 1850 and have produced all kinds of objects. Some of the original barbershop fittings and bar tops can still be seen in their original positions and still in use today. The craft and skill is vibrantly displayed and demonstrated in Birmingham by a family owned firm that is passionate about quality and outstanding customer service.

The Simplex  Tea kettles come in an assortment of designs and finishes but all have a hand turned beechwood handle and a special whistle through the lid that makes for added safety. The Buckingham range all have coil bases and come in a choice of natural copper, silver plated or chrome plated.  The chrome plated kettle is outstanding  with a shiny sparking appearance which will grace a modern or futuristic style kitchen for many years to come.

The natural copper finish arrives bright and shines with a warm glow.  It does dull over time and will require polishing from time to time.  The natural copper finish has got the edge for anyone with a country style kitchen or a love of anything vintage.

Newey and Bloomer have developed the ordinary into a work of art that is timeless and absolutely stunning. Birmingham is once again on the map for outstanding craftsmanship.

Great care is taken in the presentation of. The Newey and Bloomer Simplex Tea Kettles, each one arrives beautifully packed in a cotton bag with the unique number of the kettle on the warranty card. The date of manufacture is stamped on the spout and each kettle has its own identification number that can be registered to validate the warranty.  Customer service is second to none at Newey and Bloomer.

For something made to exact specifications and  so aesthetically pleasing the price is extremely reasonable and worth the initial outlay.  Water boiled in a Simplex Tea Kettle tastes far superior to water boiled in plastic or aluminium kettles.

Good quality tea tastes outstanding and coffee truly refreshing. The Simplex tea kettle does everything Newey and Bloomer say it does and is absolutely 'quintessentially English'.

To learn more about this amazing kettle please visit https://neweybloomer.co.uk.

Winter's Leap

In Winter's Leap, a book by Timothy Raine, with some charming illustrations by Haleema Karim, we meet Tommy.

Tommy has a mild form of cerebral palsy and the reader is given the opportunity to take a peek into Tommy's life and the problems and trials that he finds himself having to face and to deal with.

Winter's Leap takes a snapshot of his life on one significant day, Christmas Day.

He explores what Christmas means to him and also he contemplates the meaning of "family."

The tale that Timothy Raine weaves is a naturalistic one as it sees glimpses of human frailty, sadness and joy as we see what life means for Tommy.

It is an important and compelling book as not only does it make a good read it also looks at important concepts such as joy, identity and empathy.

It's a story with some sadness, yet also hope, too. It will make people think, which is all to the good.

It's ideal for everyone from young teenagers to adults it is published by The Book Guild at £6.99 and can be bought at the that's Books Bookshop which you will find here:- https://goo.gl/Ltov34.

Mathmos Lava Lamps. Original and best for 54 years.

Britain has seen enormous changes in the last 54 years especially in technology and fashion.

Many have said that quality has been lost and that British manufacturing is not what it used to be.

However British firm www.Mathmos.com has proven that things only get better over time. Everyone has experienced that moment when a youngster says "what was it like when you were my age?"

It is often difficult to explain but thankfully www.Mathmos.com has solved that for us too. When asked we can now say "'I'll show you!"

If you were around in the '60s and '70s  you will know what a Lava Lamp is but there are not many millennials that do!

There is always someone ready to copy a great idea and the original Lava Lamps have been copied but never beaten in their unique British design. Mathmos Lava Lamps are as good if not better than when Mr. Edward Craven-Walker made the first one in 1963, under the Crestworth brand, latterly changed to Mathmos.

Mathmos have been producing to the same quality in Britain ever since 1963 using the unique formula that keeps the lamps clear, bright and absolutely captivating.

The swinging sixties was a time of mystery and legend to today's youngsters. The '70s were colourful, vibrant years and defiantly an amazing experience.

The Mathmos Astro says the 1960s all over again, it was designed in 1963 and 54 years later spare parts and replacement bottles are available from www.Mathmos.com. The Astro Baby lamp is slightly slimmer and has remained in popular demand. The Telstar design was inspired by the space race fever of the 1960s.

The Telstar is an absolute design classic. The legs are made of Zinc and are polished to an incredible shine together with the bottle cover on the top it looks as though it is ready to launch into space!

After turning the lamp on and allowing it to warm up, it has the ability to convince an observer that they have indeed been launched into some mysterious environment. Bubbles gyrate, twist and turn as they rise upwards defying gravity and gently slide downwards in a truly mesmerising display of fluidity.

Nothing can equal the clarity, colours and especially the wide range of designs that www.Mathmos.com have on offer. No matter what design is chosen each part of it is individually inspected and tested here in the United Kingdom.

Replacement parts can be obtained from www.Mathmos.com for Crestworth lamps purchased from
the 1960s.

www.Mathmos.com are based in Poole and are able to produce individual designed lamps to a customers specifications. Mathmos Monster Lava Lamps are becoming very popular for individuals and companies that wish to maintain their individuality and remain loyal to British engineering and manufacturing.

WWW.mathmos.com have Lava Lamps that are powered by Tea Lights.

They even some specially commissioned lamps taller than a human.

That in itself should be enough to convince youngsters that Britain was 'Great' before their time and will continue to be Great into the future.

Take a look at www.Mathmos.com, they are out of this world!  Launched in a Telstar!