Thursday 29 November 2012

Christmas is coming



It's that time of year again! Stay calm and shop local's what I say. Here's a couple of ideas for where to go for unique gifts, locally made....

TOP IMAGE: Mandy Evans (Buttons & Lavender, Louise Taylor-Bowen (Tiddly pom-pom) and Cathie Shannon (Mary's Orchard) are makers of handmade and unique Vintage Style Jewellery, Hair Accessories, Corsages, Necklaces, Bags, Lavender filled Birds, Hens, Hearts and Butterflies...buttons, materials, trims and many more decorative items available.
Vintage & Handmade, The Old Warehouse Studio (next to Mortimer Gardens) Nailsworth
Open Fri and Sat Dec 7th and 8th and Sat Dec 22nd Old Warehouse Studio

BOTTOM IMAGE: Modern Leisure makers market is a pop up event happening for the first time this winter, in Stroud. Join them and peruse a plethora of unique goods crafted by local artists and designers, whilst enjoying live music and a range of delicious locally prepared food and drink.
Modern Leisure pop-up event Badbrook Hall, Bath St. Stroud GL5 3BZ
Open Fri Nov 30th (6-10 pm), Sat & Sun 1st - 2nd Dec, Sat & Sun 8th-9th Dec Modern Leisure

....and don't forget Stroud Goodwill Evening on December 7th when you will be asked to DIG out your hippie flares and get down man as this year it has a late 1960s flower power theme. As usual traders will be joining in with 60s themed shop windows and there will be a treasure trail for the youngsters.

Monday 12 November 2012

Use it or lose it!


It was a dispiriting trip into Nailsworth the other day. 

Opening its doors for the last time at the end of November is Nailsworth IronmongersRun by Gordon and Debbie, this wonderful emporium is a distillation of the seasons. In January it would be my first port of call for heritage varieties of seed potatoes and onion sets. By spring I’d be in to buy new buckets and lids for making elderflower champagne and cordial (the old ones having been commandeered by my other half for home brew projects of his own or as rhubarb forcers). It’s May and we’d need citronella tealights and mozzie repellant for long al fresco evenings (well - a few this year anyway). Autumn welcomed the jam and jelly makers and Gordon was there with maslin pans, kilner jars, thermometers and jelly bags. And in Winter we were back for a new galvanised dustbin incinerator along with our regular supply of bird seed to help our feathered friends, plus we’d brought our broken tools (a spade and fork with broken shafts) that we felt still had life in them to the ‘NI hospital’ for a little tlc from whence they’re returned as good as new.

Gordon prides himself on selling loose items rather than large packets. If he doesn’t have what you are looking for, he will know a man who does - and he’ll give you his name and number! And that’s what we’re really going to miss...the sort of service you simply don’t get any more in our bigger, more impersonal stores. It may be a cliché but, 'You don’t know what you have till it’s gone' is soon going to ring true to a lot of people.