Saturday 24 December 2011
If festive fervour has left you a little frazzled, why not look ahead to the New Year and treat yourself to a very special Winter break for two. What could be more romantic than being handed the keys to your very own tower within a 16th century manor house surrounded by stunning Lancashire countryside?
A unique self-catering property, The Irishman’s Tower forms part of the original ramparts of Tudor-Elizabethan manor Hoghton Tower. While the exterior remains true to its origins, the stylish accommodation has been furnished to the highest standards using Ian Mankin linens (woven in a nearby Lancashire cotton mill), while modern comforts include a spa bathroom, flat screen television, WiFi, iPod dock and an open fire for cosy nights in the tower.
During your stay you might visit one of the Merchant of Hoghton Farmer’s Markets where you’ll find local producers selling their wares, take a tour of the manor house on one of their open days, or join in some of the events which take place at the estate. As well as enjoying a relaxing and secluded getaway, you’ll also be doing your bit to help preserve part of Britain’s heritage as your stay will help towards the ongoing upkeep and restoration of the estate.
Reader Offer: Get 15% off when you book a stay of any length between 1st January and 31st March 2012 and mention ‘From Britain With Love’ when making your reservation. For more information visit www.hoghtontower.co.uk.
Thursday 24 November 2011
After three years and eight successful events, We Make London are back with their Christmas Pop-Up Shopping Experience. Taking place on 10th December at the Battersea Arts Centre, you’ll find over 80 hand-picked exhibitors, making it the perfect place to get in the festive mood and snap up some unique handmade Christmas gifts.
Organiser Mary McDermott explains “It’s time to take a refreshing break from high street monotony into the exceptional world of handmade, with beautiful items made with love by some very gifted makers.” Hear hear, we say! You can find out more about who is exhibiting at www.wemakelondon.co.uk.
Want Free Tickets? We Make London are offering our readers 15 free entry tickets. Simply email your name to editor@frombritainwithlove.com and we’ll notify the winners by 3rd December.
Saturday 19 November 2011
From its roots in Vancouver, indie craft event Got Craft? arrives in London for the very first time next weekend… and to celebrate we have a fabulous crafty swag bag to give away!
The event will feature a hand-picked selection of craft producers from jewellery to fashion, homewares and paper goods, and there’s also the chance to get crafty yourself with interactive workshops by local craft collective, Crafty Pint. Get there early and if you’re one of the first 30 visitors through the door, you’ll get a fabulous reusable tote bag from event sponsors Etsy UK filled with gorgeous handmade goodies.
Reader Giveaway: We have one of these fantastic goody bags to give away to a lucky reader. For a chance to win, simply leave a comment below and the winner will be drawn and notified by email on Friday 25th Nov. (Please note: the swag bag will be posted out, so UK residents only please!).
Got Craft? takes place at the Tooting Tram and Social on Sunday November 27th. You can find out more at www.gotcraft.com/london.
Something for the weekend… if you’re anywhere near London this weekend, make a beeline for the Handmade in Britain event at Chelsea Town Hall. Now in it’s fourth year, the show features over 70 designer makers showcasing their latest collections, making it the perfect place for a spot of handmade Christmas shopping. The show runs from 28th to 30th October and tickets cost just £5.00. Find out more and book tickets online at www.handmadeinbritain.co.uk.
Calling all foodies… Our friends at glamorous kitchen linens company Cooking Gorgeous are offering one lucky reader a pair of tickets for the Taste of Christmas event at London’s ExCeL in December, along with one of their signature ‘Gorgeous’ tea towels, worth over £50 in total.
Taste of Christmas invites you to celebrate the festive season in style, with a selection of the capital’s top restaurants serving up seasonal treats, some of Britain’s top chefs giving inspirational talks, and lots of festive shopping opportunities… in fact everything you need to serve up the perfect Christmas in style.
For a chance to win 2 tickets to this fabulous foodie event, simply leave a comment below naming a product in the Cooking Gorgeous range by 15th November 2011. You can browse the collection and buy online at www.cookinggorgeous.com.
We are beyond excited to announce that we’ve been shortlisted for the Website of The Year Awards by The Good Web Guide! We’re one of the final 24 websites up for the award which has been judged by a panel of industry experts including perfumer Jo Malone, who will be announcing the winner at the awards reception in London next month.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to all of our supporters, partners and readers… the site is fuelled by the talent of the wonderful businesses that we work with, so the credit goes to all of the creative designers, makers and retailers whose products you’ll discover on the pages of From Britain With Love.
We Need Your Votes! If you have a second, we’d love it if you could vote for us in The People’s Choice Award and show your support for all of our fabulous British producers. Simply click here to vote…
Thursday 8 September 2011
We’re thrilled to be supporting The Craft Trail, a brand new initiative taking place in London this weekend as part of The Mayor’s Thames Festival. For the very first time, five local craft collectives: We Make London, Sannapanda and Friends, Crafty Fox Market, Of Cabbages and Kings and Craft Guerrilla, have joined together to showcase work from London’s vibrant and creative craft scene.
The trail will stretch along the banks of the Thames between Westminster and Tower Hill, and a beautiful printed map has been designed by illustrator Mike Hall to help you along the way. Follow the trail to discover quality handmade products by new and established designer-makers, as well as the chance to take part in workshops, craft demonstrations, a loyalty scheme, and a prize draw to win one of 100 goody bags!
The Craft Trail takes place on 10th and 11th September from noon to 10pm. For more information and a list of exhibitors visit www.crafttrail.co.uk, or follow @crafttrail on twitter.
There’s been a distinctly Devonshire feel to the news dropping into our inbox this week – in fact, this is the first of three blog posts highlighting news from the county. First up, a spot of celebrity spotting! At the recent Chagford Show Devon-based designer Victoria Lammie of Love Lammie was surprised and delighted when craft guru Kirstie Allsopp stopped by her stand and left with one of her ‘Martha’ oilcloth aprons, while filming her new TV series Kirstie’s Crafty Britain at the fair. Make like Kirstie and grab your own Martha apron while stocks last at www.lovelammie.co.uk.
When the summer holidays are over and the beaches are deserted once more, it’s the perfect time to book an Autumn break in North Cornwall. Merlin Farm Eco Cottages in Mawgan Porth are offering our readers an exclusive £100 off 7 night stays and £50 off 3 or 4 night stays between 16th September and 21st October.
The five star luxury self-catering cottages are just a short stroll from the sandy beach and have been stylishly converted with sustainabilty in mind. You’ll be welcomed with a local food hamper, Cornish toiletries and in case it’s chilly there are even infra red garden heaters, so nothing will stop you from stargazing on clear Cornish nights.
To take advantage of this offer, simply mention ‘From Britain With Love’ when you book before 28th July. For more information visit www.ecocottagescornwall.co.uk.
More ‘Made in Britain’ competition news… British kitchen appliance manufacturer Stoves have announced the winner of their national student design competition to create a standard marque to be displayed on British made products. The campaign was launched following research by the company which showed that two thirds (67%) of people interviewed wanted an official seal of approval to show that products have been made in Britain. The research has been debated in the House of Commons and has been backed by MPs and UK manufacturers.
A number of innovative entries were shortlisted (below right) before the winning design was selected by a panel of industry experts, which we were delighted to be part of. The winning design (below left) is by Cynthia Lee from Nottingham University and features a stylised ribbon motif.
Any British manufacturers wishing to support the campaign or use the marque in their marketing material, can find out more by visiting http://www.stoves.co.uk/made-in-britain/.
You can also show your support by adding it to your twitter profile photo as a twibbon, which can be downloaded at https://twibbon.com/join/Made-in-Britain.
