snow more....PLEASE!!!

Winter seems never-ending, and I wonder if it'll ever get warm again? Tonight this is the scene from my back door, and it's like living in Narnia :

I'm sure Spring will happen (eventually), and last week I visited the Isle of Wright and saw blue skies the moment I got on the ferry. 

My faithful car (H)AZL found a good spot to enjoy the weak sun :

My family have connections to the island as my Great-Uncle Vic used to assemble flying-boats in Cowes, and was later involved in developing the early hovercraft. He worked until retirement at the British Hovercraft Corporation, and sadly passed away a few years ago, aged 95 :  

Made in Britain

Ever since 1921 when Harold Stanier (my grandad) began our family business, just about everything New House has made has been made in Britain.

The only time we go overseas it's usually to Sweden. This is because there are few world-class specialist manufacturers of roller-blind fabric, and because we feel so comfortable with our Swedish chums at Almedahls-Kinna when we talk design. Many of our homewares come from Almedahls too.

However we'll always have as many items made in Britain as we can, and the other day I was with Jerry in Gloustershire, who hand-makes our wood child safety devices. Jerry didn't mind me taking a few pics :

 

 

 

 

Gardeners secret weapon?

Flakes of snow were coming down as I dug my beds and pushed a few hopeful seed onions and broad-beans into the cold spring soil. All of us at New House are gardeners, but this was not the best gardening weekend.

Normally, I can't dig without a pot of tea by my side, but as I was cooking Sunday lunch I had a glass of Italian Proscecco with me.

Could this be the perfect gardeners cold-weather wine? It's low alcohol (so you're unlikely to dig up your good perenials in error) and it's best kept chilled. In today's temperatures my usual pot of tea would have swiftly turned to a luke-warm brew, but the Proscetto remained fresh and sparkling :

Glass of Proscecco - the gardeners friend?

Broad bean seeds shivering and waiting to go in.

They are in the mud now, but my village chums will say I should have planted them when there's a Full Moon, a New Moon, or maybe even when the first Hedgehog of Spring does a little dance in a ra-ra skirt. Meanwhile, my seed potatoes are staring through the window, chitting, and waiting for their turn.... 

   

Telegraph Sam

While visiting the Blind & Curtain Friendly Forum event on Monday, I spotted BT's finest in training, learning how to climb telephone posts.

 

Rather them than me!

Friendly forum

Melanie & I went to the Curtain & Blind Makers Friendly Forum event near Stone, Staffs and it was a good day out.

This 'pop-up' exhibition was born out of the lively Friendly Forum Facebook page where interior designers wanted to meet up for a real chat.

 Lunch was provided and many suppliers took space. There were also tables provided labeled 'blinds', 'curtains' or whatever, so if you sat down, you had some idea what conversation you were about to get into. 

Is this is the exhibition of the future? It was a pop-up exhibition where like-minded people got together (at minimal cost) and enjoyed each others company. I think the Friendly Forum is onto something...