MORE domestic bliss!

I do not intend this site to become simply a list of traders that I favour with my patronage but before, hopefully, leaving such matters aside for some time I feel it only fair to mention a modest web-based retailer I happened upon recently. The Cheap Furniture Company Ltd was set up by a former woodwork teacher who aims to supply good quality furniture for the mass market. His idea is to sell the furniture in flat pack form and so offer significant savings on the price of the item itself and the cost of delivery.
I fear he will struggle against the likes of Ikea and Argos but if you prefer something made of real wood and, dare I say, rather traditional in style have a look

Weddings, holidays - and kitchens

Despite all the excitement of the Royal wedding the recent glut of public holidays has meant the lady of the house having far too much time to dwell on the state of the household nerve centre - the kitchen. Nothing less than a complete facelift is required but installing even the cheapest of new kitchens requires a substantial investment of both money and time.
Fortunately help is at hand on both fronts. I have discovered a Sussex-based company that supplies a huge range of replacement kitchen doors at very reasonable prices. A few hours spent with a screwdriver will have the old place looking its best for a very modest outlay. The company is called Kitchen Door Workshop and can be found at www.kitchendoorworkshop.co.uk

Ah - Spring at Last!

After the drab and dreary weather at the tail end of the winter its always a delight to see the first signs of spring. One of these signs is the start of the new trout fishing season, which is typically in April, although the charming people at the Gliffaes Hotel in the Brecon Beacons National Park have sent me a reminder that the season opens in March on the river Wye. They can provide both accommodation and arrange fishing for guests.

I am indebted to Peter Evans for allowing me the use of this photo of the Wye.

Beat the Winter Blues

Just before Christmas those nice people at Ston Easton Park (see my entry for Somerset and Avon on the places to stay page) very kindly sent me a new calendar. I did not realise that they were part of a chain called von Essen hotels but the back page of the calendar helpfully lists all 30 of their hotels in the UK.

Now I have not received any inducement from this company to recommend their hotels (apart from the calendar) but they certainly look impressive and if their service and staff are as good as those of Ston Easton, they would be a perfect way to banish the winter blues through a weekend of indulgent living. Guests of means (so that's not me!) may also wish to enquire about the hotels' chauffeur driven luxury car services or even their helicopter services...

The website can be found at www.vonessenhotels.co.uk, although the site was down when I visited earlier today.

Perfect Christmas presents

My technically-minded chum has shown me how to highlight an assortment of suitable Christmas presents that can be purchased online simply by clicking on the items below. I do hope they are of interest and, if they are, I shall seek out more to add in the future. In the meantime, I offer the compliments of the season to all my visitors.

Butler's Trays

I notice that a company is advertising Butlers Trays for sale so I thought I would explain what a Butlers Tray is and what a useful addition it can be to a household. Quite simply a Butlers Tray is one that has a portable stand, allowing it to be conveniently placed anywhere in the house - or garden. In times past it was therefore ideal to serve, for example, drinks on the terrace (if you'll pardon the cliche).

Some designs had folding legs that were an integral part of the tray, whilst on others the legs are separate. I have also seen examples where the sides (or gallery) of the tray fold flat, to form a table that would of course be much easier to use. The butlers tray illustrated here dates from approximately the mid-19th Century and was sold by a company called Antique Antiques UK.

Red or white wine?

Further to my comments about breaking bread, I thought I would also answer people's concerns about choosing white or red wine to accompany their meal. Wine experts say that white meat such as chicken or pork, should be accompanied by white wine and that red meat such as venison or beef by red. There is some merit to this as the different wines are said to better compliment the flavours of the dish concerned.

However, if someone generally prefers white wine or red wine they should not be deterred from choosing their favourite by fearing some breach of table manners. Many years ago a friend of mine used to attend the dinners of the Royal warrant holders association (this is the select group of official suppliers to the Royal households). Whilst there he met the Queen's vitner and it was his opinion that people should choose whatever wine they liked, whether it be red, white or rose. If that is good enough for the supplier of wines to her majesty, it's surely good enough for anyone.