Those fabulous people at English Heritage work to preserve beautiful historic houses, stately homes, stunning gardens, iconic buildings and monuments.  These include  Stonehenge, Tintagel Castle, Osborne, Hadrian’s Wall and Dover Castle.  They champion our historic places and work to ensure they are protected for future generations.   Members can enjoy access to hundreds of historic places with an annual membership so they can visit places where history actually happened! 

In 2023, over 550,000 families visited English Heritage sites which is the highest figure since records started, and up by 54% over the last decade.  A membership can be a very good way to make your gift and money go further - and with English Heritage, you are supporting the conservation of heritage at the same time!

And - there's great news for gift memberships!

Enjoy 15% off Gift & Annual Memberships at English Heritage.  Make the most of longer days to get out and about and immerse yourself in history!  There's unlimited access to lots of historic places along with other perks - just choose the best membership for you here, and use code EHAFF2024 at checkout.  You can only use it on new Membership purchases and with annual direct debit.

Use the code

EHAFF2024

to get 15% off.**

Find out what's on at English Heritage as we get closer to Christmas!
There's lots going on, with traditional Christmas carol services, illuminations,
wreath-making workshops, and events full of festive fun!
There are Christmas Quests to find out what the magic of Chritmas is all about, too!
Father Christmas will be stopping at a number of properties too!

By the way, on its website, English Heritage has lots of great information
for you on things like making your own paper flowers or Christmas crackers,
and Victorian Christmas traditions.

So what are the benefits of a gift membership with English Heritage?

• Unlimited access to over 400 historic properties across the country so fun days out for one year!  Plus there's free entry for up to six accompanying children per adult member
• Free or reduced-price entry to exclusive members’ events - this gives you a glimpse behind the scenes and access to experts  
• Exclusive Members’ Magazine four times a year with features about the  properties and the work of English Heritage, as well as a nationwide events guide
• A free handbook to help plan your next exciting day out
• Special offers, discounts and competitions for a great variety of products and experiences, and
• An English Heritage car sticker.

 Give a Gift Membership to English Heritage today!

**This code  is valid until 31 December 2024 and for use on new gift and annual membership purchases only.  Annual Direct Debit only. 

When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is to make myself some Twinnings Earl Grey Tea.   I've got a fine bone china mug I love to drink it from (so pretty, from Dunoon) - a friend and I were talking about our morning Twinnings tea and we both agreed you have to drink it out of a fine bone china mug!

Twinnings are known for their teas, and they have an incredible range of flavours to choose from.  They've got teas to see you through the day, from English Breakfast to your afternoon tea, and then something to see you off to sleep in the evening zzzzz

They've also got Wellbeing teas, for sleep, unwind, digestive health, feel good, good energy, pause and unwind and more.  

And they've got Matcha tea - and in case you haven't tried that before, they've got a Matcha Starter Kit  with everything you need to start making delicious Matcha beverages!  

There's a Twinnings Matcha Starter Kit Gift Box for £28.00

And as you can imagine, they've got lots of biscuits & confectionary, fudge, marmelades and prseserves, and plenty of tableware - mugs, KeekpCups and tea accessories. 

They've also got gift hampers, Twinnings Collection Selection Boxes, Christmas confectionery, Christmas boxed gift sets and Christmas Advent calendars. 

This is the Monty Bojangles Truffle Collection Tube - yummy!
£8.49

This is the Peace on Earth Gift Box for £23.00

Their ranges give you a great chance to try out different teas, so they're great for anyone who loves trying different tastes, and they've even got a Tea Masterclass in their flagship store in the Strand in London,  so you can buy a loved one a voucher for that (£45.00).   

Visit Twinnings here

If you're looking for a gift to send someone who loves gin, how about a gift from Micro Bar Box?

They've got a range of cocktail hamper gifts. Gift boxes include different type of alcohol - Gin, Prosecco, Vodka, etc.   And they are just the thing to enjoy many happy moments with a loved one! 

MicroBarBox have got cocktail hamper gifts, and their gift boxes include different type of alcohol - Gin, Prosecco, Vodka, etc.  There's something for every occasion!

For instance, they've got an Espresso Martini Gift Set - it's got all the ingredients (and a recipe card) to mix some great Espresso Martini Cocktails.  They are simple to create and they are presented in a luixury magnet-close box! 

There's an 2024 Spirits & Liqueurs Advent Calendar - 24 Days (24 x 5cl) - 
for £115.00.
Just sip your way through the lead up to Christmas!
Each day reveals a new miniature bottle of spirits,
including gin, vodka, whisky, liqueur, rum and tequila!
Find out more here.

There's a Christmas Cocktail Box for £44.95
and it has 4 cocktails:
Gingerbread Martini, Christmas Kiss
Dark Christmas Night and Christmas Pudding Mule
Find out more here! 

and there's the Christmas Gin Gift Set for £39.95

Head off to Micro Bar Box here to see their other gift ideas.  Cheers!

Whipsnade Zoo had a very important arrival back on the 2nd October this year.  

The world welcomed little Khulu, a southern white rhino calf.   His mum is called Fahari, and both rhinos are doing well! 

Khulu is loving his time outside, especially having a good wallow...

Khulu has just started to venture out of his cosy den, which is indoors - but he's delighted to have discovered the muddy wallows in the paddock, and he's taken the opportunity to get down and dirty there!  He's got 21 acres to explore, so no doubt he'll find more wallows to enjoy! 

Khulu is a Zulu word.  It means both small and great or significant - and Khulu is a very significant rhino indeed!   There are just 17,500 southern white rhinos left in the wild, so if we take the phrase of the astronaut Neil Armstrong and alter it a bit, you could say this is one step for man, one giant leap for mankind, we could change it slightly to one step for Khulu, one giant leap for southern white rhinos. Every rhino matters! 

Khulu will be joining the European breeding programme, and this is important because it helps create agenetically diverse and healthy back up population.  

Find out more about the rhinos at Whipsnade here.  

There's plenty going on at Whispnade this Christmas, by the way, from 23rd November to 6th January,  including the opportunity to Meet Santa, and weekly walks with different themes from the 7th November to the 19th December.  And of course, there are all the animals to see!!  And if you're looking for a gift for an animal lover, there are gift experiences, tickets to buy so your loved ones can visit, gift memberships of course, and the online shop!  

You could also donate a Festive Dinner to the animals, from £5.00 - it depends if you want to go for a starter, a main course or a dessert - or go for all three!  Find out more here. 

Head off to Whipsnade Zoo's website here.