Getting into the Spirit of Christmas...(Fair)

Apologies to the Spirit of Christmas Fair and stallholders for the late posting of this blogpost. Christmas got the better of us and the Cross Clan and extended family have been beset with ill health. So in the Spirit of Christmas, please extend your goodwill to this humble blogger... and wishing you a happy new year!

I was so excited to receive my invitation plus one - meaning taking along my usual shopping sidekick extraordinaire and long-suffering partner-in-crime, MIL to the Spirit of Christmas Fair at Olympia. Not put off by the transport troubles that meant that it took us four different trains to get there, we actually arrived about 15 minutes early and were ushered in out of the cold by security as we flashed our press passes.

Supershopper is one label I have been given in the past (among others... another I am fond of is a rotweiler with lipstick and heels...) and I hadn't even allowed myself to take my coat off before I spotted the most must-have cashmere jumper about five metres from the entrance. Cream with fluorescent stripes, I knew the minute I tried it on that the good old Amex would be taking a bashing. And it came with pockets too. In the boyfriend fit, style perfect for those sneaky autumn/winter evenings and for pottering about town. Given the recent torrential rain, I have me snug and smug in my new purchase. Courtesy of No. 42 West Street which hails from Hampshire and multi-talented enterpreneur that is Melita Glaister (pictured with me below, with said jumper). Melita was a modest yet confident hands-on company director that served me with pride.

Opposite purchase number one was a must-buy-something fun things for under tens stall. Quirky stationery, rucksacks and ornaments. I picked up an owl rucksack and a blue unicorn bag (a bit smaller than the owl one) so the girls had one each.

On the next stall that sparked my interest, I came across a huge smile that belonged to Joanne Thompson, who is an effervescent and genuinely friendly lady who I warmed to immediately. She is co-owner in the business Holly Zang, and her line in children's clothes is truly exquisite. The company was spotted by Vogue on Twitter a couple of years ago, and since then, the company have taken flight. I still regret not buying the ballet shoes cashmere jumper for my eldest (I might get nightmares about this one).

Is anyone trying Dry January? Not that it’s any of my business, but the forward thinking Seedlip have created a unique trio of non-alcoholic spirits with a complex blend of flavours.  I have since purchased further bottles from high street retailers and enjoyes them immensely. MIL approves too. 

The 2018 (I cannot quite bring myself to say “last year’s”) incarnation of the Spirit of Christmas Fair is much improved with a much broader variety of stalls to browse. Overall, a jolly good day out. Plenty to see, plenty to buy. Roll on this Christmas. As the snow falls on February Eve...

Ideal Home Snow 2018

A snowy start to the show! A quick check online to confirm that TFL were able to cope with a light dusting, and I was out the door.  Mother-in-law (MIL) (aka shopping partner-in-crime, aka companion-in-credit-card-bashing) and I set out from Upminster to the now established venue of Olympia. The journey has become marginally annoying, now that we need to change at Earl’s Court and wait for an Olympia-specific train, rather than merely alighting at the former venue. But that’s progress for you (or so they say), and no doubt a property developer is doing rather well out of the move.

As free ticket holders (thank you press office), we were directed to enter through entrance three, which was not only the furthest entrance from the tube exit, the least attractive entrance point (compared to the main entrance complete with faux grass sign and piper) and also happened to be the glass doors that served as a staff and exhibitor entry gate. The queue which led right out beyond the foyer into the cold, windy and sleety street was crowded with people who seemed to delight in incessant moaning about the weather, while other guests were more jovial in spirit, joking as to the black market into staff passes so we could also queue jump and be let in early.

The first stall that caught my attention was Vallente of London. The open and friendly attitude of Andy Goss, with none of the hard sell so typical of those in the luxury goods market meant that we could spend time getting to know the products before making a relaxed and happy decision. As it was, MIL and I both purchased a great giftset that included a choice of two main products (we both chose a candle (RRP £20) and a hand and body lotion (RRP £18) with a bonus pot of hand cream. The bundle price was good value at £25.

I was initially interested in the products as I was looking for a rich cream to rehydrate my daughter’s skin. She is about to turn two and suffered from a rather nasty bout of chicken pox. I applied the moisturiser after her bath and the skin was immediately supple, soft and smooth. The effects lasted overnight and well into the morning, as I can now happily attest.

A shiny stall that caught my eye was funky big metal london led by designer James McGrath, who first started out in the true meaning of a start up cottage industry in his mother’s garden shed. Happily (for James’ mother) production now takes place in Elephant & Castle. James still plays a key role in design and overseeing production and is also committed to social responsibility and environmental protection, which now increasingly can play a key role in a customer’s decision to make a purchase. 

After scanning the stall with a beady eye, I happened across these cactus earrings, a complete steal at £10.

Being British-born Chinese, I have a soft spot for jade, used to commemorate and celebrate key milestones. I had always intended to buy “birth jade” for my two daughters and returned to Helen Fung’s Happy Dragon to purchase pink and purple matching pendants (£38 each) having first met Helen at the show some four years ago. Obviously a happy repeat customer, albeit with a sizeable interval in between!

The feel of the IHS has changed a great deal. Smaller home grown businesses have been pushed out in favour of large nationwide corporations that dominate the mass expanse of the main exhibition floor. A few token stands are left around the edges of the ground floor for oddly placed scented candle stalls, as though they have been left out in the cold. Whether this is for better or worse is neither here nor there. If you are after a fun day out with lots to see without a specific large-scale purchase in mind, then you’re in the right place. All in all, the IHS is still worth coming to, it’s just that you often come home with a miscellany of items you had no idea you needed, but with a smile on your face, which is a sure sign of a great day out. IHS, ‘til the next time...

Last Christmas... at Earl's Court

A jaunt to Earl's Court to visit the Ideal Home Show at Christmas courtesy of MoneySavingExpert was how Mrs Cross Senior and Mrs Cross Junior spent their Sunday. Full of hopes of returning with goodies, and strict instructions not to return with "Christmas tat" nor some dodgy and expensive drinking chocolate (or similar), we started the day with high expectations.

First stop, festive attire! What is Christmas without a jumper to celebrate the spirit of the season? Tillypop stocks unique knitted children's Christmas jumpers, dresses and pyjamas. Designer, Emma is not only a supermum entrepreneur, but also a chartered accountant (CIPFA) by day. I could not resist this Christmas pudding jumper for Baby Cross.

Another boutique with good quality childrenswear was Eeny Meenie. Owner Carla is due to open a store in Ongar. Check out her website for further updates. Eeny Meenie stocks lots of top quality brands including Petit Bateau, Bebe Baby and Jessie and James. This particular number had to come home with me for the bubs.

Family-run businesses make me feel warm and cosy, and I was filled with admiration for father-daughter team of Peter and Primrose Pease who created Angel Share. The name comes from the distillation of whiskey in which the angel's share is the part of the alcohol which evaporates as part of the process. In the same vein, 5% of the profits from the company is reinvested into microfinance loans in developing countries - the angel's share. I picked up this photo frame as my investment back into world goodness, and also because we are short of a frame or two at home.

I wanted to bring home a toy for Penelope and remembered having bought some wooden fruit that could be sliced along their velcro joints for my nieces. My description does not do the product justice! See Trade Toys for more information. The company generally supplies nurseries amd schools and came along to the show to offer the ordinary public their trade prices.

And to finish up with a quirky gadget from the Orient, I took the liberty of purchasing a tea cloud from Taste Taiwan Design. A floating white cloud to infuse your tea leaves. Stylish and clean-cut designs with practicality as a clear focus. Appealing bright colours, interesting solutions to common problems, and overall feel-good aesthetic and ethos. Thank you! A perfect end to.. no, not a perfect day. A manic one, dodging a thousand other shoppers who chose to wander among the stalls for the last time at Earl's Court. The site is due to be bulldozed to make way for what some might term progress. The next time we visit the show, the venue will transfer to Olympia. So long, and thanks for the good times.

Credit card catastrophe

Ok, so here it is, my first rant.

I would just like to point out, as a little caveat, that I am not one of those people that has nothing better to do with my time than be a serial complainer. It's the end of the financial year at work, and my boss and I are working terribly hard, I have a wonderful fiancé that I love to spend time with, I'm getting fit for myself and the wedding and I like to have a healthy social life too. So "nothing better to do with my time" just doesn't fit my bill. But there are just some things that people and large corporations should not be allowed to get away with.

Also, this is not just a moan about capitalism in general, nor a protest against fat cat chairmen with large bonuses.

Enough said.

Well, I have a couple of credit cards. One I am very pleased with, with is a Lu crew credit card with American Express. I've never had a problem with them, and you can save up British Airways airmiles for them and get tickets Oracle and Daddy Lu's holidays, which they enjoy and love.

Here it comes... And then there's Tesco. Every little thing about their online credit card statement does not help. It is impossibly difficult to understand. And I'm ok at maths, honestly, plus I managed to survive the law school accounts exams unscathed. But when you look at your online statement, you just don't want to. And it's not just the numbers. Balance means unbalanced, spending plus adjustments is not adjusted, and if you ever set up a direct debit... Well just don't.

Their call centre puts you through about eight different sets of options. I was really pleased with myself having keyed in my credit card number, date of birth and pin, and got through another couple of levels, and then, most unfortunately, I pressed the wrong option and was greeted with "This office is now closed. Please try again later." CLOSED??? At 12.34pm. How dare they?

Their saving grace was a lovely guy who gently explained my problem and patiently talked me through. He even took my suggestion of "making the online statement system more user-friendly" with good grace. Unfortunately, I didn't get his name, but I'm sure I made his day with my helpful comments.

Hmmm, I feel much better now. I think the grumble is definitely better out than in. All that negative energy building up inside of me. In fact, you know what? Tesco credit card have saved me from dishing out for a therapist. Maybe I'll write them a thank you letter. Or then again... maybe I won't.