Last Minute Christmas Cake

I know the thought of making a Christmas cake fills most people with dread - probably anticipating a dry overcooked cake;  I have devised this easy  foolproof recipe that delivers a lovely rich & moist cake every time.  The ultimate secret is to use an Aga Cake Baker, I have a pretty ancient one - a new one will cost approx £90, but you can pick up a good second-hand on EBay.

To make the cake: line an 8”/21cm tin with greaseproof paper.
Ingredients:  1 cup dark brown soft muscovado sugar                           1 tspn bicarbonate soda
                     375g tin crushed pineapple                                              1 tspn mixed spices
                     8oz/225g raisins                                                              4oz/110g butter    3 eggs
                     4oz/110g sultanas                                                            1 cup plain wholemeal flour                                                                
                     40z/110g currants                                                            1 cup self raising flour

Method: Soak the fruit overnight in an alcohol of your choice.
Put into a saucepan the sugar, pineapple, dried fruit, bicarb, spices and butter, boil for a good five minuets, or until the colour goes a dark brown, keep stirring to avoid the mixture from sticking to the saucepan.  Allow the mixture to cool then stir in the eggs and fold in the flour.  Put in the prepared tin and bake for approx 1.5 hours at 180c/gas 4, reduce heat and leave for another 20 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean.   When cool remove from tin and peel off the greaseproof paper.  Place on a cake board, brush the top with apricot jam, rollout the marzipan and place on top of the cake, and decorate with ready to roll fondant icing, or royal icing if you prefer to finish with a snowy effect.  Fix a decorative cake band to the side and add a few festive decorations to the icing.  Hey presto you should now have a delicious/moist cake that looks kitsch and festive.

London Vibe

Breakfast At The Wolseley

Although I count myself lucky that I live & work in Tetbury a beautiful town in the Cotswolds - I do occasionally crave the vibrant energy of London.  Sunday morning we left Tetbury at 7am and by 8.45 we were parked in Dover Street to meet a special friend photographic agent Jo Clark for a birthday breakfast at The Wolseley a favourite venue of ours.  If you consider going - do book in advance as it gets pretty busy - the fishcakes served with poached eggs is very good.  After a long lazy breakfast and catching-up on news & gossip we headed to Marylebone High Street for some retail therapy.



Marylebone has a village feel to it due to the eclectic mix of shops favourites are Daunts Books which has the most beautiful period premises the Conran Shop is hip, modern cool, Rococo Chocolates is chic but quaint - my list of desirable shops in this area is endless.  This clever retail mix is the work of The Howard de Walden Trust which owns 90 prime acres including over 300 listed buildings.  Their ethos ensures the area doesn’t look like every other UK High Street by their careful selection and leasing of properties to businesses that compliment each other.

We next walked over to Regent Street which has been pedestrianised - absolutely packed with people enjoying the free fairground attractions and street entertainment.  Hamleys toy shop was shoulder to shoulder with shoppers - what recession?  Just on from here is the ultimate shopping experience at Liberty’s department store, their Christmas window displays are very clever - a visual treat.  As you can imagine, the store was packed with festive shoppers and tourists, our mission was Christmas cards & gift wrap - but the shelves were depleted, should have bought them on our last visit.

It was now approaching a time to think about going home, we decided to walk back via Burlington Arcade, and at this time of year they roll-out the red carpet throughout the arcade making one feel very regal.  The arcade has gorgeous shops with beautiful window displays; one of my favourites is Penhaligon’s.  Having had a really enjoyable day it was time to head home.

Liberty Home

Burlington Arcade

Penhaligon's

Window To The World

Having traded in Tetbury for almost eight years I have decorated several Christmas windows.  The themes have been bold or understated, as we have a fairly small shop window the display has to have pavement power to draw people in to the shop.  I rarely use stock/products and rely more on decorative impact.  Two of my favourite windows have been a painted black backdrop, black painted twigs decorated with red glittering leaves and exotic red birds of paradise - at night the window was stunning.  The second was all white with white suspended twigs, crystal drops and white doves, a base of  fake snow and iridescent glitter - it looked magical.

Last year I went totally over the top with a burlesque theme to promote Wolford hosiery.  Weeks were spent creating a theatre themed backdrop which consisted of gold glittered columns overlaid with a black flocked baroque design.  Behind these were red silk drapes edged using antique gold/red bullion fringe - the finished effect was bold and dramatic.  Centre stage was a doe-eyed blonde haired mannequin wearing Wolford stockings and French lace basque.   In my naivity I didn’t realise how controversial the display would be.  Opinions fell in to two camps - those that understood the tongue-in-cheek humour and sadly those that found it too provocative!  We even had people coming in to the shop asking if we were a brothel  as it looked like an Amsterdam red light district window - please!  A lot of people did like it for it’s originality and a lot of men put the model on their Christmas wish list!

After last years mixed response we decided to play it safe and work with a product based display.  Over the summer we collected fir cones which I painted white, twigs which I covered with crystal encrusted garlands and using the trusty glue gun  fixed the cones to the branches.  The finished result is simple but effective - all prospective customers are now clear about what we are peddling!  

Retrosexual Male

I have read in the press that over the past three years the sales of razors have been dropping dramatically globally as men finally reclaim their masculinity after a decade of preened and polished metro sexual males being the in look. Hirsute guys are definitely back with brute force - forget 70’s moustache - 80’s designer stubble - 90’s goatees - the full blown beard is the in style. Men’s magazines such as GQ style, esquire, Dapper Dan & Sunday Times Style are promoting this new found made confidence to embrace their facial hair. Just look at the international rugger boys in all their grizzly bear glory - Sebastian Chabal, Patrick Danahy, Adam Kleeburger, Dan Cole are all rocking this strong masculine look.




Fashion being always ahead of trend has been using hirsute models for a while now. The leader of the pack is French model Patrick Petitjean leading the way with his magnificent beard gaining legions of adoring fans writing blogs about him. Now there is a whole host of bearded Adonis’s fronting major advertising campaigns. Hot favourites are Benjamin Dukhan - Jean Paul Gaultier, Paraskevas Boubourakas - Bruuns Bazaar, Jack Guinness - Oscar Jacobson, Christian Goran - Scotch & Soda. These models look rugged and distinctively different with their luxurious beards from their

Metrosexual counterparts. They look more than capable of doing physical hard work rather than worrying about their fake tan and body waxing.

No wonder women are falling for this look even devoting websites to this trend - .kuchenbaeckerin.tumblr.com or http://www.girlswholovebeardsclub.com/ .

For the male point of view try http://www.thepowerofbeards.com/ or www.thebearded.tumblr.com

Yesterday marked the final spring/summer 2012 buying trip to London which meant nearly start on the road at 7am for a 10am appointment.  Unfortunately the traffic congestion in London delayed our journey and we eventually arrived at 10.45am - usually on a Sunday I can be parked up within 1.5 hours - I always forget weekdays are totally different.




Spring /summer 2012 we have secured some pretty cool new brands - all relaxed, stylish, easy - pure Fashion Dispensary style.  Our particular favourite is the Amsterdam based brand Maison Scotch women’s, Scotch & Soda menswear - just so cool, laidback, gorgeous fabrics, well-made, good price point.  We are very confident that this brand will definitely be on our customer’s wish list.  The distribution showroom is a lovely open space for displaying the collection and the staff are great to work with, even ‘Hettie’ our Bearded Collie was made very welcome - she always has her paw on all the latest trends - a true canine fashionista!

After the appointment we found ourselves with a rare afternoon off, taking full advantage of this we headed over to central London to give our favourite shop a recce.  For us, Liberty’s is the best shopping experience in London, of course the building itself is unique & dripping in heritage, but what really sets this store apart from others is the direction that MD Ed Burstell has steered the store.  Innovative styling mixed with inspiring buying makes the shopping experience a delicious melting pot of different styles.  The staff are friendly, non-pushy and have a good product knowledge, unlike a lot of other stores that are purely sales/target driven.

The store had the inventive idea to hold an open day each August ‘Best of British’ style spotter when budding designer entrepreneurs can present their work to the Liberty buying team.  This is very savvy of Liberty’s as it allows them to choose the cream of fresh new ideas before competitors.  I know it’s only mid September but I have to admit that we visited the Christmas department - the festive music certainly puts you in to a buying mood.  Wonderful choice of Christmas decorations which are themed and colour blocked, I was spoilt for choice with the interesting Christmas card designs on offer.  I did buy a box of gorgeous kitsch Christmas crackers, the sales assistant did mention new stock arrives daily and that some lines have already sold out - so buy when you see it!

The journey out of London was relatively easy, back home by 7pm and out walking the dog over the fields towards Shipton Moyne.  Not a soul around, just total stillness, amazing when I had just been in the throbbing energy of London to find myself totally alone in the beautiful Gloucestershire countryside; in all a great day out mixing business with pleasure.

The Abbey Hotel - Penzance

In a previous life Jean Cox the owner of the delightful Abbey Hotel, Penzance was known all over the world as Jean Shrimpton - iconic face & fashion model of the 1960’s and early 1970’s. Tired of the fashion world she decamped for a reclusive life in Cornwall where she met and married Michael Cox - together they opened the Abbey Hotel in 1982.

I have had the pleasure of staying in this very beautiful hotel many times over the years, each time I leave taking a very special memory. Its tranquillity is such that the late author ‘Mary Wesley’ (Camomile Lawn) stayed often. She said “if she was ever depressed just walking into the Abbey Hotel would instantly lift her spirits”.

The hotel still sits above the harbour and is painted an amazing cornflower blue set off by white Georgian gothic style windows. Inside is an eclectic mix of antique furniture, very comfortable beds, deep squashy sofas covered in Colefax & Fowler chintz all complemented by a background of strong decorating schemes. It’s really like staying in a gorgeous private country house than a hotel. My favourite room has be room1 which enjoys wonderful views over Penzance harbour and St. Michaels mount in the distance. The large traditional bathroom overlooks the tranquil subtropical walled garden. This hotel really is pure escapism from life - perfect to unwind and recharge your inner soul.

Having met Jean Cox on visits to the hotel I have to say she has certainly retained her special ethereal quality. Now in her late 60’s she has amazing bone structure and dramatic eyes. She freely admits that she has done nothing to stop the aging process - how refreshing to age gracefully instead of chasing lost youth. Her life will be newsworthy once again in a film starring Karen Gillan ‘We’ll Take Manhattan’, it charts her love affair with photographer David Bailey in the 1960’s - the film is due for release in the autumn.

Maison Bertaux - Soho Gem

Some time ago channel 4 produced a program called 24 hours in Soho - presented by Blur member Alex James, it followed the really quite diverse lives of Soho residents from strip joints to family life. One particular business I found fascinating was one of London‘s oldest patisserie ‘Maison Bertaux’ a French patisserie that was founded in 1871 and still going - now in the hands of Michelle Wade a former actress.

Having never been there we thought we should experience this quirky venue for breakfast. We were greeted by Michelle who was absolutely charming and made us very welcome. The décor is definitely very retro but in an authentic way - slightly shabby but this has a special charm all of its own - completely out of step with brash modern interiors. The ground floor retail area comprises of a few tables & chairs a piano plus pavement seating which is perfect for people watching.

The array of pastries & cakes on display is an absolute feast for your yes - they all look divine - you just want them all. We settled for croissant d'amande which was the best I have ever eaten - being a creature of habit this is what I have every time I visit.

Up a flight of stairs is another seating area - a pure 1950’s time warp of Formica tables & leatherette chairs. In this area Michelle’s sister Tania Wade uses the wall space as an art gallery for work by slightly off the wall artists; presently there is an exhibition by Noel Fielding of Mighty Boosh fame.

Being now totally hooked we return often, it is just so different from anywhere else in London, there is no comparison to other establishments as it is unique in this world of café chains with pseudo contrived décor. Do visit - you too will agree that Maison Bertaux is a Soho gem.

Flower Power

I have noticed that this season’s spring/summer collections for men are definitely a homage to the perennial favourite ‘Liberty London’ print archive - world renowned since the firm was established in 1875. This season well known designer brands have been raiding the extensive Liberty print archives. This trend has been most noticeable in the use of the prints for men’s shirts. - I myself have been hooked on Liberty print shirts for a long time - the bolder the better in my case - it’s become a signature style.




The collections use iconic prints of busy small scale floral, geometric tile patterns, images of birds, leaf patterns all in a wonderful spectrum of colours.

Generally men are slightly nervous of wearing bold patterns fearing they will stand out within their peer group - unlike the Dandy days of the 60’s & 70’s when men strutted like peacocks in bright colours and patterns, whereas now men play safe with blocks of colour often monochrome. Our economy is pretty dire - we all need cheering up - what better way than a splash of colour to bring a smile to people’s faces. Even iconic brand ‘Nike’ has produced sneakers in Liberty print.

The easy way to wear prints and colour is with jeans, linen trousers, shorts and loafers to achieve a cool laidback carefree vibe.

Fashion Dispensary Goes Live

The good news is that we have finally launched our new Fashion Dispensary website/online shop.  We are extremely pleased with the result that represents months of work & expense - but the finished product has totally exceeded our expectations.  The new site has come about because we thought it was time for a change and a total revamp to keep the business fresh & interesting.
Over a long period, men had been asking couldn't we consider stocking a range of menswear - obviously there was the demand so we decided to make the investment.  The entire shop has been totally restyled to achieve a fresh new look.  Men's clothes are in the old occasion wear room - after careful consideration we decided that more formal clothes didn't sit with our new look - any remaining stock can be found on our online shop at discounted prices. 
The women's collection is now very different to previous seasons, we have spent a lot of time sourcing a more relaxed and easy to wear look from english and european designers.  Our price points now encompasses all budgets, but quality and great styling remains our key aim.  We have also extended our gift & accessories - lots more bath & body products, candles, jewellery and leather goods to include men and delicious handmade artisan chocolates - there really is something for every taste.  A great proportion of our stock is online and constantly being updated, do visit the shop for an even greater variety.

Home is where the heart is.

About two years ago a customer was in the shop and enquired if our home was decorated in the style of the shop/boutique. At that point we still had a long way to go before we could finally relegate the last tin of paint to the cellar. The customer happened to be a magazine editor looking for interesting period properties. Undeterred that we weren’t in a position to be featured, she left asking us to make contact when we were ready. Eighteen months later I made contact and the photographer ‘Di Lewis’ arrived to shoot for ‘Period Living’ February 2011 issue.



The photographs were beautiful and captured the essence of our home. The magazine focused on the kitchen and as a result some of the interior shots were not used. As I have most of the work I thought it would be nice to share them with you. As you will see the colours we have used are strong & earthy - not to everyone’s taste I know, but they work in this old property. Personally I loath bland, safe, colourless interior shades which prevail at the moment. To some, our style is eclectic, this has been toned by observation & travels over the years. Interesting details can be found by just looking up at a building, be it door pediment/window frame/render colour etc. Old interiors provide endless inspiration for colour. I love and admire the work of French designer ‘Jacque Garcia’ best know for his contemporary interiors of Paris.

Snowy Bath

I recently enjoyed a Sunday off with a visit to Bath - a favourite destination for us as it’s only 35 minutes by car from Tetbury. That particular day it had been snowing, luckily the drive down the A46 was clear, but side roads were impassable due to ice

On arriving we found Bath relatively quiet considering it was almost Christmas & able to park straight away. In need of sustenance we headed over to the ‘The Fine Cheese Co’ in Walcot Street for food and refreshment. This venue has a lovely unpretentious atmosphere - friendly knowledgeable staff, good coffee, excellent food - the Crayfish tail, rocket & sun dried tomato sandwich is divine.

We spent the afternoon wandering around Bath; one can’t fail to be inspired with the glorious architecture here. A recent BBC2 programme presented by Amanda Vickery ‘At Home with the Georgians’ went behind closed doors and illustrated what it was really like to live behind those gilded facades. Even allowing for the 1960/79’s ‘rape of Bath’ when some areas were misguidedly cleared for the so called modernization, and bland soulless buildings erected. These now sit like sore thumbs against their Georgian neighbours. The ugly example for me is the ‘Hilton Hotel’ above the podium car park - surely it could be refaced to make it easier on the eye.

 

Devotees of the marvels of Bath are usually drawn to the Royal Crescent or the Circus, but I prefer ‘St James Square’ which sits just below Lansdowne crescent. It is a haven of peace & quiet after the buzz of central Bath - also the ‘Mangia Bene’ café, just off the square, has good food & pavement seating. Perfect place to stop after walking and taking in the delights of this beautiful Georgian city.