Alison Gardiner Blog

What is best about a British Summer ?

Sunday 25th March marks the offical start of British Summer Time when the clock will go forward by one hour, which has got me thinking about the best things about our British Summers:

1. Strawberries: Nothing quite celebrates the arrival of summer than that of the luscious taste of a sweet, fresh summer Strawberry.

2. Proms: Sitting relaxing with a group of friends, eating great food and enjoying outdoor concerts, which take place in beautiful parks and stately homes across the UK.

3. Festivals: Nothing beats Britain for our range of summer festivals. We have everything from the Chester Midsummer Parade which is one of the oldest festivals in Britian dating back to 1498 through to the range of fantastic music, food and cultural fesitvals that take place across the country. this year will inlude the MFEST in Leeds this July, which is a new two day family festival celebrating British Music and Food, with some comdey thrown in! Plus we should be spoiled with lots more free summer festivals to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee including the Queens River Pagent.

4. Picnics: Enjoying a delicious picnic with friends and family in many of our towns and cities lovely parks, in the countryside or down by the beach.

5. Quirky, historical events: From the Nettle Eating Contest in the village of Marsham in Dorset; the Whitstable Oyster Festival and Blessing of the Water; through to the Swan Upping on the River Thames, which happens every year when the Swan Keeper and Swan Markers from two livery companies row in skiffs along the river to mark the cygnets. Where else but Britain!

I could keep on going on and on….watching cricket on the green, rowing along our beautiful rivers, sipping Pimms through to drinking a refreshing Ice Tea.

Roll on the Summer x

The Perfect Cup of Tea for Mothers’ Day

Tea; the drink consumed more than any other in the UK but how to make the perfect brew?

With Mothers’ Day a few days away, it’s time to hone your skills so that you can brew your mum a perfect cup of tea on her special day.  Tea deserves your attention just as much as your mum does. Follow these simple rules and your mum will be guaranteed a smile on her face and a great start to her day.

Lovingly Handmade

1)     Boil the kettle. Sounds obvious but remember to put freshly drawn water in the kettle and to bring it fully to the boil, unless you are making a specialist tea such as White Tea, which needs to be off the boil.

2)  Use a teapot. No dunking a teabag into a cup! If
you value your mum, take your time and do it properly. A tray with a teapot,
china teacup and saucer, milk jug and, maybe, a flower in a small vase looks
beautiful and shows you care.

3)     Warm the pot. Before the water comes to the boil, tip a small amount into the teapot, swish it around and pour away.

4)     Put your tea leaves into the pot – go on give ‘proper’ loose leaf tea a try; there are so many more varieties and the quality should be good. There are a myriad views on how much tea to place in the pot but we recommend you consider how mum likes her tea. Our advice would be that  if you avoid drowning your tea in milk (if you use it), you will get the most from the tea.  2-3 teaspoons of tea should be ample, dependent on the size of the pot, unless mum likes a really strong brew.

 

5)     As soon as the water comes to the boil put it
straight into the teapot. The boiling water helps the leaves to unfurl and do
their work.

6)     Time it! Don’t wander off and leave the tea to
steep and stew; there is nothing worse than over brewed tea. For most teas,
such as English Breakfast Blend, 3 minutes is fine – use a timer if you have
one or just check the clock.

7)     Serve. Again there is debate over whether the
milk goes in before or after; we advise a drop of milk (remember don’t overdo it)
before you put the tea in. If you’re using a teapot with an internal strainer,
you can take this out once the tea is ready; if not use a tea strainer and have
a jug of boiling water to ‘top it up’ once you have poured the first cup. Take
the tea to mum, cuddle up and have a natter over your ‘Perfect Pot of Tea’.

We hope you enjoy making your mum a wonderful pot of tea and
that she is impressed with your skills. If mum loves tea, go to www.teatalkmagazine.co.uk for more tea facts.

Come and join the team

We are looking for a person to join our team for 2- 3days a week , taking on the opportunity to develop this new and exciting role, where you will be supporting sales into Gift retailers plus administration production of fine bone China which is hand made in England.

The ideal candidate will need to be a: Good Communicator; have Strong IT skills, (Word, Excel and ideally experience with CRM software); Own PC laptop; Live in or close to Southsea; Fast Learner; Personable; Numerate, Problem Solver and Flexible.

This will be a really interesting job for someone who would like to work in design led sector with a high profile company. The role offers flexible hours and the work can be undertaken partly from home.

This is an exciting new job opportunity, with an immediate start. If you are interested in applying for this position, please email support@alisongardiner.co.uk attaching a copy of you CV

A visit to Stansted Park Stately Home

Last week I paid the gorgeous Stansted Park in Rowlands Castle, Hampshire a visit. Originally the home of the Earls of Bessborough in 1924, the house and grounds are now open to public and used for events, weddings and exclusive corporate functions.

I was particularly in awe of the unique ‘old kitchen’, which still contains original apparatus and kitchen tools from all those years ago when the house was enjoyed by the families of the 9th and 10th Earls.

I thought it would be a great place to act as a backdrop to show case a range of my Fine Bone China Mugs. Here are a few of my favourite images from the shoot:

Above: Featuring a selection of my 50 Collectible National Trust Bone China Mugs featuring famous heritage buildings and landscapes managed by the National Trust.

Above: Featuring my souvenir mug commemorating the Bishop’s inauguration, sold exculisvely at Portsmouth Cathedral’s Shop.

Above: My range of National Trust Mugs again.

Above: A range of different fine bone china mugs, including my Portsmouth Mug featuring the iconic Spinnaker Tower, and my St George’s Mug from my Best of British Range.

Above: A range of different fine bone china mugs, including my Studland Bay Mug at the forefront. The heathland behind the beach is a haven for many rare birds and is also one of the richest areas for wild flowers in Britain. The mug features many of the popular activities associated with the bay including a discrete nudist.

Above: Featuring my Dover Mug. Dover has been the gateway to the British Isles for thousands of years as it is from here that the shortest crossing to France can be found. The mug features the new P&O ferries due in service in 2011 and an intrepid Wayfarer dinghy !

If you would like to purchase any of the items you have seen in this post, then please pop along to my online shop. All of my mugs are hand illustrated by me and then hand crafted in the famous potteries of England.

Photo Credit: Cotton Candy Photography

Thanks,
Alison
Alison Gardiner | Designer & Illustrator

Royal Wedding Street Parties in Southsea, Portsmouth

My home town of Southsea, Portsmouth had Royal Wedding fever over the weekend with local venues hosting one off royal wedding events and residents holding their very own street parties. Popular Albert Road bar Little Johnny Russell’s had a Bow Tie and Tiara Party and showed the royal wedding on the big screen.

Southsea seafront’s Queens Hotel hosted a Royal Wedding Lunch and several hundred people watched the wedding on a big screen in Guildhall Square before the street parties began.

If you are looking for a unique way to commemorate the event now that the party is over, take a peak at my hand illustrated Royal Wedding Commemorative Items on my online shop.

Thanks,
Alison
Alison Gardiner | Designer & Illustrator

Photo Credit: Little Johnny Russell’s and BBC News