Our highly decorative Swazi Candles are hand-made in the small African Kingdom of Swaziland using the age-old technique “millefiore”. The Millefiori technique is a labour intensive process. Each Millefiori item is individually and painstakingly handmade. Millefiore, or “thousand flowers”, first surfaced in ancient Alexandria, but was perfected in the great glassmaking cities of […]

When The Gresham Palace opened in 1906, it had been built as a luxurious foreign headquarters for the Gresham Life Assurance Company of London, as well as residence for British aristocracy visiting Budapest. Following World War I the Gresham became a partial office building, and after World War II – when it was severely damaged […]

The Island of Staffa offers an outstanding example of a lava flow that has solidified into characteristic hexagonal columns. This can clearly be seen at Fingal’s cave. Legend has it that Fingal’s Cave is the Scottish end of the Giant’s Causeway, built by an Ulster giant in order to fight the Gaelic giant Fingal. Many […]

An unmistakable bird with its black back and white underparts, and distinctive black head with large pale cheeks and a tall, flattened, brightly-coloured bill. Its comical appearance is heightened by its red and black eye-markings and bright orange legs. Used as a symbol for books and other items, this clown among seabirds is one of […]

For the past 29 years, the international elite of hot air balloonists have met every January in Filzmoos. Their enthusiasm is appreciated by both spectators and passengers alike in the fabulous Province of Salzburg. Hot air ballooning is one of the most beautiful ways to enjoy aviation and to experience pure individualism and the feeling […]

A new book in Halsgrove’s celebrated community history series. The book of Willand from Domesday to Millenium. Willand History Group have enthusiastically through their own research and with the invaluable help of many past and present Willand residents collected a wealth of written and visual material. This ultimately formed the basis of […]

Heligan, seat of the Tremayne family for more than 400 years, is one of the most mysterious estates in England. After decades of neglect, the devastating hurricane of 1990 should have consigned the Lost Gardens of Heligan to a footnote in history. These gardens were made great by ordinary people before departing for the Great […]

Dickie Dirts Curiosity Shop love gardens. Set deep in the lovely North Devon countryside, RHS Garden Rosemoor is a garden of national importance. Lady Anne Berry gifted Rosemoor to the RHS in 1988, since then, the original eight acres have been greatly developed into 65 acres of enchanting garden and woodlands. In addition to the […]

Lundy lies off the coast of North Devon, where the Atlantic ocean meets the Bristol Channel with nothing between it and America, a granite outcrop, three and a half miles long and half a mile wide. In the hubbub of the modern world it is a place apart, peaceful and unspoilt. People return time and […]

The Donkey Sanctuary strongly believe that supporters have the right to see how their donations are spent on caring for their large family of donkeys. There are no commercial attractions - just gently rolling countryside with walks around the fields where you can meet the donkeys, who adore the fuss and attention received from visitors. […]