What a load of tat

We've just got back from Britain's largest gift trade show at the NEC - it's over 100 miles to walk round the entire show so very, very tiring. In a previous life I used to attend this show as an exhibitor and, as we were always quite busy, didn't get round the rest of the show. This time it struck me what a load of useless rubbish is peddled in the name of "gifts". There were large numbers of Chinese stands and large numbers of British companies selling Chinese stuff. Good quality gifts made in the UK were few and far between and the so called "British Design" section was risable. It seems "buy local" hasn't got as far as gifts yet...shame....but you can check out LovetheLakes.net in the next few days for more lovely (British made) gift ideas for Mothers Day.
Louise

Winter on the fells

How did that happen? Louise and Julie have abandoned the shop for a couple of days to visit a trade show and left the fort in my capable hands. Some would call that 'gallivanting', but I woldn't dare! Anyway, that means I get to blog too, so there is a slight change of subject for this one..

I often get asked what I wear/carry on the fells in freezing winter conditions, so here goes..not to say this is what you shoud be wearing but just my personal preferences!

Boots - My winter boots are trusty Scarpa Manta's. I will only wear them if I think I will need crampons, otherwise I will stick to 3 season boots.
Crampons - My crampons are Grivel G10's and I have never had any problem with those coupled with a Mountain Technology Glencoe Ice axe (not sure if these are still around, I've had it for about 10 years).
In full snow conditions I tend to wear ski pants, they are great for the conditions with everything you could want - internal leg gaiters (I detest wearing outside gaiters), they are hard wearing, waterproof and breathable. When wearing crampons they are tough enough to withstand the odd misplaced spike too.
On top I simply wear a HH thermal base layer and a Haglofs LIM jacket over it (see earlier review)... and that is all. I carry a  fleece should I need an extra layer but generally it is not needed. If really cold I will carry a Rab Generator jacket as well - that packs down small and it can be put on over everything else to save messing around with layers.
The only other things I wear are a fleece Buff for when it gets a bit chilly round the gills and one of a selection of hats (latest one is a Rab mountain hat), and a pair of Rab Phantom Grip Gloves.
In the bag is a spare pair of gloves, spare hat, waterproof paclite shell and that is about all...have I missed anything?

Sean

To taste or not to taste

To date we've not done very well with tasters: putting out little plates/cups full of something we sell so customers can try before they buy never seems to have any effect other than to make the taster disappear (usually in about an hour but the record is 10 minutes). Our first taster was chilli chocolates which produced (despite the big warning signs) the inevitable choking noises from customers who homed in on the free chocolate. The second was freshly made local fudge: this was our most moreish taster and we all gained several pounds when we went through this phase. The third was locally made sloe and damson gin, hic! The fourth, and most memorable for me, was fruit dipped in dark chocolate, which not long after we put it out was tasted by a little girl who promptly spat it back on to the plate so it all had to go in the bin! This weekend we have some lovely hand made chocolate out as tasters, but I'm not holding out any hope for extra sales of chocolate!
Louise

My last word on the subject (potholes not Valentines Day)

Yesterday I counted 37 hubcaps and one bumper littering the verges on the A592 to Bowness. Today the work to repair the worst of the potholes near Hill of Oaks has commenced. The tragic accident on Sunday has been attributed to ice, mmm.........  
Louise

I think I'm the clueless one!

First customers of the day were a guy in his early 20s accompanied by a "yoof" in his early teens. If I'm honest I thought they might be on a shoplifting spree so I was surprised when the older guy promptly picked up one of our Valentines Day cards and a Fanny and Claude Bath Salts pack (both handmade in the Lake District of course). On interrogation (we always probe for personal information - it helps the day go by!) we found that the older guy was an outward bound instructor and the "yoof" was one of his pupils. Furthermore, the instructor is bringing his girlfriend up to the Lakes next weekend for a romantic weekend in one of the loveliest guesthouses in the area....he even told us which restaurants they're going to (hope they don't close in the next week Angela lol). After that he is taking his girlfriend to Thailand for a month. I guess he qualifies for the "going the whole hog" Valentines Day man and I'm only glad, for his girlfriend's sake, that large cards with padded hearts held by cute teddies are now out of fashion!
Louise

Beware men with clueless expressions

Valentines Day is a bit of a hoot for us. Unlike birthdays and Christmas, some people (ok, men) get away with proclaiming that they don't "believe" in it. Others (again, men) make what I would call a token gesture  - chocolates and the smallest, most non-commital card they can find - and others want to go the whole hog (in the 80's they bought those huge cards with padded hearts held by cute teddies) but haven't got a clue what to buy. Predictably, as unsuspecting lone men enter the shop at this time of year, we like to guess which of the above categories they fall into. Actually, there is another category of man - the one that takes note of what their loved one says they like in the shop and then rushes back alone 30 minutes later to purchase said loved one heart's desire......aahhh.
Louise

The Elements

I am determined to get back on my bike a bit more this year, I used to do lots (and lots) before the walking took over. I went out today (optimistically) with my shades on - I must have got at least 100 metres before it started to rain and another 100m before it started to hail. Just a shower? No, it was a 'shower' of biblical proportions but obviously it was too late to turn back now!

25 miles later it was still raining until I pulled up at our house when the sun and blue sky appeared. I was abasolutely frozen and mud spattered but felt oddly good about the experience. Will it last? Only time will tell...

Sean