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 Issue 3, February 2006Well, spring finally seems to be on the way - quite a relief after the freezing winter we have had here. Snowdrops are peeking through the tangled undergrowth (I'm afraid to say I haven't done any gardening for months) and our new kittens Harry and Lily are being quite adventurous outside, now they've got over their initial fears...Meanwhile, back at work, our shop has made its first appearance on TV! British Satellite News recently came up from London and spent a morning filming. The finished product was only about 4 minutes long, but it's a great start. Apparently BSN is paid by the Foreign Office to promote all things British; the finished film clips are then distributed free of charge to TV channels abroad. "You'll be all over the world, love," said the cheery producer, adding helpfully a moment later: "Don't wear dogtooth check." Well, thank Heavens she pointed that out! Not camera-friendly, apparently. Once again, if you can't see this ezine in glorious Technicolor, you can view it properly on our website: Read more » Lucie People With A Passion For British History!February's article comes from a great site I came across recently, www.history.uk.com, run by a fellow enthusiast for all things historical. It has many interesting features, like the Timeline which allows you to see what happened in a specific year. My house was built in 1876; now I know this was the same year that the Scottish-born inventor Alexander Graham Bell patented his communications device - the telephone. Who knows what you might find!There are lots of articles on the site, but I've picked the intriguing Old-Time Food For The Modern Kitchen section, which is dedicated to the art of preparing authentic-tasting historic food and drink. At the bottom of the page you will find further links to recipes for evocative dishes such as Frumenty, Pokerounce and Roman Honey Cakes. Every month, a new recipe is added, complete with tips and hints for historic cooks. The site also explains the best way to prepare the ingredients and gives you ideas on how to present the finished product to your guests - fascinating! Read more » Testimonial"I received my parcel this morning, which was beautifully wrapped and included my special delivery instructions. Your service was spectacular and a wonderful change from the normal mail order companies. I am very pleased - thank you very much!"K. V. from Guildford, Surrey Wonderful WebsitesThere's a quirky company called the White Ladder Press which I thought I would share with you. Rich and Roni have set up a small publishing house for practical non-fiction books, such as the amusingly entitled 'Out Of Your Townie Mind - the reality behind the dream of country living'. Is life really all roses round the cottage door, and how do you deal with the occasional thorn? Click here to visit their website at White Ladder Press.Yesterday morning I received a copy of the latest catalogue by The Cutting Garden, and it instantly brightened up my day. The company is run by the Gardeners' World presenter Sarah Raven, and it's a beautifully photographed collection of plants, bulbs and seedlings, from obscure vegetables such as purple asparagus to easily grown annuals guaranteed to fill your garden with colour all summer long: www.thecuttinggarden.com Speaking of obscure vegetables, I was amused to discover in the February issue of Country Living that the National Trust is running an Ugliest Vegetable Competition. Couch potatoes need not apply! If you feel like digging for victory, click on the link to find out more. Prizes include a day with a National Trust gardener, composters and veg boxes. The competition is open to individuals and schools, with special categories for under 5s and over 65s. The Society For The Protection of Ancient Buildings was founded by William Morris in 1877, and local rumour has it that it was in response to the planned (and thwarted) demolition of a lovely building here in Leek. This building now houses the excellent Greystones tearoom, where I can occasionally be found tucking into lemon meringue pie (although not often enough for my liking), so I for one am very grateful. Anyway, SPAB is an excellent point of contact for period homeowners. For a small fee, it provides information on many different subjects and runs practical courses on the repair and maintenance of old houses: www.spab.org.uk Win A £100 Period Features voucher!Don't forget there's still time to enter our £100 voucher competition with Period Living & Traditional Homes Magazine. You can find it on their website, along with many other competitions! Just click on the link below and answer one simple question. After the closing date of 28 February 2006, the magazine will pick a winner at random from all the correct entries received. Read more »Enquire WithinThis month I wanted to talk about Coppice Groups. What on earth are they, I hear you ask? Well, a sad fact of gardening in Britain today is that it is easier to buy a Chinese ‘twig’, in the form of bamboo, than a locally grown hazel ‘twig’ to support runner beans. It's easier to find mass-produced plant climbers at the garden centre than it is to find locally-made willow wigwams. Coppice groups give you an opportunity to reverse this trend and buy local woodland products instead, grown in a sustainable, environmentally-friendly way and supporting local employment.Some comments from one of our customers: 'A few months ago I contacted you to try to find an old-fashioned washing line prop. You very wisely put me on to a coppicing group and I had one made... I have a beautiful hazel forked stick, about 8' tall, the maker semi-stripped the bark off to create a beautiful effect and oiled it with linseed, which I need to do each autumn... Of course not only does it stop my washing line sagging, the higher up the washing, the faster it dries!!! Plus using coppiced wood is a massive boost for the environment and revenue for the countryside.' I couldn't agree more. These groups are a great resource, and thoroughly deserve our support and encouragement. A few woodland resources Below are details of some of the groups I am aware of; I'm sure a quick search of the Internet would throw up many more. One good place to go is Allotment Forestry, which has the only directory of woodland craftsmen for England. It also shows you how to carry out various rustic projects, such as growing your own beanpoles or creating simple fencing. Another is The Dorset Coppice Group, which aims to 'raise awareness of how the age-old tradition of coppicing leads to clear conservation benefits in local woodlands.' It has a directory of makers and also runs courses. The Wessex Coppice Group has information on local products such as hazel hurdles, trellis and plant supports. It also lists relevant books and many other resources. Please do keep sending us your questions - we really love being helpful here at Period Features! The most relevant and/or interesting will be published in future editions of the newsletter. Email your queries to us at Enquire Within One Last ThingJust a reminder, for any of you who might want to come along, that I'm one of the speakers at the Wire Conference being held in Staffordshire on 9 March 2006. We also have a stand there selling our lovely products! Wire stands for Women In Rural Enterprise; it is a dynamic networking and business club which helps women to start and maintain their own business. I went to the conference last year and found it really useful, so other readers with their own businesses may also benefit from joining. Membership is only £30 a year, and I think it's well worth the money.Please don't forget that if you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to drop us a line. We'd love to hear from you! Email us at One Last Thing Kind regards, Lucie Storrs, Proprietor |  A Radio-Controlled Clock is a marvellous thing. They pick up a signal which means they're always right; they even self-adjust for British summer and wintertime. It's great to know that at least one clock in the house is telling the right time! At £75, they come in either brown or cream. Read more »  We offer a very good range of Bell Pushes, Bells and Bell Pulls, including old-fashioned mechanical systems for (hopefully) summoning your butler to bring you some tea and cucumber sandwiches. Click here to view the selection: Read more »
 This delicately scented vegetable Bubble Bath comes in four varieties: Carrot, Tomato Leaf, Cucumber or Parsley. Each 500ml bottle has a little packet of matching seeds and costs £10. Click on the link to visit our Bathroom section: Read more »  Our Wooden Scoops come in three different sizes and are made from untreated beech. They cost £2.50, £4.00 and £7.50 each; we also have many other kitchen products such as enamelware, dolly pegs and carbolic soap. Read more »
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