Monthly Archives: February 2015

There is a lot of nonsense written about the benefits of decanting or serving in the original bottle, especially when there is a prestigious name to waft in front of your guests. But really it’s a done deal for some wines the only answer is to decant and put your precious liquid into a handsome decanter like the one in the Sapphire Range.

Flower of Scotland

The Scottish Thistle is easily the oldest 'National Flower' and is probably one of the most famous, and most easily recognized symbols of Scotland and all things Scottish. It has been the symbol of the brave folk north of the border since around about the 13^th century when Norway ruled part of the country. One legend has it that Norse king, Haakon, invaded Largs one of...

Where Does Downton Abbey Meet Mad Men? Why Fine Crystal is Fashionable Now.

These hit TV series are watched with fascination all round the world for their fabulous acting and wonderful period settings. The roaring twenties for Downton Abbey and the swinging sixties for ad based drama Mad Men. Superficially they are chalk and cheese, but together they have re-popularised fine cut crystal glassware...

Agnes Broun who was Burn’s mother had hard life up to the time she met Burn’s father William and despite a natural wit and a pious manner and learning all her psalms she never learned to write her name. Burns’ sister said she:  “was rather under the average height; inclined to plumpness, but neat, shapely, and full of energy; having a beautiful pink-and-white complexion, a fine square forehead, pale...

Winston Churchill, “Winnie” to the wartime peoples of Britain is one of the most outstanding figures of world history. As London Mayor Boris Johnson puts it in his book about Winnie; Winston Churchill How One Man Made History : “What he had was stamina, sheer mental grunt – as Jeremy Clarkson might put it , ‘Here comes Winston Churchill with his hundred horsepower mind’ said someone before...

Summer Dragons, or Dragonflies?

If you are waiting for the return of the US blockbuster Game of Thrones to our screens in spring you will be well up on dragons and the struggles of Daenerys Targaryen, beautifully played by Emilia Clarke, to regain her birthright. It isn’t for everyone, but whatever your feelings about the series it is visually stunning and best of all filmed largely in Scotland...

Animals at War Exclusive

When Jilly Cooper wrote her book Animals in War she struck a nerve with animal lovers everywhere and started the ball rolling with a campaign that allowed one and a half million pounds to be raised by donation and thus build a memorial to the animals that served and suffered in war.  It now stands proudly on London’s Park Lane. In the Great War, aka World War I, eight...

Prince George Has a Wombat , Now is  Your Chance to Join Him with a Right Royal Present

Prince George and his mum Kate, it isn’t easy to call her Catherine Duchess of Cambridge – such a mouthful, are proud owners of a Wombat. The Windsors were on a royal visit Down Under when they were presented with a marsupial toy, which is now no doubt amongst George’s favourite things.  The toy was most appropriate...

Fantastic Little Fox- a Cub for Our Vixen

It has turned into a bit of a theme this year as we add parents to children, with our Aurora mother to Snowflake  and the other way around when we add kids to mothers with a Fox Cub to our Mother Fox. Well we couldn’t get George Clooney, who voiced Mr. F.F. "Foxy" Fox for the Hollywood movie, but we could get a fox cub for our fantastic Mother Fox...

Pick up Our Penguin and Light Up Your Life with Aurora

Scott of the Antarctic’s expedition to the wilds of the frozen continent in 1910-13 was the first to include detailed observations on the Adélie penguin by scientist George Murray Levick. But Levick was appalled by the scamps and wrote up his observations in Greek, lest they offend non-scientist types. However, penguins have cleaned up their image...