Many congratulations to the Lionesses for their Euro 2025 win!  What an incredible achievement!  It was amazing to watch the final - and they are so inspiring. 

If you know of a football fan, here are three gifts you could treat them to...

This is the England Women Squad Lionesses 2025 Poster

from Not on the High Street from £26.00.
Kick your way to find out more here

There's also this t-shirt for adults, I Play Like A Lioness for £25.00

Emma Bridgewater has this Personalised England Football 1/2 Pint Mug 
for £21.67 (plus £0.83 per letter).
What will you put on your mug gift?
Your loved one could use it for all the England matches!

and how about this England Lionesses Flag...


Get ready to support the Lionesses at every match!
£8.00 from the Calendar Club with this England Lionesses Flag.
It's 910mm high by 1520mm in width. 


And if you're passionate about football, 
take a look at the Calendar Club's Fan Club.
It specialises in official football merchandise from
top Premier League & Scottish Premiership clubs.
Kick off to find out more by clicking here.

An alternative could be a football stadium tour experience - Virgin Experience Days have a lot of them to choose from, covering a range of clubs such as Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, Burnley, and Fulham.   Take a look at them here.

Good luck for the future, Lionesses!

Emma Bridgewater produces wonderful products which add cheer when you look at them or use them!   With everything from mugs to jugs, vases and glasses, plates and bowls, there's a great range of goodies which would make lovely gifts!

There are lots of themes connected to the natural world - animals including dogs and cats, birds and bees - plus lots featuring flowers.   And there's her beautiful Oak Collection, too!

It's great to see the oak featured in Emma Bridgewater's range.  Oak trees make a wonderful sight, and they have been important trees in England.   They can grow up to 20 to 40 metres in height, and 8 metres wide, and they can live up to 1,000 years old.  So they are very majestic, beautiful trees which I always think give you a sense of history and long life.   Do have a look at this video from the Woodland Trust which is all about a year in the life of an oak tree - it only takes a minute! 

Wildlife love an oak too!  The Woodland Trust says that oaks can support over 280 different insect species!  Wow!  Small mammals and birds also think of oak trees as a source of food and shelter.

I love this Personalised Oak Cocoa Mug.
There's nothing like a warming mug of cocoa,
especially as autumn moves along towards winter! 
From £24.17 (plus £0.83 per letter)

There's a Personalised Oak 3 Pint Jug from £50.83 (it's £0.84 per letter).
You could put flowers in it for decoration, or use it for drinks.


There's an Oak Small Old Bowl
- which could be just the thing for nibbles and snacks! 
For £17.50

There's something for our furry friends, too!

You could put your dog's name on it or a dog related word! 
From £26.67 (plus £0.83 per letter).
There's also a large pet bowl, too from £31.67 (plus £0.83 per letter)

 Take a look at Emma Bridgewater's Oak Collecton here! 

Remember the story of King Charles II,
who hid in an oak tree from the Parliamentary forces
in Shropshire back in 1651?
 Read all about it here.

Did you know that it's National Marine Week from the 26th July to 10th August 2025? 

It's organised by the Wildlife Trusts around the UK and this year, the theme is all about showcasing the Secrets of our Seabeds.  

How much do you know about our marine habtitats and who lives there?  Mud,kelp beds and forests, sand and gravel, seagrass, chalk reefs and others?  This is a chance to get informed and really find out more - unlock the mysteries of the sea!

There are events all around the coasts of Britain - and don't worry if you can't get there, there's plenty happening on social media as well!

Whilst we're on the subject of marine life, please find out about the practice of bottom trawling.  The Wildlife Trusts are calling for it to be banned in seabed Marine Protected Areas, and you can help that effort and give it your support by signing the Trust's petition.  The process is extremely destructive, as it drags heavy chains across the seabed and really bulldozes marine habitats which are very fragile. It kills marine life, and it also means that carbon is released from the sea bed. Bottom trawling is just to catch one or two species of fish - but many other animals are caught up in the nets used. And to make things worse, three quarters of what’s caught is chucked away.  Please sign this petition here and give it your support! 

If you're on the hunt for a gift for a sea lover, take a look at Beach House Art, as they have lots of beautiful pictures and prints of sea life, coastat art prints, seaweed prints, shellfish and seafood, and shell art.  Bring the sea and marine life into your home!  Click on the Seahorse print to visit their website!

This is the Indigo Seaweed Print | Seaweed Art (Sea Oak)

There are some great gifts about for animal lovers and if you're looking for something diffierent to give someone who adores ducks, then take a look at Paper High!

They have a wonderful range of presents, many of which are recycled.  These include gifts for bird care and wildlife, such as recycled cotton birdhouses.  

And they've got garden ornaments and stakes, including quacking great gifts for duck lovers, just the thing for the garden to give a certain extra something to it!  Each ornament is handmade so they are all unique, but lovely! 

This is Anka, the Drinking Duck Wire Garden Ornament
for £42.95 from Paper High
Expertly hand crafted from recycled wire,
each one is unique - but they are all lovely!



Flap, flap!  This is Kriti, the small flapping duck wire garden ornament
who is available from Paper High for £26.95.

Quack, quack!  This is Janhvi, the Small Quacking Duck Wire Garden Ornament
for £26.95 from Paper High.

This is the Recycled Wire Duck Garden Stake Decoration
for £21.95 from Paper High.
The ornament is supported by two stakes at the base
to ensure it stays in place.  It's easy to move as it's got a lightweight structure.

These ducks have been made by Noah's Ark in India.  Their goal is to change the lives of grassroots artisans.  Noah's Ark works with about 49 talented producer groups and they represent about 500 artisans.  Together they work towards the eradication of poverty.  

Visit Paper High here.

I am so pleased that I’ve discovered the fabulous Beach House Art! They've got lots of gift ideas for both adding some colour to the home or at work, or somewhere where you want people to get a connection to the sea and coasts!

They have a real passion for the coast, the sea, nature and outdoor life.  And it shows in their prints and photographic gifts which are both high quality and affordable.  I think they are great fun, they are lively and full of energy and passion and vibrant in colour.  Mind you, the black and white ones are amazing, too, such as this one, the Three Surfboards on the beach Photography print. 

I love their simpleness in their designs such as this one with the lobster – so striking;  it really draws the eye.

 
I just adore the colours in this picture,
the Ethereal Coast Painting from Beach House Art.
I really get the sense of power from the sea and the natural world.

To show the depth of their passion, they’ve got prints and photos you wouldn’t normally think of having, such as red seaweed prints and watercolour seaweed paintings which really bring the sea into a room!    There’s coral art, too.

This is the Indigo Seaweed Print from Beach House Art - just beautiful!

Their beach photography shows many aspects of beach life and sea life which immediately connect you to the coast.  Some of the photos and prints pick up on different aspects of sea life, zooming in on items such as ropes and tackle, sails, a lifeguard hut, and palm trees. 

There’s sailing wall art, too, two of which have quotes such as “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor” and “We can’t direct the wind but we can adjust our sails. 

They come framed or unframed – if the latter, they come in a roll.  And there are different sizes to choose from, too.

The prints and photos also understand the connection many of us have with the sea and sealife, such as this one, with the quote, Gulls just wanna have chips.   Gulls just love to swoop in on human food and you can imagine them flying down to grab some chips. 

 
This is a fun print from Beach House Art, and it's full of colour!

There are print sets, too, of two or three pictures, making for a very striking display. 

Their prints and photo prints make for great gifts for anyone who feels a connection  the sea – it brings it into the home.   You can almost smell the salty fresh air!

Sail away to Beach House Art to take a look for yourself!