A Father's Day to remember

Father's Day is coming up fast this Sunday 19 June. In this weeks blog, rather than hunting on the high street to purchase that special gift for Dad, I thought I would make the suggestion of purchasing an experience.

I don’t know if you have discovered Groupon yet, but this website is packed full of ideas at discounted prices to purchase that special experience.

Click on this Groupon link to register and search for that perfect gift for dad.

 

Another great site to get a bargain experience is Lastminute.com explore their website and discover exciting, original and their downright irresistible gift experiences range. They  have something for everyone whether you're an adrenaline junkie, water-sports fanatic or like the slower pace of life! Theyalso have driving experiences, experience days as well as their exclusive 'do something' vouchers if you can't make up your mind

Live theatre, of course is a great experience, and it is a great way to treat dad - and yourself at the same time.

Not a week goes by without me and my partner visiting the West End in London to take in a show, and there are some really great shows on at the moment.

Here are my recommendations for treating Dad. I have seen recently seen all three of these shows, and anyone of them would make the perfect gift for Fathers Day.

Million Dollar Quartet

Million Dollar Quartet will take you back to 1956 to a special night when Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis came together to make music and ended up making history. Inspired by the actual event that took place on 4 December 1956 at Sun Records in Memphis, this fantastic musical features over 20 of the greatest rock ’n’ roll, gospel, R&B and country hits ever written including: “Blue Suede Shoes”, “I Walk The Line”, “Fever”, “Great Balls of Fire”, “Hound Dog”, “Folsom Prison Blues” and “Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On”

War Horse

The First World War is the backdrop for this tale of bravery, loyalty and the extraordinary bond between a young recruit and his horse. Young Albert's beloved horse, Joey, is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France at the outbreak of World War One. But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to the trenches to find him and bring him home. Treat Dad to an unforgettable journey through history with the awe-inspiring War Horse.

We will Rock You

We Will Rock You is the head-banging, toe-tapping musical based on the songs of Queen and features 31 of their greatest hits including “I Want to Break Free”, “Somebody to Love”, “Killer Queen”, “Under Pressure”, “Don't Stop Me Now”, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, “Another One Bites the Dust”, “We Are the Champions” and “Bohemian Rhapsody”.Set in a completely globalised future where everyone listens to the same music, wears the same fashions and thinks the same thoughts, rock ‘n’ roll has been effectively banned for centuries. But legend has it that somewhere instruments still exist, waiting for a hero to play them

If you don’t live in London, why not check out whats on at your local Theatre. There are some great shows out there to be seen.

The Pub

Finally, if your budget is tight, or you’ve left it too late to book anything why not take your dad to the pub and have a couple of drinks together, I guarantee your dad will love spending some quality time with you.

I hope my blog has inspired you to thinking about Fathers day.

Until the next blog then…..


Jack

Brighton - A great place to shop

Last weekend I visited Brighton, although I’ve visited Brighton on numerous occasions, I decided to have a leisurely stroll through the famous Brighton Lanes and explore the shops.

If you're looking to put a creative edge into your shopping, The Brighton Lanes offer a shopper’s paradise of independent shops and boutiques.

Brighton Lanes' historic quarter is a fabulous maze of twisting alleyways, offering an extraordinary mix of antiques and jewellery shops nestling alongside specialist contemporary and designer boutique fashion.

Crammed with quaint and wondrous shops and funky restaurants and cafes, the Brighton Lanes are best wandered lazily and explored as you find them. You'll often find buskers livening up the streets, making the Lanes a great place for the battle worn shopper to grab a coffee and soak up the history to the sounds of some live jazz.

Brighton is by far my favourite place to go shopping – as well as being well-equipped with the likes of Debenhams, BHS and M&S, there are a wealth of small, independent gift stores scattered around The Lanes and North Laine where you can find some unique, unusual and incredibly quirky gift ideas.

Here are my top five.

Pure South  Meeting House Lane, The Lanes

I absolutely adore this shop. Not only is everything in here beautifully hand-made, but this is where you’ll find the most imaginative use of recycled materials ever – from (surprisingly nice) handbags made of old car tyres and number plates, to “Africa Time” clocks made of tin cans.

Any gift you buy here will be one of a kind. I love all their little animal-themed ornaments including elephants, zebras, and giraffes made from hand-carved wood or recycled glass. They’ve also got the most adorable jewellery made from intricately bent wires threaded with little beads, with pieces starting from as little as £4.

Evolution  Bond Street, North Laine

Although, technically Evolution is a chain (with 17 stores nationwide) you’d never guess it from the feel of the place. This place epitomises Brighton with items ranging from Buddha statues to rubber ducks.

Evolution is the perfect place to find gifts as their prices are fantastic. They’ve got hand-made jewellery from as little as £2 or £3 or statues, wall plaques and cushions from about £6. They’ve also got a discount shop on Western Road, Hove, where you’ll find a mass of bargains for under a fiver such as candles, wind chimes, sun catchers and photo frames.

Purple Heart Gardner Street, North Laine and North Street

There are now two Brighton branches of this cute little independent shop chain – one on Gardner Street and one on North Street, Puple Heart's slogan is “unique gifts for unique people” which is exactly why they’re in this list. Everything in here is just a little bit quirky and utterly delightful.

I love this place because it reminds me of a kid’s playroom – a colourful, higgledy-piggledy mix of things like fancy dress bits ‘n’ bobs, cake decorating materials and delicious-smelling candles. They’ve also got a wall full of pigeon holes containing lots of tiny gifts that would be absolutely perfect for those girly gifts.

Pussy Kensington Gardens, North Laine

If your feeling a bit down, then a browse in this shop is sure to put a smile on your face. You probably won’t find anything in here that’s remotely useful (apart from their funky see-through dome umbrellas) but you’ll sure as hell find some hilarious little gifts.

Although a lot of what they sell seems to be dominated by their Moomin range of bits and bobs (great if you love the Moomins, of course) you’ll also find an array of must-have coffee table books, brilliant Modern Toss merchandise and great novelty gifts like hamburger phones, YMCA ducks and the ‘Periodic Tablecloth of Swearing’.

The Brighton Bead Shop  Sydney Street, North Laine

If you’re feeling a little more creative and fancy trying your hand at making a few of your own gifts, then visit The Brighton Bead Shop. You’ll find an enormous choice of beads made of wood, plastic, glass plus threads of leather, cotton and delicate wire – there’s enough variety to make something to suit anybody’s taste and to fit any budget.

Worried you aren’t creative enough to give it ago? No problem, the shop assistants are more than happy to help and the shop even runs beading classes every now and then which they advertise in the window. You never know, you might just discover a hidden talent as well as giving someone special a unique, personalised present.

Hope you enjoyed reading this weeks blog, and your inspired to visit Brighton in the near future to experience a unique shopping experience.

Until the next one then….

Jack