best kept secret...winterwell

....the biggest little festival!!

'mano de dios' I LOVE... & nothing to do with Diego Maradonna!

Winterwell kicks off today, in a field somewhere in the Cotsworlds... I can't tell you where, because I wont know until I arrive ! WHAT FUN even if I am there working...

This is the 3rd year of Winterwell - the 'biggest'' little' festival & it is fast becoming the most whispered-about secret in the festival calendar & the ultimate jewel in the crown...

I stumbled upon Winterwell when trying to find out where Mano de Dios were playing this summer. Cue - a vibrant upbeat mix of Spanish Rumba and Gypsy swing. INCREDIBLE!

The band spearheaded by the divine Jackson Scott formed two years with their friendship and style evolving through their shared passions for the rhythms, romantiscim & songs which make up their sound today.

More info on Mano de Dios via

More info on Winterwell via ...& the latest news is there are a few day tickets being released for tomorrow & Sunday too!

wish list...graham & green furniture

UK company Graham and Green, established in the early 1970s really does have some exquisite products.. There are 6 shops in London and a very good online store so be inspired...

Today I am focusing on some of their mother and pearl and camel bone inlay items of furniture.. Just stunning.

Raspberry and bone inlay chest of drawers - beautifully hand crafted in India. Each set of drawers takes a team of skilled craftsmen many weeks to complete. Individual pieces of mother of pearl have been skillfully carved and fixed into pink resin on a wooden frame to create an intricate floral design. 1500 uk sterling

Side table with tray - the camel bone inlay tray and side table measures 70cm (h) by 50cm (w) and 40 cm (d). The trays are 40cm by 39 cm and come in raspberry, blue or black. Table and tray costs 200 uk sterling

mirror - royal blue bone inlay 90 cm (h) by 60 cm (w) costs 188 uk sterling

Green and bone inlay chest of drawers. 2 x drawer French renaissance style with elegant curves. Measures 76 cm(h), 105 cm (w) and 50 cm (d) and costs 1495 uk sterling

Graham and Green can be contacted via the following link - www.graham&green.co.uk or by contacting their head office on + 44 208 987 3700

wish list........shepherd's huts

Who said you had to travel a long way, to get away??!

I love the idea of having a shepherd's hut as my hideaway - and it needn't be more than a few meters from my front door to give that sense of escapism.

Historically of course, the shepherd's hut offered a very different type of escapism, allowing the shepherd sanctuary from the driving rains and freezing temperatures as he tended his sheep for long periods of time. Widely used throughout England and Wales in the latter centuries the hut was a basic structure with a corrugated iron roof and windows either side to allow the shepherd to keep an eye on his flocks. It would have been simply furnished with a small stove to keep him warm.

Today the choice of decor and style of hut is all about comfort and part of the fun is deciding how you would like to put your personal touch to your new home BUT at a cost...... Sadly, they are not cheap.

For further information have a look at The Shepherd's Hut Restoration Company, Plankbridge based in Dorset the setting for Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd... or Artisan Shepherd's Hut who have some stunning ideas.

If your budget doesn't quite stretch to purchasing your own hut but, you like the idea of escaping and experiencing a couple of nights under the stars there are various places that now offer this getaway - In Devon you can stay at Sellerswood Farm, near Lyme Regis on the coast or why not try Hill Farm which is in Southam, Northants.

Images borrowed from Hill Farm, Artisan Shepherd's Huts, Cotsworld Shepherd's Hut and Plankbridge