Tag: Bowes Museum Christmas Market

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New postal service option

Well, Royal Mail workers are striking again and although we prefer to use their services as they are affordable and reliable, we have decided to add UPS to our shipping options. We know at this time of year you want your items to arrive in a timely manner and sadly feel that Royal Mail currently can’t offer as reliable a delivery service as normal.

If you would like to buy from us, and can’t visit our stall at Bowes Museum, then please consider choosing UPS as we feel you are more likely to receive your parcels in time with them at the moment – although we can only guarantee a speedy despatch as once we hand the parcel to them it is out of our control.

We have a fantastic sale starting soon with 20% off across our range, so there is still time to buy that Christmas decoration you really wanted.

Cari

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Can’t quite believe it

My weeks seem to consist of work, study, family, dog and Christmas fairs at the moment.    Amidst the dashing from one thing to the next, I am always reminding myself to be grateful for being busy, however challenging that can be at times!

As I’m planning  my Friday, with a van to collect for the weekend and cars to load with stock etc around my work commitments and dog mum duties, I realise that I’ve only got one more weekend of events before Christmas.  The season that I spend most of the year planning and prepping for is almost over.  It always flies past, but this year it seems quicker.  Maybe because I’m getting older….

The main reason I created this business was to indulge my love of all things Christmas.  It’s been running for many years now, and each and every sale still brings joy to my heart.  I agonise over what stock to select, hoping that you love it as much as I do, not always getting it right (yes we still have some stock from the early days!) and in the early years I even made some of the decorations myself.  I hope to be able to go back to that, possibly once the business is making enough to allow me to partially retire?

The company has grown as my kids have grown, albeit not as quickly, and I still love running it so much.  There’s something magical about Christmas and I hope the decorations we stock help spread that magic a little more.  Perhaps we will get to meet you over our last few events for 2022 and help bring the magic to your home?

Cari xx

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Searching for Christmas Markets.

The countdown to our busiest retailing period is on.  Christmas stock should be arriving in a few weeks, at which point it will be available to buy online (once I’ve checked through everything!)

If you didn’t know, Royal Mail have announced a series of strike days which of course would affect our deliveries, so we’ve been arranging alternative courier services at no extra cost to you lovely Christmas fans.  Of course if you still prefer to shop in person you can buy from our stall at events throughout County Durham, Teesside and North Yorkshire.

Sadly Redworth Hall Hotel Christmas Fair isn’t on this year, but we will be at Gisborough Hall Hotel.  There are other events we’ve enquired about which we’re still waiting to hear back from, but the diary is looking quite sparse this year.  If you know of any large Christmas markets please do let us know.

Less than 100 days to go until the big day!

Cari xx

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It’s always a tricky one – our last Christmas markets of 2021

I really love Christmas markets.  There’s something magical for young and old, especially at the best ones.  Even as a stall holder you can feel the excitement, that tingle down your spine in anticipation.

Bowes Museum has long been towards the top of our list for ‘must attend’.  I remember one year it was so cold the fountain froze over enough for the more daring visitors to stand on.  That was tough.  The cold seeps in no matter how many layers you wear, and obviously the more layers, the longer it takes when you need to ‘pay a visit’.

I’ll leave that one there.

Bowes Museum Christmas market is over three days.  This causes problems at Our Grotto as I’m usually at work, unable to take the day off.  I try to persuade the Head Elf to go instead, with varying degrees of success.

We were facing the same dilemma this year. Friday would be my last day of work before Christmas.  Head Elf was all set to go, taking the teenage Elves along for assistance.

Then our plans changed.

Work was having to shut a week early, which was really disappointing as the last week before Christmas break is the best – filled with class parties and Christmas Dinner.

The one silver lining is that I can now go to Bowes on Friday – YAY!

I’m so excited to be there all three days this year.  I think we might have to have a special offer or two to celebrate.

Cari