Not on the High Street

We are very proud to have been asked to sell on NOTHS, they claim that 90% of all applicants are rejected so we are chuffed big style!

Here is a picture of our storefront, we hope you like it. Click on the picture to go to the page.

You can still shop on our own website too http://www.workingwithnature.co.uk 

We are very lucky to be part of a wonderful Christmas gift showcase featured alongside some gorgeous bears, jewellery, fibre arts, toys, candles, cards and much, much more!
Please take a look and consider buying from a small producer this Christmas many of whom are keeping families afloat in these hard times. To visit the showcase go here http://www.shhim.co.uk/

I love to get handmade gifts, they demonstrate more care in the making and more effort with the choosing...they are special and make me feel special too xxx

http://www.workingwithnature.co.uk

New Soap for Craft Fair

We will be displaying our wares at the Allendale Forge Christmas Fair 12/13th November, we have made some very special soaps to celebrate!

All natural colours and fragrances

Made with 50% olive oil and lashings of shea butter

Please pop in and say hello, it's open 10-4 xxx

I have now listed them in my NOTHS shop http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/bellinghamsoapcompany

Soapmaking Gallery

I have added a gallery of how we make our soap to our NEW website

http://www.workingwithnature.co.uk/gallery.html

I'm watching you.....Moo!

I dashed out today while it was dry to take some product shots for an upcoming magazine article, I thought it wise to include one of my best sellers, the very yummy Rose Madder handmade soap, I'm happy to say it has been a customer favourite for years.

I remember when I first made it, I had been experimenting with madder root for about a year previously, tweaking and honing the recipe until I got it just right...I made the final "ready to sell" batch on the 3rd of November 2007.

It was batch number 2345, I'm onto 2699 now, I make 62 bars in a batch...I'll let you do the maths!

It is a legal requirement for soapmakers to keep meticulous written records which have to include a batch number, the date of manufacture, method (if differing from the norm) and every ingredient used, we must keep them on file for a minimum of 7 years, I have mine back to the very first recipe I ever concocted in 1997...Trading standards come round every year to check my documentation and test my scales...if you break the rules it's not just the cows that are watching!

http://www.workingwithnature.co.uk

Amazing Deal on Guest Soaps

Our natural handmade guest soaps are fragranced with pure essential oils and cost £6.00 for a 500g bag containing 25-30 soaps depending on the bar weight, this is roughly 20p each, but now you can get them even cheaper....

If you buy 3 bags I will send you out a fourth bag absolutely FREE while stocks last!

I always send out a good selection of fragrances.

The soaps are unwrapped and packaged in a recycled paper bag. They will be despatched Royal Mail parcel post, this will take around 5-7 days, the package will need to be signed for so please make sure that someone is in, if you miss the postie you will probably have to collect it from the PO.

To buy follow this link

http://www.workingwithnature.co.uk/ourshop/prod_1473191-30-Guest-Soaps-500g.html

Our new site http://www.workingwithnature.co.uk/ please bookmark

This offer has now ended due to low stocks, keep checking as I will probably put it back on as soon as stock levels return to normal

Sidmouth Folk Week

Derek and I have just come back from a week by the seaside with friends, we went to Sidmouth, a gorgeous regency seaside town in Devon where Jane Austen wrote Sense and Sensibility, you will be pleased to know that I resisted the urge to run round shouting Willoughby!
We went there for Folk Week...a first for me, Derek has been going since he was a sprog! I have to tell you I loved every minute of it and can't wait to go back.

Sidmouth Folk Week is held in church halls, pubs, clubs, hotels and marquees all over the town, fantastic music is to heard wherever you walk, lots of the events are free.

We sat in the Anchor Garden most lunchtimes to listen to the ceilidh band and occasionally take to the floor...the weather was pretty hot so we didn't dance as much as we intended! After the dancing there was usually a couple of acts on, among them were Lady Maisery, the Young Uns and Kate Rowe who sang a very funny song about space rabbits!

We very much enjoyed Blackbeards Tea Party, a few eyebrows were raised by the heavy metal sound check but were lowered again when they got started...they were pretty loud but great fun!

In the afternoons we went for a cream tea on the esplanade, or popped into a pub session followed by a stroll around the town to see who was performing.

Derek enjoying his scone!

Sea shanty in the Old Swan

Earlsdon Morris

Newcastle Kingsmen 

We came across some Mummers who were bawdy and very funny, they updated the traditional story with a tale about Dracula but kept all the important elements!

We took part in the "Big Spooky thing" with the Spooky Man's Chorale, we started off in the Ham marquee learning an amusing four part song called "Let me through" then we paraded through the town singing, ending up on the beach where some of the spookies ran into the sea to invade France!

The Spookies also did a suprise gig in the Blackmore gardens, this is them singing "Boogie Wonderland" which they followed with an old Swedish folk song called Dancing Queen!!

In the evenings we went to a local pub session or up to the Bulverton Marquee, just some of acts we saw were ....A Moveable Feast, Eliza Carthy and her Motown Ceilidh Band, Morris On, Little Johnny England and The Peace Artists but the highlight of the week for me was Nidi D'Arac a group of rather  amazingly talented people from Puglia in Southern Italy performing an updated version of Taranta, I danced myself silly and then bought the CD!

I must just mention O'Hooley & Tidow who were splendid, we went to see them in the Bedford one afternoon, they only sang 5 songs as they were sharing the slot with two other acts which was a shame as we could have listened to them all afternoon, we will be looking out for gigs in our area.

Thank you Sidmouth for a fabulous week...we will be back!

Gorgeous NEW Handmade soaps

I blogged a few days ago about our NEW Ginger & Limeflower Handmade Soap (which is fabby) but now I want to tell you about our second new release of the week...

Introducing Lemonbalm & Lime Handmade Soap. A seriously refreshing soap with lemongrass & Lime essential oils. It is flecked with organic Lemonbalm herb which has been in use since the 17th century as a remedy for troubled skin, it is reputed to be fantastic for mature skin due to its anti oxidant properties.

All of our soaps are made from scratch using olive, sustainable palm, coconut and a dash of castor bean for fluffier bubbles!

Ingredients: sustainable palm oil (elaeis guineensis) water (aqua) olive oil (olea europea) coconut oil (cocos nucifera) lye (sodium hydroxide) parfum: essential oils (contains the active ingredients citral, eugenol, geraniol, citranellol, limonene & linalool) castor oil (ricinus communis) organic lemonbalm herb (Melissa officinalis) 100g

You can buy both soaps here at a special introductory  price of £4.00 each, that's 50p per bar OFF the normal price!

http://www.workingwithnature.co.uk/ourshop/cat_429978-Handmade-Natural-Soap.html

http://www.workingwithnature.co.uk/

SALE 25% Off Natural Luxury Moisturisers

To tempt you into our NEW website we are having a little 25% OFF SALE on natural skincare.

They are made with pure plant oils (some organic) and are PARABEN FREE.

While stocks last.

http://www.workingwithnature.co.uk/ourshop/cat_429979-Natural-Luxury-Skincare.html

Rose Geranium. A creamy, yummy  moisturiser with Geranium and Palmarosa Essential Oils, made from pure plant oils, vegetable emulsifiers and a more natural preservative. It is enriched with fairly traded Ghanaian Shea Butter from a trusted source...the perfect choice for sensitive skin.

Lavender & Sandalwood. A wonderfully rich easily absorbed emollient cream carefully made from spring water, sweet almond, thistle and argan oils, glycerin, vitamin E, enriched with pure essential oils. Contains vegetable emulsifiers and a more natural preservative.

Frankincense. A fantastic rich non greasy cream carefully made from spring water, sweet almond, thistle and argan oils, glycerin, vitamin E, enriched with pure essential oils. Full of fantastic Frankincense which is believed to have an anti ageing effect on the skin. Contains vegetable emulsifiers and a more natural preservative

Foot Heaven. A super rich emollient cream especially for your tootsies, with added peppermint and tea tree it is cooling, soothing and antibacterial, made from spring water, sweet almond, thistle and argan oils, glycerin, vitamin E, enriched with pure essential oils. Contains vegetable emulsifiers and a more natural preservative.

http://www.workingwithnature.co.uk

What Susan Ma should have said last night on "The Apprentice"!

Susan Ma did a really bad job of explaining how an ordinary person can set up a business making skincare, its no wonder the interviewer was sceptical about just how safe it all is. I think for the sake of public reassurance she should have explained cosmetic testing better on last nights "The Apprentice".

It's true that anyone can set up in the kitchen to make soaps, scrubs and creams for fun, there are plenty of recipes on the internet and ingredients are widely available, but once you decide to sell then you must contact Trading Standards who will send an officer round to explain not only the regulations governing cosmetic products but weights, measures and the legality of packaging.

"All cosmetic products supplied in the UK, whether for consumer or professional use, must comply with the Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 2008 (as amended).
The Regulations require that finished cosmetic products must undergo a safety assessment by a suitably qualified person before they can be placed on the market"

I won't bore you with chapter and verse, if you want to read further go here

After talking to TS you need to find a suitable qualified cosmetic chemist who will test your products for safety and make sure the ingredients you wish to use are not on any banned list or injurious to health!

You must then create a product information file or "PIF" for every product containing the recipe, method and MSDS for all ingredients and have it ready for inspection at all times!

You cannot even give a product away to a friend without having your products assesed for safety!

Just as important IMHO is experience, soap is made from caustic soda which must be accurately weighed out to the gram on professional scales for absolute accuracy or it's possible to burn the skin!

Creams and lotions if not properly preserved can cause topical infections that can be very hard to get rid of and could cause scarring!

I like Susan started off at a market without knowing the regulations...but my lovely TS man came to see me very soon after to put me right...and he's been keeping an eye on me once a year, every year since 1999!

http://www.workingwithnature.co.uk

NEW Soap - Ginger & Limeflower

This wonderful sweet and spicy unisex soap is scented with Ginger essential oil and sprinkled throughout with organic Limeflowers.

The benefits of Ginger essential oil are many but in skincare it is known for helping to disperse bruises, soothe muscle aches and stimulate poor circulation, perfect for after the gym!

Lime flowers have traditionally been used to brighten the complexion and to fade brown spots.

Everyone who has had a little sniff has gone "OOOH that's nice"!

Fabulous Fizz Bath to match coming very soon!

http://www.workingwithnature.co.uk/ourshop/prod_1497848-Ginger-amp-Limeflower-Handmade-Natural-Soap.html
http://www.workingwithnature.co.uk

Clever Kitten

Crookshanks has found a way to get our attention when he wants to be in...he runs up the outside of the door and hangs onto the window frame...clever kitty!

I'm sorry the picture is a bit blurry, he's only 11 weeks old so he can't hang on for long, I had to be quick and snap him before he fell off!

Trade Fairs

We have decided to give trade fairs a rest for a while, the reasons behind this are simple, to get noticed we have to have a reasonably big stand which costs on average around £3000 +VAT, to fill this we need to hire a van which costs about £400 + fuel and we have to book a hotel for 5 nights...add to that food and drink plus a week’s lost production and you are looking at very little change out of £7000, smaller companies like ours are now finding this uneconomic. 

Recently we have noticed a very worrying trend, more and more buyers have been going for mass produced brands that manufacture abroad and can therefore sell for peanuts rather than take a chance on smaller companies and some buyers who have placed orders at the show have disappeared when it comes time to pay! 

We have also seen that customer loyalty has changed as shops struggle to stay competitive and are always looking for a reason to advertise NEW brands to tempt in customers so repeat orders are not forthcoming which makes shows even more uneconomic, some of course find that our products sell very well and stay with us but it would seem that they are not the outlets we find at shows! 

The standard of goods at shows has changed, lot's of cheap imports dressed up in premium style packaging mimicking handmade are on display making us look expensive when in fact we are a better bet as we produce quality products with greater perceived value that are individual and not to be found in every department store across the country...but the current economy has dictated that price is everything and we can't sell our genuine products for tuppence ha'penny!

Despite what the organisers say we are quite sure that the buyer numbers are reduced.

EMAP are making big changes to the Spring Fair for 2012, "Design Led Gifts, Hall 4" that we fought so hard to get into has been abolished and been replaced with "Greetings & Stationary", the Hall 4 regulars are being redistributed throughout the rest of the show, I was offered a stand where Halls 6/20 meet which in my opinion is the arse end of nowhere, It's quite complicated to find as it's in a separate building connected by the skywalk...up the escalator, over the top, then big walk or scuttle along a cold marquee style tunnel at the back of the halls. In the past we have asked the buyers which halls do you visit and a goodly percentage said that they rarely made it to top halls...EMAP tell me this in nonsense! Peoples habits are hard to change, buyers will still get off the shuttle bus at the first entrance they see which is the main entrance and will naturally look round the first group of halls (1-5) so by the time they have worked their way up to the top of the site it's hours or maybe a day later, they are footsore, jaded and spent up. Mebbe I'm wrong but I heard that quite a few exhibitors were complaining of low footfall in the halls through the tunnels and over the skywalk at the last show. I think I will certainly see how it goes before I even consider going back...let EMAP experiment on someone elses money.

Linky to Spring Fair site map here http://www.springfair.com/spring11/website/default.aspx?refer=218

We are on Twitter and Facebook we find we get more trade customers via them than we did at the fairs, our website also brings in a lot of trade customers too...so we have asked ourselves why bother?

I'm not just whining because I didn't get any orders...I did!  I covered my costs with a little bit to spare but that's not reason enough to justify going back! We may of course change our minds in the future...but for now we will be staying put!

http://www.workingwithnature.co.uk

New Website

We have a new website with better features which allows us to use NOCHEX and Google checkout as well as PayPal, hopefully the cart will be more stable than the last one which left a lot to be desired, we are leaving the old one up for a while but we hope you will use http://www.workingwithnature.co.uk from now on, in time we will redirect the old to the new...we hope you like it.

Summer on the Roman Wall

Summer has eventually arrived up here on Limestone Corner, our neighbour is busy making hay and the tourists are out in force!
I thought you might like to see some pictures.

You can find out lot's more about us if you go to http//www.workingwithnature.co.uk

B&B Guest Soaps.

I have listed some guest soaps in bags of 30 (500g) on my website, I have a long strip of soap left over on the side of my big slabs when I cut the logs, I run this through the cutter and it gives me about 6 15-20g guest soaps per batch. I've been saving them up so I can offer a good selection of fragrances...and here they are.
They are £6 for 30 soaps...that's 20p each for pure natural handmade soap, if I had to make and cut them bespoke they would be at least 60p each.

Supplied in a brown paper bag, I don't have very many so get in while stocks last.
http://www.workingwithnature.co.uk/ourshop/prod_1473191-30-Guest-Soaps-500g.html

All the best,
A x.

Kittens need a home!

We have two grey kittens that need a home, they are already litter trained...please spread the word in the North East or Cumbria, they should be ready to go about 15th June, we can deliver...would prefer a rural home as they aren't used to traffic or noise.

Please email allysonx@hotmail.com

Take care,
Ax.

My Mystery Family!

A lot of my family were on the stage in variety theatre back in the 20's and 30's, I have quite a collection of old pictures but not a lot of information to go along with them. I've done the usual google search to see if there's any info out there at all but as they were only acts and not stars there's not much to find.

Can anyone help me with names, are any of these your family too?

1. Sunderland Empire, the cast of a "Frank E Franks" review from 1930.

I can see the comedian Jimmy James (2nd row, 6th from right) and I think my grandad John Heads is 2nd row, 8th from right. My mum tells me that my Nana Jessie Cawley is seated 3rd from left but I'm not convinced that's her, I wonder who the others are?

2. Bessie Gordons Four Ideals

The name of the act is pencilled on the back, again my mum tells me that my Nana Jessie and her sister Edie are on this pic but she keeps changing her minds as to which one is which...and who was Bessie Gordon?

3. Group promotional shot, for what????

I know that my Great Uncle Jimmy Howells (Edie's husband) is seated on the left with Frank E Franks behind him and Jimmy James is on the right but who are the other two and were they all an act at some point? I know that both Jimmies who were uncle and nephew and were originally in an act together in 1918 called "Two Jeyes" because I have a bill poster from 1918 for the Grand Theatre, Stockton and a very faded promo picture.

4. Were they all related to Frank E. Franks?

Here is Franks wedding picture from 1920, Jimmy James is standing to the left.

4. My great Uncle Jimmy was also a comedian in his own right, firstly as "Kennil Worth" then as Jimmy Worth, I know he worked fairly consistantly all over the UK and Ireland but never achieved the fame of his nephew or Frank. I remember him as a very nice funny man.

Jimmy James drew this cartoon of him in 1927.

This is a hand coloured glass slide that was posted onto the next theatre on the tour.

His calling card.

For a while my Auntie Edie (his wife) was in a double act with him, her stage name was Edith Dean but nothing survives of that partnership,  have you ever seen them mentioned, do you have an old poster or programme?

5. Eunice
This is my mums half sister Eunice, John Heads daughter by his frst wife, she was a singer and a dancer. A family rumour has it that for a short time she was a Betty for "Wilson, Kepple and Betty" I know there were a few Betties but I can't find any reference to her. I would love to know if it true.
I also know that she had a bit part in a film.

6. I would also love to find out some information about my grandad John Heads who was on the boards when he came back from the great war, he'd been in the 9th Lancers which may have accounted for his stage name but not for the fact that he was "Trooper Heads - Female impersonator"!

Lastly I must show you this picture that has no connection to my family at all as far as I know...I just like it. It's James and Jennie known as The Mays...I wonder what the act was!

Please forward this onto anyone you think might be able to help.

Have a lovely day,
A x