The Usual Stuff

  • These are a few of my favourite things...

    by Sarah Taylor
    It's desperately sad when one of your favourite pastimes becomes a burden. You know what I'm talking about. Things like sex. Alcohol. And laminat...

  • Keeping your cool

    by Sarah Taylor
    Like most of us at the moment, I'm struggling to sleep. So, this morning as I wander into the bathroom in a state of rampant insomnia and hideous...

  • Fancy (another) good time

    by Sarah Taylor
    One of the joys of eavesdropping is that on occasion a sparkling gem of a comment is overheard. In this instance it was: "I'm always a whore fo...

  • Fancy a good time?

    by Sarah Taylor
    Chatting in the shop with Jan R. who was commenting on the lack of Calor gas locally. Robin pipes up with "Have you tried H. E. Phillips?" "No" ...

  • Optimism

    by Sarah Taylor
    Had an unusual visitor in the garden today. After a bit of sleuthing, we discovered it was a Brambling. Are they common? I've never seen one...

  • Thar she blows!

    by Sarah Taylor
    Tissues. And all associated problems. As we are creeping ever closer to hay fever weather and serious nasal manipulation, I would like to dis...

  • The customer is always right? Not likely!

    by Sarah Taylor
    Working in retail requires a certain level of diplomacy, as you are confronted on a daily basis with views and opinions that often differ widely ...

  • Smooth Criminal

    by Sarah Taylor
    After procrastinating for approximately 10 years, I finally decided to shred some of our (very) old files. It's a noisy business, frustratin...

  • Arts for Parts

    by Sarah Taylor
    When ordering Unison Pastels, there's no such thing as a top up. I do tend to go a little mad, and I'm making room in the chest for the Natural E...

  • Eat your greens

    by Sarah Taylor
    Robin: "I've made you a salad for lunch." Sarah: "Oh, thank you!" Robin: "I've put ham and cheese in it." Sarah. "Lovely." Robin: "And sprouts." S...

  • Pigeon Post

    by Sarah Taylor
    Realising that sprinkling coffee grounds round your plants is not a good idea when pigeons associate your presence in the garden with bird food. ...

  • Waste not want not

    by Sarah Taylor
    As art supplies can be a bit on the pricey side (professional oil in Cerulean Blue anyone?) we encourage our customers to use every last drop. Wit...