Valentines Day is for him too, not just for her. We look into what can be done for the men in your life, from partner to friend here at PumpjackPiddlewick

When we think of Valentines Day, we generally think of roses, chocolates, getting engaged and, well… generally its about her. As a woman, I think the man gets a rather poor deal out of this. In these days of better equality and gender identity, why is this holiday still consideredContinue Reading

What is terroir? And why is it the most important thing to know about wine? We delve into this fascinating topic at PumpjackPiddlewick

I had a guest say to me yesterday I like Chablis, but I don’t like Chardonnay. It got me to thinking how this French wine is called ‘Chablis’ and not ‘Chardonnay’. You see, all the grapes growing around Chablis are Chardonnay. So technically, a Chablis is a Chardonnay. In mostContinue Reading

You can reuse coffee to make a rehydrating scrub for your skin. It's super easy, just coffee grounds and coconut oil. From PumpjackPiddlewick

This weekend I treated myself to making my luscious coffee scrub again. This time of year just begged me to bolster myself and rehydrate my skin. My skin has been feeling so dry, what with changeable weather and sudden temperature dips, so Iayers are certainly called for. It sort ofContinue Reading

Darker months engender dusting off and undertaking favourite hobbies. Here at PumpjackPiddlewick it is about using up scraps of this and that to make things. Let's delve

Looking forward to the weekend and taking the opportunity to enjoy some of my favourite hobbies. The weather can’t make up its mind. One day sunny and dare I say warm (for this time of year) another day wet and cold. But at least both are perfect for relaxing andContinue Reading

Making your own Christmas cards is fun, and a wonderful way to use up junk, scraps of paper and old ephemera. We look at how at PumpjackPiddlewick

With the advent of November, my thoughts start to turn towards Christmas. Not in a commercial sense, though yes sales are picking up in My Shop. Rather, with the changing of the clocks. The colder weather creeping in. For me, shorter days and increased darker hours gain a warmer purpose.Continue Reading