FLASH SALE at The Times and The Sunday Times (UK Only) 

Like to keep up to date with what’s happening?  Well, The Times and The Sunday Times are always full of interesting articles and news, ideas and comment, so a subscription could be a great gift idea!

The paper covering a very wide range of topics from politics to sport, home and garden to fashion and travel to luxury.  

The Comments make for fascinating reading – what do The Times writers and commentators make of news and all the goings-on?  What do  Times readers think in their letters?   Do you agree, or are you tut-tutting and shaking your head with every sentence? 

Get all the news on The World from Africa to Latin America, Australasia to Europe – as you know, there’s so much happening in this world, and it’s good to be able to find out more about it all and be informed. 

Give your brain a workout with brain teasers, too, such as puzzles, crosswords, Cryptics, and Sudoku.  Get ideas for travel breaks, long or short, and ways to improve your home and garden. 

There’s plenty on business and money, bringing you up to date, plus financial tips and thoughts, and in the section on the UK, read about politics, law, healthcare, education, crime, the Royal family and science.  Of course there’s lots on the Environment, too, with the paper’s Clean It Up campaign to address the country’s polluted waterways.

Life & Style covers home and property, fashion, beauty, sex and relationships, food and drink, parenting and driving – a great way to pick up ideas and suggestions of things to try. 

If you’re a sport lover, The Times writers have plenty to say, with interviews and analysis.  And the Culture section has reviews for books, musicals, theatre, and films, art, opera and TV and radio. 

The obituaries can be really inspirational, morbid as that may sound.  Read them and you may find yourself going back down memory lane to a different world and you think, I remember that!

So if you’re thinking of taking out a subscription for yourself or a loved one, this would be a great opportunity to make the most of the sale and subscribe.

FLASH SALE (UK only)!

From Thursday 3rd April 2025 at 9:30 through to Wednesday 9th April 2025 at 5pm, there's a great Flash sale (UK only) on digital subscriptions to The Times and The Sunday Times!  It’s incredible value with only £1 for 3 months on Basic and Digital Subscriptions!  

The Digital Subscription gives you unlimited access across all devices and you are billed £1 for your first 3 months and £26 per month thereafter.

• Unlimited smartphone, web and tablet access
• Best of Times newsletter
• Comment on articles
• Save and share articles
• Exclusive subscriber rewards with Times+

There’s also the Basic Subscription (you’re billed £1 for your first 3 months and it’s £15 per month thereafter).  The Basic Subscription just includes the Best of Times newsletter and smartphone-only access.

Immerse yourself in The Times and The Sunday Times, as you devour their informative articles and columns, full of thought and news.  With everything that's going on in the world, there's never been a better time to subscribe!

So don't miss out - this sale only lasts until Wednesday, 9th April 2025 at 5pm (for the UK only) – so not long to subscribe!

Subscribe today!

Gift experience company Into the Blue have lots of experiences to choose from!   

The company began by selling flying experiences out of Biggin Hill in Kent, and they've been making memories since 1996.   Founder and Managing Director Jim Maitland went to Biggin Hill as a child with his father, who opened up Biggin Hill as a civilian airfield back in 1958.  Jim spent many happy hours there and joined his father to help him run the Biggin Hill Air Fair.  Realising lots of people who were at the shows would love to have a go themselves, he worked with his contacts and so Into the Blue was born!   Needless to say, they have lots of flying experiences - including flight simulators - and also adventure, creative, water, sports, food and drink, breaks, days out and at home experiences.  So there's lots to choose from!

What's more, they've got a special offer for you!

Enjoy 15% off*
The code below is valid on experiences
up to £250.00.
Some products are excluded.

ITB15FORME

How about a Flight Simulator Experience - perhaps a Vulcan Bomber?
Take a look at the Flight Simulator Experiences here.

How about a Champagne & Sparkling wine experience?  Choose between a 
Champagne & Wine Tasting Evening or a Champagne & Fizz with Lunch from £49.00

There are Chocolate Making Experiences too! 
Perfect for anyone who loves chocolate!

There are Garden Workshops and Floristry Courses,
including The Raymond Blanc Gardening School: The Edible Garden
where you can view the beautiful gardens and orchards at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Oxfordshire.

The Animal Experiences include a Sheepdog Experience in Yorkshire - 
just imagine a day with border collies, as you learn how to handle and train them
and shepherd a small flock of sheep! 

There are lots of Gourmet Gifts and Subscriptions as well, 
just the thing for lovers of gin, rum, wine, spices, brownies, sweets,
charcuterie, and cocktails.  


They've got lots of Afternoon Tea options, too,
including Afternoon Tea for Two at Fishmore Hall in Shropshire.
View the Afternoon Tea products here and tuck in!

Subscription and membership gifts include one for knitters.
See the subscription and membership gifts here.

Use ITB15FORME for 15% off* experiences up to £250.00.

(*Some products are excluded from this offer.)

Head over to Into the Blue 

If you're looking for something for people who love chocolate and who love to try something that's a bit different, you could take a look at the Chocolate Trading Company.

OK, so this isn't a gift membership - but this could be just the thing for a chocoholic!

The Chocolate Trading Company specialises in chocolates from all over the world, so they offer chocolate lovers a great chance to try chocolates such as Zotter, Bonnat, Chocolat Madagascar, Valrhona, Pralus, Amedei, Booja Booja, Callebaut, Chocolarder, Charbonnel et Walker, and the Chocolate Tree.

They've got chocolate boxes, chocolate bars, chocolate gift hampers, novelty chocolates and even the chance to create your own gift hamper.

 

The Chocolate Trading Company has some wonderful chocolate gifts
for chocolate lovers!

Indulge in a special chocolatey offer!

And great news!  They've got a special offer for you - 10% off Chocolate Trading Company items in March 2025 with the code

CHOCO10Q125

What's more, this offer includes chocolate gift hampers!  Chocolate and champagne (what a combination!), chocolate and prosecco (wonderful!), or you could choose chocolates and red wine, chocolates and white wine,  and some of the hampers have dark chocolate, or white chocolate or milk chocolate - there's plenty to choose from!

Visit the Chocolate Trading Co here.

Please note that you need to keep chocolate goodies away from dogs - please don't put chocolate decorations where they can reach them (or have a good go at reaching them).  If you want to get your dog chocolate goodies, get chocolate made for dogs, not people.  You could look at Lily's Kitchen or Viovet who have Forthglade Christmas Turkey & Cranberry Natural Soft Bites Dog Treats.

If you’re looking for a gift that’s connected with beautiful flowers and gardens and the natural world, how about a gift membership to the RHS?

The RHS (the Royal Horticultural Society) is the UK’s oldest gardening charity.  Founded back in 1804, it aims to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.

It does this by a number of campaigns and ways to get involved, such as Britain in Bloom, Wild About Gardens,   National Gardening Week,  and a Campaign for School Gardening, so it really does try to include as many people as possible into the love of gardening and spread the love for it!

As the RHS says,

"Plants and gardens help us to connect socially, feel good physically and mentally, and are good for the health of wildlife and our planet.....

Our vision is a world where gardening is embraced as a way of life – a source of joy and fulfilment, building healthier lives, stronger communities, and thriving environments. To achieve this, our mission is to be there for everyone on their lifelong adventure with gardening."

Their strategy leading up to 2030 is a A lifelong adventure with gardening and the six priorities are:

1. Champion the essential role of gardening
2. Opening up gardening for anyone, anywhere
3. Grow our story to share the joy of gardening
4. Deliver science solutions for people, gardens and nature
5. Build horticulture for the future
6. Unlock our potential

To do this, they’re putting more emphasis on activities across these priorities to:

• Be more urban
• Involve more young people
• Support more beginners
• Garden more sustainably
• Go more digital (hence the new RHS app) 

You never stop learning as a gardener, from the time you start.  My auntie Joan was a very keen gardener, and on my last visit with her in her care home, we did some gardening together on a plant she had.  A fond memory indeed!   She always had tips, and her favourite saying was “if you put enough plants in your garden, there won’t be room for any weeds”.  She spent many happy hours in her garden, tending to her flowers - she even  used to shake the raindrops off her roses after a downpour! 

Visit the Paradise Gardens at RHS Bridgewater

One of the lovely things about the RHS is that you can meet like minded people at events such as these flower shows, visiting gardens and attending courses and workshops.  Of course the RHS is probably most famous for its flower shows, especially Hampton Court and Chelsea.   I took my parents to the Hampton Court Palace Flower Festival and we had the most fantastic day out.  (I booked a table for them for lunch, so that they could have a good rest half way round.)   And RHS members get reduced ticket prices! 

At Hampton Court Palace Flower Festival, it was wonderful to meet garden lovers and share stories of successes – and failed attempts to grow things! – and to share our love of beautiful places and things.   There were lots of people on hand to talk to and get advice from.   I call my garden, “Garden Surprise” because it’s amazing what pops up in places where I didn’t know I’d planted things e.g. potatoes and wild geraniums. 

There's a new flower show, the RHS Flower Show Wentworth Woodhouse, South Yorkshire,
from the 16th to 20th July 2025


Find out all about it here.

The five RHS Gardens (Harlow Carr, Rosemoor, Wisley, Bridgewater and Hyde Hall) and their partner gardens (230 of them according to the RHS website) are a wonderful showcase of what can be done – over 3 million people visit these gardens every year. 

The winter seems to have been going on and on, so it's nice to think about what you're going to do in your garden, balcony, patio or houseplants this year.  Whatever size you've got, outdoors or inside, the RHS has LOTS of advice and helpful information on its website.   They’ve got information on Grow Your Own, Wildlife Gardening,  House Plants – and a useful section on Inspiration which helps you plan your garden.   They’ve even got a section on planting trees for loved ones you lost during the pandemic, ways to grow a low-carbon garden, how to help birds in your garden and “What can I grow in a shady spot?”

Did you know that they have a wide range of courses and workshops?  You can learn a new skill, or improve an existing one and really develop a new passion for gardens and flowers, shrubs and trees!  Some of the courses and workshops are for children and families, which is really good because they are the gardeners of the future, so it’s great to get them involved.  Kids love getting their hands dirty and the nice thing about gardening is that they can see the results of their efforts – and even eat some of them!  But there’s plenty for adults too!  They’ve also got information on careers in horticulture.  

And, by the way - the RHS has green alternatives to red roses for Valentine's Day!  Take a look here.

So what does an RHS Gift Membership give the lucky recipient?

• There’s unlimited entry to the five RHS Gardens for the member and a fahttps://www.rhs.org.uk/joinmily guest or 2 children (4 children for joint membership)
• Free entry to over 230 Partner Gardens for the member (or the main member in a joint membership)
• Reduced rate tickets to RHS Flower Shows, garden workshops and family friendly events
• Monthly advice and news from The Garden magazine, worth £59)
• Gardening advice from the RHS experts
• Easy access to tips and advice on the RHS The Garden app
  
  

Give a membership to the RHS or treat yourself to a membership!

And there’s a limited time offer – receive a £15 voucher to spend in RHS cafés when you purchase a gift pack.

Buy a Gift Membership to the RHS today!  A gift membership is £78.00 – it’s very good value!

And if you want a membership for yourself – there’s 25% off for your first year at the moment (you need to pay by direct debit to get this offer and it doesn't apply to gift memberships), so grab the opportunity to join today!