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!

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

And Into the Blue have a lovely offer for you - you can get 20% off their experiences up to the value of £250.00 - some products are excluded - until midnight on Monday 30th September 2024!  Just use the code ITBNEWSEPT  at check-out!  That's all there is to it!

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.

So head over to Into the Blue -

and don't forget that the code ITBNEWSEPT will give you 20% off!

It's valid to midnight on 30.9.24 on gifts up to £250.00 (some products are excluded).

Here's a shout-out for Heritage Open Days!

It's England's largest community-led festival of history and culture, and thousands of local volunteers and organisations are involved.  

The festival celebrates heritage, culture and history - so there are stories to hear, traditions to explore and histories brought to life!  And it's all FREE!

Amongst the events, there are walks and tours, exhibitions, workshops and talks.  They cover all sorts of categories:  local history, faith, outdoors and nature, living history and re-enactment, traditional skills, sport and leisure, eco/green living and geneaology, to name a few.  Many need you to pre-book.

Organisations taking part (not at every venue they look after, by the way), include the National Trust, the Churches Conservation Trust, the Woodland Trust, English Heritage Historic Houses and Friends of Friendless Churches.  

There's a search facility so that you can find out what's on in your area, which makes life easier - or perhaps next year, you could think of volunteering yourself!

Find an event near you here.

Volunteering is a great way to meet people and make new friends amongst people who also want to do things for their local community (or further afield!).

In 2024, the Heritage Open Days run from the 6th to the 15th September. 

Find out all about Heritage Open Days here.

Those fabulous people at English Heritage work to preserve beautiful historic houses, stately homes, stunning gardens, iconic buildings and monuments.  These include  Stonehenge, Tintagel Castle, Osborne, Hadrian’s Wall and Dover Castle.  They champion our historic places and work to ensure they are protected for future generations.   Members can enjoy access to hundreds of historic places with an annual membership so they can visit places where history actually happened! 

In 2023, over 550,000 families visited English Heritage sites which is the highest figure since records started, and up by 54% over the last decade.  A membership can be a very good way to make your gift and money go further - and with English Heritage, you are supporting the conservation of heritage at the same time!

And - there's great news for gift memberships!

Enjoy 15% off Gift & Annual Memberships at English Heritage.  Make the most of longer days to get out and about and immerse yourself in history!  There's unlimited access to lots of historic places along with other perks - just choose the best membership for you here, and use code EHAFF2024 at checkout.  You can only use it on new Membership purchases and with annual direct debit.

Use the code

EHAFF2024

to get 15% off.**

So what are the benefits of a gift membership with English Heritage?

• Unlimited access to over 400 historic properties across the country so fun days out for one year!  Plus there's free entry for up to six accompanying children per adult member
• Free or reduced-price entry to exclusive members’ events - this gives you a glimpse behind the scenes and access to experts  
• Exclusive Members’ Magazine four times a year with features about the  properties and the work of English Heritage, as well as a nationwide events guide
• A free handbook to help plan your next exciting day out
• Special offers, discounts and competitions for a great variety of products and experiences, and
• An English Heritage car sticker.

 Give a Gift Membership to English Heritage today!

**This code EHAFF2024 is valid until 31st December 2024 and for use on new gift and annual membership purchases only.  Annual Direct Debit only. 

Did you know that it’s Afternoon Tea Week from the 12^th to 18^th August?

It’s a chance to celebrate this wonderful tradition.  For there’s nothing like sharing a cup of tea or coffee with a loved one, whether they’re a good friend or family member.   It’s a chance to sit and chat, to catch up and share a moment.

There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life
Lin Yutang

Perhaps it is while drinking tea that I most of all enjoy the sense of leisure.
George Gissing, The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft, 1903

Virgin Experience Days have LOTS of afternoon teas all over the country, including of course, Afternoon Teas in London. 

 
How about Champagne Afternoon Tea for Two at
The Fortnum & Mason Bar and Restaurant at Royal Exchange?

In fact, if you’re looking to treat someone to an Afternoon Tea in London, you could look at their blog, called 18 of the Best Afternoon Teas in London, to help you decide which afternoon tea you’d like to treat someone to. 

Tea time is a chance to slow down, pull back and appreciate our surroundings.
Letitia Baldrige

They’ve got Afternoon Teas at Fortnum and Mason, The Petersham in Covent Garden, which offers a sanctuary from the crazy world that’s London, The Stage at The Londoner, the Ochre at the National Gallery, SUSHISAMBA, where Asian flavours meet British classics, and a Jurassic Afternoon Tea for Two Adults at The Ampersand Hotel.  There’s also a Bottomless Champagne Afternoon Tea for Two at the 5* Rubens at The Palace Hotel.

A cup of tea is an excuse to share great thoughts with great minds.
Cristina Re

Take a look too at the Free-Flowing Bubbles Afternoon Tea for Two at The County Hall Hotel and a MAP Maison Tapas Style Afternoon Tea with Free Flowing Cocktails for Two.

Don’t forget The Langham and The Lanesborough, the Melody Restaurant, and The Washington Hotel, as well as the TĪNG Restaurant on the 35^th Floor of The View from The Shard., and Harrods which has a number of different options.

And Virgin Experience Days also has a number of Afternoon Teas in London under £75.00.  Taking tea is a great way to escape the pace of life in London or anywhere else!

Tea:  a moment of peace from the constant battles of life.
Terri Guillemets

There’s also a wide choice of Traditional Cream Teas, Gin Afternoon Teas, Spa Days and Afternoon Teas, Vegan Afternoon Teas and Afternoon Teas exclusive to Virgin.  With over 450 experiences to choose from, you won’t be short of choice.  

For garden lovers, there's a Visit to Kew Gardens with Prosecco Afternoon Tea at The Botanical for Two
in Richmond. 

And there are lots of options if you want Tea for Two under £50 with lots of geographical locations to choose from. 

How about a Piglets Pantry Afternoon Tea at Home for Two?
See more Hamper ideas here.

Afternoon, a time for reflection, a time for calmness, a time for renewal.
Lailah Gifty Akita

Some of them offer a bit of a theme – for example for big cat lovers, how about giving them a Paul Hollywood themed Afternoon Tea in Kent – you can sip your tea and tuck in whilst looking at some amazing big cats at the Big Cat Sanctuary!

No matter where you are in the world, you are at home when tea is served.
Earlene Grey

There are Afternoon Teas (and Cream Teas) you can enjoy together with a visit to somewhere such as Bletchley Park, Port Lympne Safari Park in Kent, Kew Gardens, Blackpool Tower Ballroom, and the Swinton Estate.   Or you could combine it with an activity such as a spa day, a walk with alpacas or llamas, or a creative activity.  So there’s plenty to browse!

In Yorkshire, there's a Traditional Afternoon Tea for Two at The Swinton Estate

The cup of tea on arrival at a country house is a thing which, as a rule, I particularly enjoy. I like the crackling logs, the shaded lights, the scent of buttered toast, the general atmosphere of leisured cosiness. P.G. Wodehouse, "The Code of the Woosters," 1938

Head off to Virgin Experience Days to browse their Afternoon Teas!