Gift ideas for history lovers....collectables from English Heritage

Posted on 8:00pm Wednesday 20th Sep 2017

Here are some gift ideas which are a bit different, for the history buff in your life!

English Heritage protects and promotes England’s spectacular historic buildings and archaeological sites, and make sure they are researched, understood and accessible to all. They have over 400 sites which are open to the public - these include Stonehenge, Kenwood House, Tintagel Castle and Hadrian's Wall.

And they have the most amazing online shop, full of gift ideas for anyone who loves history, and I have to say I've just had a good look through one section which particularly caught my eye - the reproduction swords and armour!

There's this Roman Legionary Helmet

or what about this:

This is a Tudor Burgonet

You can display a fantastic piece of history with a gift from their online shop. Each piece has been carefully made to recreate the original. There are magnificent steel reproducitons of helmets, hand-painted wooden shields, replica swords - and even full sets of armour!

Click here to browse and shop with the English Heritage Online Shop

Canal and River Trust

Posted on 8:00pm Monday 11th Sep 2017

For anyone who loves the water, a gift membership you could give them with a bit of a difference is one for the Canal and River Trust.

The Trust protects over 2,000 miles of waterways in England and Wales. Many of these are over 200 years old, so the Trust protects our heritage, but looks forward to the future as well.

It's also responsible for a massive network of bridges, embankments, towpaths, aqueducts, docks and reservoirs. These places are havens for wildlife and people.

©Canal and River Trust

I have fond memories of a couple of barge holidays on canals. They were great fun and a fantastic way to see the countryside. When we felt like it, we got off and walked alongside the boat. Doing a barge holiday is a great way for families to do something together, to discover new places, and try out a new activity.

Our barge holiday was actually in the year of the 1976 drought, so there wasn't a lot of water in the canals we were on. Every time the boat moved off centre, it ran aground. That provided scope for a lot of laughter and frustration, and yes, of course, arguing, but we still laugh as we look back on it and remember the holiday with tremendous fondness.

Walking alongside a canal or river is a wonderful way to enjoy water, see some amazing wildlife, stretch our legs and get some gentle exercise, and have a lovely day out. There are many places you can visit - click here to take a look!

So a gift membership could be a great way both to help the Canal and River Trust continue their work to look after our canal and river network, and also to give your loved one some great days out! Their membership programme falls under the Become a Friend title. Find what the benefits are here.

Give up your car!

Posted on 9:00pm Wednesday 21st Jun 2017

Have you thought of giving up your car but you'd still like to have the chance to use one?

Well, the Enterprise Car Club offers a real alternative to car ownership as their members can enjoy pay as you go motoring! You save money over owning and maintaining your car, and you can reduce your environmental footprint as you share Enterprise Car Club venicles with other people who are like-minded.

The costs and hassles associated with owning a car (or two) can really add up. Insurance, servicing, MOT, tax, cleaning, parking permits etc etc etc....

So just imagine what it would be like to have access to a range of new cars and vans, parked locally to where you live and work, available 24/7, 365 days of the year. The venicles are serviced and maintained by someone else - you just pay for the time you use your venicle.

Enterprise Car Club membership includes....

Subscription to Enterprise Car Club is £60 annually or £7 per month.
Access to approaching 700+ cars and vans UK-wide
Comprehensive insurance
Free 24/7 online booking
24/7 member support
Add a partner for just £30/year

Hourly rates are from £4.95 and there are 23 cities available. Plus there's a university scheme too!

Click here to visit Enterprise Car Club's websit e

AND - stop press - Enterprise Car Club have launched a fleet of cars in Winchester! So to celebrate, they're offering a £1 joining fee for a one year membership for the Winchester location.

For your £1 joining fee for 1 year membership in the Winchester location, use code WINCHESTER1; and this offer ends 16 September 2017. Standard T&Cs apply. Join here

Unexpected membership benefits with the National Trust

Posted on 8:13pm Wednesday 1st Mar 2017

Membership has many benefits, often unexpected. Here are some things a National Trust membership could give you:

FREE entry to 500 places to explore! So it’s great for being holidays in the UK – you can plan a holiday around places you’ve always wanted to visit and explore, whether it’s an ancient castle, a coastline or country house.
The chance to improve your fitness in an outdoor gym by strolling across coastland, walking on beaches, climbing trees, taking walks. Instead of seeing the same four walls of a gym, breathe in the sights of stunning scenery and views so you can run with a view! And if you love running, there are runs to try (including night runs). The National Trust has 9 ways in which membership can make you fitter
The opportunity to try something new – they have lots of workshops and events – you can see what’s on offer in your area here
You could use National Trust properties for a break from driving on the motorway as opposed to a motorway station – many are quite close to the motorways
You can discover lots of interesting tit-bits of history and explore places of great historical interest – what would it have been like to hide for your life in a priest hole? Or wander through a garden created for you by an admirer? Or try out different experiments in your garden to test out theories of evolution? Or find out more about the history of toilets?
Be inspired by the fantastic gardens and pick up lots of new ideas. From wildlife friendly gardens to natural gardens for kids, there’s plenty of beautiful gardens to inspire you
The knowledge you’ll be contributing to the work the National Trust’s work as Britain’s largest conservation organisation, caring for 600,000 acres of beautiful countryside, over 300 historic houses, 700 miles of fantastic coastline. Find out more about the work of the National Trust here
You’ll have the chance to volunteer – you’ll get lots of ideas
Many places are dog friendly, so if you have a pooch, you can plan tons of days out with the National Trust’s Guide!
Develop a love for gardening! It’s very therapeutic to spend some time in a garden, whatever its size…
What’s more, for dog owners, you can plan your holidays around National Trust places so you can explore lots of new places together! Members get a National Trust Handbook with details of over 300 beautiful buildings and 200 gardens
If you enjoy photography or art, there’s lots of beautiful places to photograph or draw and paint
There’s plenty for kids to do, with walking trails
There’s a huge range of events throughout the year, and members can enjoy them for free or at a discount.
The knowledge your membership is helping to protect special places for generations to come – your children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces, cousins’ children
The National Trust cares for one of the world’s largest art and heritage collections with nearly 1 million objects at over 200 historic places so there’s lots to see and gaze at for art lovers!
17. There are lots of exhibitions such as the Turners at Petworth House (until 12 March 2017). Some are free to National Trust members or you can enjoy them at a reduced rate. E.g. International Garden Photographer of the Year at Sissinghurst

Like anything, the more you put into your membership and make use of it, the more you’ll get out of it! Click here to give a gift membership

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