I have spent many years in Germany, as many of you will know. I love the culture and the people and the beer! Last year Melli from Mellis Schottland Abenteuern came into the shop, and we’ve been messaging on Instagram ever since! What maybe you don’t realise is that German people love Scotland! I don’t […]

Shrove, as in Shrove Tuesday, is a funny word. And one I had never thought about until today. It comes from the word “Shriven”, which means being, “absolved of sins”. Hmm… perhaps less said about that the better, apart from to add, that not taking every opportunity to eat pancakes should be declared a sin. […]

In last weeks Valentines inspired post I wrote about about Loving Local. There will be more on this below. But today I want to start with what surely, through size at least, must be The Greatest Love Of All…Earth. It’s easy to grasp loving our own bit of dirt, we see it every day. But […]

TBCH even when I’ve been hooked or hitched or plain hung-up, I’ve never been fully sold on Valentine’s Day. I like my favourite chocolate and champagne spread regularly throughout the year thank you ;))). So the next 2 posts will be about Valentine’s Play: A bigger love and share expanded ways to celebrate this festival […]

According to the Chinese calendar 2020 was the year of the Rat, which was all about survival (if we were lucky). 2021 was the year of the Ox which meant “anchoring ourselves in a new reality” (sounds right : / ). So thank goodness that 2022 is the Year of the Tiger. This animal is […]

The most elaborate Burns Supper I’ve ever been to was actually in New Zealand. Where at the embarrassing age of 30 I learned that addressing the haggis did not involve a postcode. I wasn’t really sure why I’d never been into this event until I Googled it today. This East Lothian’s Burns Club pic says […]

The most hated question in January must be, “How’s your New Year’s resolutions going?” Well if it was anything to do with alcohol we’re here to help you back on that wagon. Even our Sheena has climbed aboard, keeping dry in her own inventive way! So if Dry January seems like a laughable resolution, or […]

About 5 years ago many of my friends and family made the big leap to veganism. Which would have been fabulous if it wasn’t for the fanfare ; ) Veganism can be as easy as just eating scrumptiously cooked vegetables with fresh herbs and spices. So this post is on Veganuary without the hype.  However […]

Here’s to another year of welcoming in ‘The Bells’ with homemade kitchen cocktails and sofa sparklers. Last year I learned how to make my favourite cocktail, a French Martini, over Zoom. My friends read out the recipe while I poured… and drank. And then I did the same for them. After all, it’s hard to […]

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