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FINNIES THE JEWELLER
TIMELESS
TIME OFF // HIVE TALKIN' WITH THE BEES
Take a guess at the number of bees buzzing around in the UK... The answer is amazing: 25 species
of bumble bee, 260 species of solitary bee and
one species of honey bee. But there’s a sting! Bee populations are declining, and with 70% of the crop types that provide 90% of the world’s food relying
on bees for pollination, we really need to look out and care for our nectar-seeking friends. Plant more flowers; do less weeding; mow the lawn infrequently; and create little watering places. Even better,
take up beekeeping as your new go-to pastime. Notwithstanding the thousands of frenzied bee miles that go into filling every hexagonal honey cell, honey is the ultimate slow food – medicinal, calming and full of the scent of your own garden. A truly stress- busting diversion.
FITNESS // AIRBOARDING
In this Facebook age, those with an inflated ego and desire for social mobility (admittedly downward), who wish to draw attention to themselves, now have the perfect winter sport. First there were sleighing and tobogganing, then the luge (popularised by Olympic champion Amy Williams); and now we are told airboarding will be the hottest – or should that be coolest – trend on the mountains. Just imagine the adrenalin rush of travelling headfirst at up to 80 miles per hour down the piste on a tech-invested, semi-steerable, pressurised cushion. It puts soft furnishing in a whole new light. You can do it at Chill Factore in Manchester – home to the UK’s longest indoor skiing and snowboarding slope; or in the vrai French Alps, at Alpe d'Huez - where at least you can revert to skiing when you’ve had enough. Next up: sofa surfing?
ART & CRAFT // SUNDIALS
Once upon a time a carriage clock was the standard long-service retirement present. But in a digital age, when time is measured to a millisecond, a wrist gadget that chronicles your every movement, calorie intake and sleep pattern is hardly conducive to the anticipated years of rest and relaxation. Instead, a sundial will mark the slower passage of the day in rhythm with the solar cycle, as Apollo rides his chariot across the sky. It'll feel even better if you commission a master letter carver painstakingly to inscribe it. A unique and cherished garden ornament like this will give a general indication of when it’s a fitting time to open a bottle and (unlike a carriage clock) unwind.
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Sundial designed by Sir Mark Lennox-Boyd, carved by Ben Jones