Little treasures (From The Northern Echo)

Little treasures

11:04am Friday 19th February 2010

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Stuck for ideas on what to give a child for a special occasion? The Little Present Company is just the place. Ruth Addicott finds out what’s in store.

WAKING up next to a 6ft tyrannosaurus may not be the most relaxing way to start the day, but it has been proving a surprise hit with kids.

Dinosaur and jungle wall stickers are among some of the most soughtafter items at online children’s gift store the Little Present Company.

Run by local mums Emily Peart and Emma Hendrix, from Richmond, North Yorkshire, the company provides original ideas for gifts for special occasions such as weddings, christenings and birthdays.

The Little Present Company was set up five years ago, but recently came under new ownership. Emily says they are hoping to expand further, maintaining a focus on locallyproduced gifts, personalised to order.

“We would like it to be a one-stop shop, offering presents for newborns, birthdays, christenings and special occasions throughout the calendar year,” says Emily.

As well as Godparents, they are hoping to attract couples who are getting married and want to buy a thank you gift for a bridesmaid or page boy.

“My husband and I have 13 Godchildren and I really struggled to find christening presents,” she says.

“They were either tacky and awful with cheap teddy bears, or overly religious.

When you’re six years old you don’t know a cufflink from an armada dish, but it is something a child will be able to appreciate when they are older. These are handpicked pieces of silver – very simple, but they will last a lifetime.”

Prices range from wooden maracas at £4.99 to a hand-carved wooden armchair at £105. One of the quirkiest toys is a personalised “tee-bag”

(£16.50), featuring a long or shortsleeved T-shirt with the child’s name on it and a funky little bag – also with the name – to keep it in. Other gifts include personalised money boxes (£23.50), silver mugs (£115) and a butterfly photo frame (£35).

A lot of the products are tried and tested by Emily’s children, five-yearold James and four-year-old Molly. “I call them my two little buyers,” she laughs. “We both have two children, so we get the catalogues out and the kids circle the products they like, then we have a chat about what could work.”

Among their current favourites are the jungle and dinosaur wall stickers (£40), which have stood the test of time and been on their bedroom wall for years. While the site already features a lot of ideas for girls, Emily now hopes to expand the range for boys, introducing more of an outdoor element with wooden crossbows, wooden swords and shields.

“They are all made from good quality fairtrade, sustainable wood.

We’re also going to be offering brushed cotton duvet covers with matching pillow cases and pyjama sets,” she adds. “The business is very much family-based, all the products are gifts our children have either enjoyed or would like to receive themselves.”

■ Visit littlepresentcompany.co.uk

Fair do for farmers

IN collaboration with Fairtrade Fortnight’s ‘Big Swap’, Laura Ashley has designed two T-shirts to celebrate the charity’s campaign to swap traditional tea for Fairtrade. Available in two prints with a British tea-time theme, the designs are made from cotton sourced from Cameroon, where Fairtrade guarantees farmers a decent wage. They are £25 each, from stores and lauraashley.com

Card-gardening

COMBINING gift and greeting card, Postcarden, below, is a fun way to grow a mini-garden on your desktop, windowsill or sideboard – and you don’t need a degree in horticulture to cultivate the easygrow cress seeds. It is available for £7.50 from postcarden.com and selected retailers.

Bouquets of the Week

PAMELA MEE would like to say a big thank you to Mr Stott and his staff at Michael Siddalls school, in Catterick Village, North Yorkshire. “The teachers and ancillary staff made it to school every day during the recent bad weather. I think they all deserve our thanks,” she says. Mrs J Wright, of Sadberge, County Durham, wants to say thank you to the kind couple who helped her after she twisted her leg in Morrisons Morton Park, on Saturday, January 16. She did not get their names, but says the lady in the red coat much appreciated the help. Mrs M Braithwaite, of Caldwell, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, would like to nominate Simpson Fuels office staff and delivery driver for excellent service. After being disappointed by another firm, she rang the Butterknowle company and fuel was delivered the very next day. “This must be the best service ever,” says this very satisfied customer. Bouquets of the Week ■ If you want to say a public thank you for good service or to a helpful neighbour, kind stranger or efficient business, write with all the details to Jenny Needham, Bouquet of the Week, The Northern Echo, Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 1NF, or email jenny.needham@nne.co.uk

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