Drinks Miniature Christmas Stocking Fillers

As Christmas creeps ever closer ( sorry for mentioning it ) my husband is notoriously difficult to buy for and the one gift he thought he needed ( a miniature drone) just sits in the corner gathering dust.


So what about drinks miniatures an ideal way to gauge what you might like to buy a bigger bottle of and as my husband likes Brandies /Cognacs I thought thank s to 31Dover.com it would be nice from Mt T try Hennessy Xo priced at £15.95 for the miniature.

Maurice Hennessy devised the term “XO” from the words “Extra Old” back in the 19th century. The XO release is now the centrepiece spirit for the house and this delightful miniature is the perfect size to sample one of the world's most-loved cognacs.

100 eaux-de-vie are blended with one another to create the XO, with some of them ageing for as long as 30 years prior to bottling.

Candied fruits complement a punchy, spicy nose that when sipped, morphs into a full-bodied spirit with notes of fruit and cocoa.

Add a dash of water to a room temperature serve to open up the full depth of flavours.

And you can buy a few miantures and have them put into a gift box for your perfect little stocking filler for yourself or a loved one ( over 18 of course ) 

Letter To An Autistic Boy , A Letter To Owen #Autism

You see these letters in social media about the kindness that has happened to those who have Autism or the families of those who have Autistic family members , and you think that will never happen to me. it is almost as if the situation can't or won't happen to you but me assured that it can and it will and it did. Here is the wonderful thing that happened to be on Tuesday the 25th October.




Dear Owen

I was just waiting for my train home.

I was quietly waiting in the heated waiting room on York station just content in my own little world, my phone had just run out and someone else was hogging the only socket in the room. And you know what Owen I am rather glad that the socket was occupied otherwise how would I have known the wonder of you.


I was sat far away from anyone , yet you came to sit next to me you were wearing your ear defenders , you were with your parents and little brother Jonathan. You spoke to me it wasn't quite politically correct


"Hey red neck lady "


I didn't mind , you mum quietly and told you patiently that that wasn't politely , you called me it a few more times and again your mum spoke to you softly that it wasn't polite.


Then you started speaking to me about what you were doing there , what you were there to see , about every train that ever existed in the known universe. I sat and listened and talked back to you , your mum apologised to me I said


"That's Ok I work with an autistic child , I didn't want to presume that your son was autistic "


The mum said that was fine.


She explained to Owen that I worked with a boy like him and he was even more engaging.

The boy told me his name which was Owen and I told him mine which is Claire and we must have spoke for a good hour on and off , which included conversations with his parents and little brother Johnathan.


Owen didn't like the noise of the outside due to his Autism but his delight at the train and the steam trains was a moment in time that will be etched on my memories forever.


I learnt more about myself in that hour that I think I ever have , Thank you Owen .



Thank you for the wonder of #Autism and how it can not be a negative situation to engage with .


I hope you Owen and your family have a wonderful life.


PS I now know more about trains than I ever did before xx

Lottoland Review

You'll probably noticed Christ Tarrant  popping up in the TV adverts lately most notably in the new Lottoland advert.

Now I'm not of a gambler in fact I'm rather partial to the lucky dips you find at fairs and the such like , usually winning something that will end up back as a prize 6 months later . I'm sure there must be some lucky dip prizes / raffle prizes that just play the circle of doom all the time !

I'm sure you would have dreamed of what would happen if you won the lottery , I know I have , it's nice to dream on occasions . It's the same as myself going on big holidays drinking cocktails.

You are not actually purchasing a physical lottery ticket gone are the days of having to traipse down to the newsagents!, instead you are betting on the outcome of the lottery. This new concept is a form of betting that gives you the opportunity to play along and bet on lotteries that are not normally accessible to us from all corners of the globe.

You are not playing the game direct, instead, you can bet on the results of official lottery draws from around the world, from the Oz Lottery to the Irish Lottery and many more including the Powerball which is an American lottery which had a 1 billion jackpot earlier this year!

Look here to see how  Lottloland works.

So do pop along if you fancy a go and you never know you could be lucky !!

Just remember me when you win !!

This is a PR collaboration.

York On The Cheap

York is utterly wonderful , I love it , I adore it * twirls ,firstly York can be as cheap as chips ( depending on of course where you get your chips from! . It is very luxurious to play the tourist without being overly touristy in a tourist type of way if you catch my drift. I think York has a slower pace than London and in fact you can allow yourself to get lost and to meander here there and everywhere . I only had to ask directions once and that was when I was buying some very cute cat silver earrings from a lovely bespoke gallery shop that was not pretentious in anyway shape or form.

I did have a planned  lunch time visit to Bettys tea rooms ( which is defiantly not cheap ) but prior to that and after my time was my own to wander as I saw fit . I didn't get bored at all on my own , you ,might have though being on your own I would get overwhelmed not in the slightest.


Getting Lost Is The Best Adventure

Getting lost is the best adventure you can possibly have within a city and understandably getting lost can be tired and thirsty work. While happily getting lost I happened upon a church where tea and cake was being sold in aid of some bowling club, and never one to turn down a charity plea I had to indulge. I didn't have a cup of tea as I was going onto Bettys to have rather pricey tea so i opted a small sausage roll and a little cake in the church surroundings. I did get questioned on why I wasn't having a cup of tea ( a question of sanity I suppose )

York Minster 

York Minster isn't free to get into but it is free to look at !

York Minster is a Gothic masterpiece of which the moment you clap eyes on it you will be in awe, the Minster dates from the 1400s.

The Shambles

Personally I would ignore the fuss you might have seen on Trip Advisor recently saying the Shambles were overrated , they Shambles are indeed busy and if you want to see the Shambles virtually free than you really need to head there first thing in the morning or later in the evening ( before dark )

Looking in the shops costs nothing ( Mr T has yet to notice the cardigan I brought and the cat earrings ) Where as I notice everything ;-)

I love popping into the Bettys tea room shop which reminded of Ollivanders Wand shop in Diagon alley , Betts tea room shop is perfect for taking your little piece of Yorkshire way with you with perhaps a Fat Rascal Treat & some Bettys tea blend .


City Walls

The stone walls surrounding York were built in medieval times upon Roman foundations and it makes for a lovely afternoon walk.

Retro Charity Rumble 

I  do love a good charity shop rumble in fact I can lose myself for hours in chairs shops and the ones in York are particularly fascinating .

National Railway Museum

No trip to York is complete without popping into this museum to see and appreciate the steam age and beyond, there is even a Bullet train from Japan there ( where I took a quiet rest weary from walking around all day )

Sorry Autumn

Sorry Autumn


Sorry I have been missing you


Sorry I have been eyes down as I scurry by your beauty


Sorry I stepped over you when your magical crunch blew to my door


Sorry I didn't look up to all your a canopy of rainbow delight



I am sorry Autumn I will try with all my might to capture you here and there abouts




You are never to be ignored when your surreptitious wonder is knocking at my door 

I will look up Autumn I promise you once more and gaze through the window of your gorgeous dappled leaves once more.