Great gift ideas for 2020

Wiggles when pulled along. A perfect heirloom gift. Ethically hand-made using sustainable beechwood from PEFC certifi ed forests (for any trees cut, trees are planted) & un-varnished for a truly natural toy.

bluebrontide.com

Pearl Blue, also comes in Stone, Charcoal, Candy Pink, Baby Pink, Black, Cappuccino.

The sweetest, softest, most cosy wrap ever made.

fi gcashmere.com

Gift basket with homemade treats From £28 xmas gift guide gift Includes deepfi lled mince pies, iced gingerbread, coconut ice, peppermint and orange creams - all made at Willow Bough’s Merton Abbey Mills shop - and a jar of Jam Packed Preserves jam or marmalade. Add four large handmade scones for £8. To order yours please email

info@willowbough.com

Chlobo Open Star Mini Hoops £59.00

Handcrafted, in the UK using quality 925 sterling silver, 18ct gold and rose gold plating.

numbersixcobham.co.uk Chanel Cuff an iconic vintage statement statement piece £350

White perspex with CC white on black logo, in original box. Pre-owned and in excellent condition.

phoenixstyle.com

Ottod’Ame Leather Bag £125.00 numbersixcobham.co.uk

Militza Ortiz jewellery, handcrafted in the Wimbledon studio. Double beaded mini hoop earrings in 18 carat gold vermeil £105

Chunky and funky, these best-selling mini hoops are an ear stack essential. The tiny bubbles make it ever so unique.

Shop with Darling at darlingmagazine.co.uk

Green Factory & Niwa terrariums

are a great way to bring the garden indoors. From £35

Bridge & Hill Livingstore, Richmond bridgeandhill.com Silver Planet by Tom Johnson

Sci-fi and fantasy for age 10 and upwards. Adults will revel in the Wimbledon based author’s vision of after life.

£10.65, hardcover

From amazon.co.uk

Luxury print designer Laura Orchant’s Silk Face masks £25.00

Pink or blue

numbersixcobham.co.uk

An exquisite bottle of gin from Berkshire countryside, inspired by the wonderful game of cricket.

Classic Cricketers Gin, London Dry or Berry Blush

Pink Gin. Also in miniature sizes.

Order directly from

cricketersgin.com

From dark stouts to hoppy table beers and perfectly crisp lagers. Comes with a tasting note and food pairing in a stamped gift box. Free local delivery and nationwide couriering.

realale.com Small disc pendant in 18 carat gold vermeil £90

Dainty, reversible gold pendant. 18-inch, delicate, gold-fi lled chain included.

Militza Ortiz Shop with Darling at darlingmagazine.co.uk

ART & CREAKY BONES by Sheila Reid WINNER OF 5 AWARDS in 2020

Exploring why starting a creative activity helps us live longer and healthier lives.

Khaki Wing Jacket £95

Add some sparkle to a Add some sparkle to a loved ones life. loved ones life.

wonderlust.com wonderlust.com Toni Tiger Jumper £75

Black or Khaki A sparkling sweatshirt with an outrageously bold sequin embellishment of “Raaaw-some” Toni the Tiger. Unisex sizing.

wonderlust.com

Wool and Silk Blend Herringbone Throw £49

Comes in Cappuccino & Natural and Charcoal & Natural Sumptuously soft, and warm.

fi gcashmere.com

Luxury foodie gifts Luxury foodie gifts

- wine paired with wine paired with fabulous Italian artisan fabulous Italian artisan food from Vallenbona food from Vallenbona and Ritchies of Rothesay on the Isle of Bute.

House champagne and smoked salmon is £40

Dine-in for two packages from £38 Pink Hermes Herbag Zip £1500

In the style of the iconic Kelly Bag. Made of canvas and hunter leather. Known as Size 39 - 39cm x 31cm x 15cm. Pre-owned and in excellent condition

phoenixstyle.com

Relatability Pam Custers has it in spades

Pam Custers is the founder of The Relationship Practice, based in London. She believes that the difference between a good and a bad relationship is the difference between thriving or simply surviving.

Pam grew up in South Africa, spending her early life riding horses and on the beach in her native Durban. She moved to Cape Town for university, reading a double degree in Psychology and Archaeology. After university, Pam returned home to lecture a course in Women’s Studies for rural community leaders from deprived backgrounds, where it became increasingly obvious to her that the women’s stories were not being told. These were heady times in Apartheid-era South Africa: the press was heavily censored and news was state-run. To tell the untold stories, she set up a documentary unit at a university funded by supporters and champions of the free press based abroad. The unit focused on telling the stories of the many NGOs and community organisations silenced by the Apartheid regime, giving them a voice. This included Nelson Mandela, with her unit following him as he went from community organisation to church gathering speaking to his people.

A turning point in Pam’s journey was a documentary she produced about Philani, a deaf child who’d managed to find a place at the only community school of its kind in the province. Her team spent two weeks shooting in the school, which she remembers as eerily quiet. Some traditional beliefs marked deaf children out as possessed by bad spirits and they were treated accordingly, with pitifully few being able to access education. Those not acquiring language were often left mute for life. The documentary was used to highlight the mistreatment of deaf children and raise funds to improve their educational options, but Pam felt herself drawn back to Philani’s deeply personal story. She recognised this as her calling - empowering individuals to help them build better futures.

Things moved quickly after that with Pam returning to university to study for a second degree in Psychology to help her shift her career to one that could focus on individuals. She continued work with the video unit but shortly after meeting her future husband, she contracted a severe illness on location. After he had nursed her back to health, the pair married and had two daughters. Pam decided to move away from the dangerous world of shooting on location to a more stable role. She spent time working with top senior executives of a large university as a trouble-shooter, honing her ability to negotiate under complex circumstances.

Pam moved to the UK and returned to university to add to her training. Having been through the process of moving countries and having had to reconstruct her life, the importance of relationships drew her to doing her MA in Relationship Therapy. After working with both the NHS Drug rehabilitation and RELATE, Pam launched The Relationship Practice and through word of mouth it has grown from strength to strength. As the practice has grown, Pam has built a team of expert associates specialising in family dynamics, divorce, depression, parenting and children. The team has counselled and coached clients both locally and internationally, in person and online. The practice’s ten strong team works in a solution-focused way with individuals, couples and children to create the kinds of relationships that make for a happy life.

As well as her work as a psychotherapist, Pam has shared her expertise with a wider audience through her online programs and intensive, solutions-focused couple retreats. She is an expert in the field of relationships and has been featured on TV and in the press including the BBC, Sky, the Guardian and the Telegraph. She is also a resident relationship expert on Paired, an international app recently featured in The Saturday Times.

The Relationship Practice is for couples and individuals who would like to work on their relationship. Pam has noticed that over the past couple of months there has been a definite shift in the kinds of requests. With all the time spent at home together her clients are looking more deeply at what is going on in their relationships. Pam says that with the stripping back of our lives the hair line cracks can no longer be plastered over with the busy noise of life. Her clients are starting to ask themselves, what exactly they want out of life and how this impacts on their relationships. Many clients wish to fine-tune their relationships, re-work their life goals and deepen their couple connection particularly in the light of all their uncertainty. n

If you are struggling and perhaps have lost your mojo then please contact Pam for an informal discussion. If you’d like to work on your relationship using Relatability, please visit therelationshippractice.com and sign up for an early-bird discount available for our new members. 07572 841388

Pam holds an MA in Relationship therapy and a BA (Hons) in Psychology and is an accredited member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP)