News from Gifting Direct

Friday, 20th April 2012

Article Date:
Subject:	IMPORTANT NEWS Gifting Direct is moving to a bigger warehouse & distribution centre - read more
	Why move and why is the site closed for deliveries several days in April 2012? WHY CAN I NOT HAVE MY GOODS DELIVERED WHILE GF MOVES? Gifting Direct has grown and we need to move to larger premises. The move in itself would not really be an issue but we also wanted to upgrade the service elements giving faster turnarounds and greater information for the client and the website. As such the integration will go on all through this year (2012) resulting in new website frontage and increased client friendly interfaces which include websites designed to work better on Smart Phones, laptops and desk Computers. The first phase is the move and integration of new technology at the distribution centre which will take between 15 to 16 days. As such Gifting Direct will not be open for deliveries between 20th April and 3rd May, which means with the Bank Holiday on 8th May we will be open again to dispatch on 9th May 2012. News from Gifting Direct 20th October 2011 Article Date: Subject: Gifting Direct has joined forces with the outstanding gourmet and specialist foods supplier, Adlington White & Co, purveyors of fine foods . Gifting Direct has grown to such a well respected supplier of specialist hampers over the Internet in the last decade that we need suppliers who albeit small and local could meet our increasingly high standards and yet deliver the quantities of goods on a daily basis. Aldington White & Co (1922) has been in business successfully and is now partnering Gifting Direct with new products and ideas from the bakery and farm shop to the table. Gifting Direct welcomes this new localism as part of our ever increasing environmental restructuring for this new world of foods and in our case hamper presentations and giving. Welcome Aldington White & Co. News from Gifting Direct Tuesday, 26th October 2010 Article Date: Subject: Ethical-Environmental Policies at Gifting Direct- read more Environmental Packaging, Compostable Natural Product usage, Fairtrade and Ethical Sustainable Food Supply. Gifting Direct takes seriously the impact on planet Earth of human activity. At Gifting Direct we seek by all means to minimise that impact while working to provide the best possible service to our clients within the constraints of hygiene, best practice, English Law and EU regulations. To this end there are three areas upon which we focus. • Boxes and Cardboard packaging (mainly used in outer packaging) • Loose or void fill to protect and cushion gifts in transit • The ethical footprint of all food products. All of our boxes and corrugated products are made from paper, sourced from managed forests/sources using 100% recycled fibres. Gifting Direct has sourced a supply of environmentally friendly cardboard boxes or other corrugated packaging using the best materials to give the right protection for product and the environment. Besides the climate and environmental requirements using environmentally sources corrugated cardboard products is one of the best options for an environmentally friendly minded business to use. Gifting Direct recycle all of our office paper, void and cardboard waste, all to help the environment recover while further helping to protect jobs in the UK packaging industry. Biodegradable Loose Fill. Gifting Direct uses 100% fully compostable instead of the more industry standard EPS which is cheaper and made from oil based materials. The Gifting Direct Biodegradable Loose Fill conforms to EN13432. This means we adhere to the most environmentally friendly packaging available and suitable for composting and recycling. Eco Flo is a starch based form on loosefill which dissolves in water. Starch is a renewable resource in the UK. Eco Flo loose fill packaging is odourless and offers users a high level of shock and impact protection to packaged products. Biodegradable void fill shapes around products, from fine china, electronic equipment and gift-wrapped products parts while providing a better impact protection than EPS polystyrene chips. Put simply, our Loosefill and Cardboard boxes are all made from plants and natural materials suitably compostable, turning back into soil in 12 weeks after use. As such we deliver your gifts in the greenest possible packaging solution available on the market, and pride ourselves in an inbuilt planned superb customer service. Gifting Direct promotes wherever possible the use of recycled, recyclable and sustainable raw materials at every opportunity, thus ensuring our packaging is environmentally friendly. The third tranche of our environmental protection policy fits with many other food movements and we have written before about our Organic heritage, our Fair-trade policy and even of our sourcing of foods locally and where that is not possible we take air miles into account. Gifting Direct favour small producers whether a wine grower on a hillside in Slovenia or a coffee grower in Guatemala. From an ethically grown Organic Chocolate, to a specialist producer of Quinola. Gifting Direct is passionate about reducing the human footprint on planet Earth. We hope you will join us in projecting the message. We have but this one chance. News from Gifting Direct Friday, 3rd September 2010 Article Date: Subject: Diabetic New Season Hamper Gifts from Gifting Direct- read more Diabetic, Bespoke Dietary and Handmade Luxury Diabetic Food Hampers. Gifting Direct offers a range of luxury foods in their hampers specially designed for the diabetic. These foods combined as they are with low sugar index foods allow the recipient to create a series on interesting meals and hopeful expand their dietary range. The new Diabetic and low sugar foods for hampers launched for the new Christmas New Year season will be on sale from Mid October. So look out for the mailer announcing the new diabetic range. For those unsure of what a diabetic is or how they need to alter their lifestyle read on below. Diabetes develops in the human body when glucose cannot be properly used. As a result, diabetics have abnormally high levels of glucose in their blood, a condition to control. The two types of diabetes are named as Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 presents generally in younger people, but it can effect at any age. The UK has some 18,000 people under the age of 18 with Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes develops with cells in the pancreas producing insulin fail. Insulin the hormone regulates glucose levels in the blood. Type 1 diabetes is treated with insulin injections. Type 2 diabetes presents generally in older people increasing age and risk are linked along with obesity. However in our society younger people are increasingly presenting with this type of diabetes which in the majority of cases can be controlled with diet and exercise. However Type 2 diabetics may need medication or directed insulin. Diabetics often live a normal healthy life. However if poorly controlled diabetes causes Heart and or Kidney disease and blindness, poor circulation and foot problems. Diabetics must control blood sugar levels and blood pressure, to prevent long-term problems. The risk in developing type 2 diabetes include, A close relative with diabetes: being overweight: being over 40: Of Asian, African-Caribbean background. To offset a probable likelihood of diabetes, eating a healthy diet, regular physical exercise, and losing weight if overweight have significant effects. Diabetics must seek to maintain a healthy weight. Clinical advice in weight management differs. However foods low in, sugar, salt and high in fresh food groups including fruit and vegetables are important. More controversially is the use of foods of fatty foods or those high in starchy carbohydrates, such as bread, rice, pasta and wholegrain foods. However there is no need to cut out all sugar. But, like the general healthy population, diabetes should try to eat only small amounts of foods that are high in sugar or fat. If you have diabetes you can eat small amounts of foods like cakes and biscuits, as part of an overall balanced diet. Beware of fruit juice which is full of fruit sugars called fructose which causes blood sugars levels to rise alarmingly. As such diabetics should only drink juice with a meal and limit that to a small glass. So what is diabetes? Diabetes the condition in which glucose or sugars in the blood raise too high and where the body is unable to convert it with the production of a hormone named insulin into energy. Insulin normally assists glucose to enter the bodies cells, the glucose sugars thereafter fuel by the body. After consumption the blood-sugar level rises while insulin is released into the blood. Insufficient insulin, allows the level of blood-sugar levels to rise. If not controlled high blood sugar levels increasingly cause degeneration of the bodies health, initial symptoms start with acid breath a raging thirst along with tiredness, fatigue, weight loss, and blurred vision. When Diabetes is diagnosed of either type diabetics are notified of the higher risk levels in developing a range of serious medical problems, these risks include heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, circulation problems, nerve damage and damage to the kidneys and eyes. Advice from the medical practitoners states that risk of health problems are greatly reduced by controlling blood-glucose and blood pressure, while eating healthy foods and taking regular exercise. Regular meals ensure blood sugar does not swing from one extreme to the other. Slow release “good” carbohydrate foods maintain control over their blood-glucose level. Eat plenty of vegetables, salad or limit fruit, and cut down on meat and dairy foods. Whole meal foods are always a good idea as fibre both in the lower and higher digestive tract aid slow release of sugars and maintain blood sugar levels within produced insulin levels. Foods high in fibre prevent constipation. Fibre slows down the rate at which starch and sugar in foods enter the bloodstream and importantly help reduce blood-cholesterol Soluble fibre is found in oats, pulses, and again in fruit and vegetables. Diabetics should seek to choose fibre-rich starchy foods. Such as whole meal, wholegrain bread, high fibre breakfast cereals, whole meal pasta, whole meal or spelt flour, pulses such as lentils and beans, brown rice, all types of vegetables and salads, especially Additionally savoury foods, like tinned tomatoes, low sugar baked beans, and plain breakfast cereals not coated with sugars have no monitored harmful effect on your blood-sugar levels. And can be eaten as part of a normal meal without a problem. Do not drink sugary drinks which are a direct cause of high sugar levels and obesity choose instead sugar-free, diet or low-sugar squashes better still drink water or teas, herbal or otherwise. Fat has very limited effects on blood-glucose levels. Some medical advice recommends low carbohydrates and limited fat intake for diabetes, citing natural diets in primitive peoples where high meat, high fat and low carb intakes result in no obesity, no diabetes and no heart disease. However most current medical advice focuses on reducing overall weight and the risk of coronary heart disease, and diabetes, by trying to reduce the total fat in your diet. Fats which are deemed most offensive are butter, lard, saturated fatty meat and meat products, fatty dairy products, and savoury, pastries made with hard fats, trans-fats and worst of all crisps. Try altering the diabetic diet to included, skimmed milk, Lemon instead of oily salad dressings. Natural and none sweetened Yogurt. Fromage frais. Lean meat, skinned chicken. Reduce and look for high meat content sausages and burgers with less fat and cereal content Eat lots of vegetables in stews and create casseroles low in fats. Use Herbs and lemons instead of salt in cooking and further reduce salt intake to less than 5 Grams a day. Beware of pre-prepared foods from Supermarkets, stalls and even restaraunts which often contain large amounts of salt rather than proper natural flavors. Diabetics should be very cautious about drinking alcohol, try to give this up completely as the sugars generated sit in the liver and are released with devastating effect into the blood stream. Insulin is overwhelmed and the consequences are serious. For social occasions if a diabetic must drink then stick to the limits prescribed which is no more than the 2 units of alcohol a day for women, and 3 units a day for men. An indication of what this means in reality is One small glass of wine = one unit. Half a pint of ordinary strength beer, lager or cider = one unit. One Eighth gill or one pub measure of spirits = one unit. Never as a diabetic, drink alcohol on an empty stomach. Better still try alcohol-free beers and wines. News from Gifting Direct Wednesday, 18 August 2010 Article Date: Subject: Gourmet New Season Hamper Gifts from Gifting Direct- read more Gourmet, Bespoke, Handmade Luxury Food Hampers Gourmet Hampers Gifting Direct Hampers Online has great pride in all gourmet hampers they create. Each gourmet hampers is guaranteed full of mouth watering selections and tempting treats. A gift wrapping service is offered alongside the natural beautiful standard luxury packaging additionally creating our extra special gorgeous gifts for presentational corporate, special or under the Christmas tree giving. Perfect gifts made and hand selected using our gourmet foods and wines. Gourmet hamper assortments for those who simply love to give the best things in life. Select from our large range of gourmet food hampers baskets or gift boxes. All our gourmet hampers are full to the top with indulgent delights making the idea of great gifts even better. Gourmet Hampers from Gifting Direct UK make excellent gifts offering a wide range of special hampers for all occasions. Just the things when you want to impress say thank-you, inspire, or reward. Do not forget every gift has a free Gift card individualised with your own message. Our gourmet food hampers and luxury gift baskets are packed with fine food and wine selected from an experience of delicacies from our award winning gourmet food selection from simply the best of food producers throughout Europe and Worldwide Every ready made hampers selected and handmade to order make delicious gifts for any occasion. Gifting Direct will individualise and personalised any gift. You selecting the products from our online Wine, Hamper and Food department and we will make your specialised gift. Every bespoke hamper can be specifically gift packaging to your own requirement. Gifting Direct has built their world-renowned gourmet food hamper and food service over the decades. They have packed local delicacies and gastronomic experiencing delights with an uncompromising quality into every Gourmet Corporate or Specialist Hamper created. Our gourmet hampers are ideal corporate gifts, and while large companies love these wonderful corporate gift hampers, you the client are the single most important part of our business. Be it that you need a specialist food or hamper requirement or equally important a gifting hamper for the individual we are confident that you will never be disappointed with our supreme range of quality hamper combinations. Hampers from Gifting Direct Online providing quality hampers and gourmet gifts offering from our extensive selection of practical genuine food hampers. Ring our contact centre on 0208 328 1144 to ask about our gold standard bespoke Hamper and wine service. Allowing you to create a hamper that individually and perfectly equal your gifting requirement. Our Handmade Gourmet and bespoke service accessed through our contact centre allows you to select from our large genuine choice of impressive gourmet hamper ingredients. Gourmet and luxury bespoke hampers will be welcomed and acclaimed as ideal gifts for special occasion such as a presentations, anniversaries, thank you, birthday, Christmas, Mothers, Fathers, Easter, or other memorable occasions. | Beer Gifts | Christmas Gifts | Luxury Gift Baskets | Gourmet Food Hampers|Wine Gift Baskets | Fruit Gift Baskets | | Fathers Day Gifts | Mothers Day Gifts | Ready Made Gift Baskets|Get Well Soon Gifts | Spa & Pamper Gift Baskets | Birthday Gifts | Wedding Gift Baskets | International Gift Hampers & Gift Baskets | Corporate Gift Baskets Other Hamper options include the Gifting Direct Hamper Gift Baskets and Gift Box options suitable for every occasion Hampers from Gifting Direct UK are available with Next day delivery in the UK. If you live in the UK, a next day delivery service is available on all food and gift hampers before noon. As UK specialist hampers creators offering a high quality, effective and efficient service. Select from our vast range of hampers on the web or call our contact centre direct. Christmas Hampers Gifting Direct Hamper specialist service includes seasonal food hampers, with a large selection of luxury Christmas hampers in baskets and gift boxes. Gifting Direct Christmas hampers can include wines and Champagnes even whisky or brandy. You can review the new season Christmas hampers from Mid October each year. Look at our range of Christmas hampers. Corporate Gifts. Specialist services exist at Gifting Direct for the corporate client who wants individualist gifts with greeting cards delivered throughout the nation. Call or email the Gifting Direct contact centre for this specialist service. Gifting Direct Wine Gifts and Hamper with Wines gifting Select from our exclusive range of wine gifts. Choose from our range of known wine labels from reputable wine growers throughout the world. Gifting Direct Wines select only the finest quality of products available in the market. Each wine gift can be individually gift wrapped for any eventuality. Choose a fantastic gourmet Hamper with select wines and or Champagnes, rare Whisky or Fine Cognac. Be assured every Gifting Direct Hamper, Gourmet, Ethnic or Specialist gift will be full of wonderful luxury goodies for all occasions, every time. News from Gifting Direct Saturday, 14 August 2010 Article Date: Subject: Vegetarian New Season Hamper Gifts from Gifting Direct- read more New Season Vegetarian & Handmade Hampers Gifting Direct Hampers carry a vast range of stock to create specific hampers for gifts, picnics and other occasions; Vegetarian hampers from Gifting Direct contain only the very best ingredients with the lowest food miles possible. Our suppliers are all ethical and meet rigorous standards. We have vegetarian cheeses, organic honeys, the best sundried tomatoes, organic and natural, we could say our Porcini mushrooms are Organic but what is the point when they are picked in Northern Italian Mountains untouched by mans efforts since the dawn of time. . We stock Orca, Polenta, Wild, Red and Organic Rice plus Couscous, polenta and many Pastas plus myriad other alternatives and we have the best lentils in cans, packets and made up in cook in one minute sachets. We have, we believe the largest range of select and gourmet vegetarian foods available. Each vegetarian hamper gift is made up to order, making it easy for the buyer. Each hamper contains a balance of foods to give a number of meals complete. Each product in a hamper has been chosen because it is useful and not some gimmicky food stuff to be just displayed or left in a cupboard. Every item chosen is good, wholesome and useful for more about Vegetarianism and the organisations supporting it in the UK please read on. Did you know that The Vegetarian Society UK is the oldest vegetarian organisation in the world? Although we have to look East and to the Buddha who centuries previously expounded the benefits of vegetarian lifestyles very successfully. What is a vegetarian? A vegetarian is someone living on a diet of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits with or without the use of dairy products and eggs. A vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or crustaceans, or foods contain elements of the above. Why become a vegetarian, well for most people it is the health and animal welfare although often textures and flavour instigate matters. It is also seen as an environmental act lowering the environmental impact that humans make upon our Earth. We can link these thought to food miles, local food growing and ethical standards of production. Becoming vegetarian is a highly personal and individual decision. Usually linked in some way to animal welfare along with a growing awareness of the importance of healthy food, many people are also becoming vegetarian because it matches the kind of low fat, high fibre diet recommended by dieticians and doctors. Sub groups of vegetarianism consist of Lacto-ovo-vegetarian. Those who eats dairy products and eggs along with the normal pulses nuts, grains cereals, fruits and vegetables. This is the most common type of vegetarian diet. Lacto-vegetarian. Eats dairy products but not eggs. Vegan. Does not eat dairy products, eggs, or any animal product. Sometimes it is difficult to be strictly vegetarian as many foods contain ingredients derived from the animals. Gelatine is made from animal tendons, bones and the like recovered while processing the meats. Confectionery, low fat spreads and desserts, some dairy products. Biscuits, cakes, and margarines. Suet and lard are types of animal fats. Some cheeses are made with rennet an animal by-product. Vegetarian cheese is made with rennet from a microbial source. Many vegetarians eat eggs usually free-range and authenticated as ethical in the treatment of hens. Problems for Vegetarians often come when dining out. The number of bad meals I have had in restaurants up and down the country is diminishing but still many establishment think a vegetarian meal is an add to the menu and not a meal in its own right and deserving of the same thought in creation as any other dish. Of course we have Indian, Eastern and Chinese meals many of which are genuine long standing tasty vegetarian dishes. Italian cuisine carries many Vegetarian options all extremely tasty. Where in the UK a Vegetarian meal option is an add on to a menu how can we be sure that the kitchen equipment, worktops and the like are free from non-vegetarian food preparation? However increasingly today there are new restaurants opening exclusively vegetarian and it is a real treat to eat out here. Catering for yourself or a vegetarian today: - Recipes books of oriental and Italian cooking will give you a start but specialist vegetarian cook books are easily available and give great ideas for a diverse and interesting life enhancing vegetarian option. Vegetarian food is widely available in shops eating vegetarian meals such as beans on toast or jacket potato and cheese is quite normal in most diets. However with thought it is not difficult to give up meat when there are so many delicious recipes and tasty foods to experiment with. A well-balanced vegetarian diet provides all the nutrients you need for good health. Here is an indication of a balanced ingredient list for all a body’s needs as a vegetarian • 3 or 4 servings of cereals/grains or potatoes • 4 or 5 servings of fruit and vegetables • 2 or 3 servings of pulses, nuts & seeds • 2 servings of milk, cheese, eggs or soya products • A small amount of vegetable oil or butter. • Some yeast extract such as Marmite, fortified with vitamin B12. News from Gifting Direct Thursday, 22 April 2010 Article Date: Subject: Fathers Day 2010 Gifts-Gifting-Presents-Wine-Champagne-Whisky-Bespoke-Hampers from Gifting Direct- read more Fathers Day 2010 Gifts, Unique Fathers Day Gifts which come with a smile. Fathers Day Gifts Getting Personal Fathers Day Gifts and presents. We have fantastic Fathers Day Gifts from and including our exclusive Fathers Day Calendar. Our best selling Fathers Day gifts included our Fathers Day Champagne - which has your Personalised message. which is a unique gift for any sporting father. Go on - make him smile on Fathers Day. Its all too easy to forget our long suffering Dads, which usually means desperately hunting for Fathers day presents at the last minute. If you're stuck for Fathers day gift ideas then youve come to the right Gifting Direct place. Our gifts for dads will keep you in his good books throughout the year. Fathers Day is Sunday 20th June last time for placing an order is Fri 18th June 3.00pm BST selecting next day delivery for Saturday 19th. Last order dates for personalised fathers day gifts with standard delivery is Thursday 17th 3.00pm BST and delivery on Friday 18th in good time for Fathers Day giving. Gifting Direct has many unique Fathers Day Presents and Fathers Day Gift Ideas. Gifting Direct has all the best fathers day gifts in one place. Find great fathers day gift ideas online. From presents for a young father like a bottle of special whisky or a personalised hamper to great gift ideas such as the hip flask or wine breather. Fathers Day Gifts and Gifts for Dad. Why miss out on the opportunity to buy the perfect Fathers Day gift. Our best selling Fathers Day Gifts and Gifts for Dad are listed on our huge comprehensive website which comes highly recommended by our piers. Father's Day Gifts. Take a look through our best-selling Father's Day gifts below. With gifts ranging from there is something for every dads taste. With Gift Delivery, Gift wrapped fathers day presents and Fathers Day gifts, including hampers, champagne, Birthday presents, wine gifts, whisky gifts, chocolates and gift baskets delivered to any UK address or throughout Europe (extra time and delivery fees required) News from Gifting Direct Thursday, 8 October 2009 Article Date: Subject: Corporate-Bespoke Christmas Hampers from Gifting Direct- read more Corporate & Bespoke Christmas Hampers Christmas Hampers from Gifting Direct are as shown and assembled. But we are acutely aware that individuals do want to personalise their hampers and so to suit individual requirements you can call us and remove or add to one or various items any of our Hampers. Of course corporate e, business and associated businesses can use this same service to create Hamper, Wine, Champagne or whisky, Cognac or any other festive spirit for corporate gifts tailored to a businesses special and specific clientele. Gifts can be tailored and made bespoke for staff or customers, but always our Xmas hampers are a favourite, to give and receive Send us you detailed requirement and specific requirement to create your own' bespoke and tailored Christmas hamper. Company logo, personalised messages on greeting cards on which are printed pictures of your choice. A time of goodwill, generosity and extravagance Christmas is a time to indulge in festive luxury hampers wines & spirits from Giftingdirect.co.uk News from Gifting Direct Thursday, 8 October 2009 Article Date: Subject: Christmas Wine Gifts from Gifting Direct- read more Christmas Wine Gifts For all gifting purposes, chose from our exclusive range of Christmas wine gifts, filled with the finest quality of wines & spirits available from all around the world. All our superb wine gifts can be delivered beautifully gift wrapped to compliment the gifting experience . Christmas Gifts Wine, Champagnes, Whisky, Whiskies, Cognac, Armagnac, even Gin or Sambuka, Gift baskets, Gift hampers, and Christmas gift boxes to suit all, delivered throughout Mainland UK next day and in the EU on a two to three day courier delivery system News from Gifting Direct Thursday, 8 October 2009 Article Date: Subject: Corporate Christmas Hampers from Gifting Direct- read more Corporate Christmas Gifts For prized clients, business and strategic partners along with admired business associates a Corporate Christmas Hamper is an ideal gift. Gifting Direct Hampers started in 1971 nearly 40 years ago with an ethos of quality in all things we offer the best range of individual items and select corporate gifts each set with Company logo, personalised messages on greeting cards on which are printed pictures of your choice. News from Gifting Direct Thursday, 8 October 2009 Article Date: Subject: Christmas Hampers from Gifting Direct- read more Christmas Hampers As well as our huge range of specialist seasonal food hampers, including Gluten Wheat Dairy & Egg Free, Diabetic or low Sugar along with Vegetarian and Vegan, Organic, Italian and Ethnic all suitable for Christmas giving. We have a large dedicated selection of luxury high quality Christmas hampers, Gourmet Christmas Hampers and Wine gift boxes. We have Christmas hampers for all occasions including Christmas Breakfast, festive Hampers Christmas champagne gift boxes and Hampers along with bottles and gifts of your favourite tipple. Be ready for Christmas and view our extensive festive package of select Christmas hampers. News from Gifting Direct Thursday, 17 July, 2008 Article Date: Subject: Eco Friendly Policies at Gifting Direct">read more Gifting Direct and Global Warming. What can we do about it? That is the question each of us ask, whether it be as an individual, a member of a team or community, as a member of a Country or simply as a part of the Human race responsible (or so we are told be our elders and betters) for our Earth’s current warming cycle. Global warming created by humans or as a natural occurrence teaches us we must be more responsive to our footprint on this fabulous planet upon which we are so privileged to be present. So I ask again what we can do to help in the absence of a global, regional or national plan. Well I can say we have done the following. We use only recycled cardboard and paper; we convert the heat from computers and printers into space heating to reduce gas consumption. We used biodegradable (made from cornstarch) loose fill in all packaging. We recycle all shredded paper in space and loose fill packing where permissible. We use the most efficient of the courier companies for delivery and that decision is based upon fuel usage, route planning, effective delivery techniques which do not require two or three attempts to deliver consignment. We have a driving policy where all drivers are mentored by a highly qualified driving instructor who teaches safe and economic driving techniques. All of our computers and selected on low energy consumption criteria. All old computers and printers are recycled and not used in landfill. Biodegradable inks are used wherever available. In conclusion if little things make a difference we have made a start. Next our plans take us to into intelligent buildings and even more efficient vehicles. We further seek to assist the environment through online meetings between staff and suppliers were conversations, meetings and massive reductions in time are made in not travelling. All of the above direct actions are further enhanced by an audit of the best and most effective and efficient methodologly of our suppliers. We use local, regional produce wherever possible and further only use raw material from overseas when absolutely necessary. So come on lets see what you get up to when saving this beautiful planet. News from Gifting Direct Monday, 12 February, 2007 Article Date: Subject: Valentine Day 2008 An update before 14th February read more Valentines Day is here once again and looking on the Internet shows lots of company’s and small businesses offering a myriad of Valentines gifts many of which appear to us as unprofessional and lacking in appeal. Many of these businesses on the Internet have catchy names, little substance and are here today and gone tomorrow. Gifting Direct has produced new and up to date products for this year Valentines Day. Each product all based upon our 35 years business experience in Valentine giving and our twelve years as a dedicated online retailer. Our couriers are offering a fantastic new online tracking service which is available on your computer screens and what is more can be sent to the recipients screen to enable them to arrange deliver on an alternative day if required. Flowers and Red Roses in particular are an integral part of the Valentines Day gifts and as such we at Gifting Direct have increased both our Valentines online capacity along with our production facilities. We seek to enhance our already high service levels to encompass new and emerging technologies allowing our clients increased selection, better information and what is most important a dedicated service. The new production and distribution facilities are available to further enhance new intricate floral products, Valentine and designer range of flowers including our famous Valentine Day roses. We are also aware of other businesses in the floristry sector who have been badly effected by the trenchant onward march of the supermarket sector into their business. One of the largest telephone florist organisation has been taken over by an investment group who want to liven up a trade slumping from poor training, low skill levels and falling sales, while yet another Internet florist was put into the hands of the receivers. How many to follow? Gifting Direct has a promise for there clients, which includes dedication to existing customers before all else. We do not intend to grow quickly, nor do we seek domination of the marketplace we leave that to M&S and Next plus others; our only concern is you, our customers and our dedicated staff. The quality in our products speaks for itself, the quality of our websites and the care taken with our client base is our recommendation, while our returning customers are our joy. Have a very romantic Valentines Day. From all at The Gifting Direct Valentines Day Team News from Gifting Direct Monday, 12 February, 2007 Article Date: Subject: Fathers Day Wine & Hamper Gifts. The History of Fathers Day- read more Fathers Wine & Hamper Gifts: Fathers Day is now as important as Mother's Day in recognition of the role a Father plays in the success upbringing of young children and even more when children reach adolescence. For the boy a strong father figure shows him how a man should behave in sport eductaion and life. For young ladies a good Father is the strength and continuance of all that is good in home and life. These wine and hamper gifts convey the enduring love, friendship and support given has been apreciated. All gifts can and should include a message or short prayer for Dad, Father, Pater, Papa or Pop Gifting Direct print your message card exactly as you type it. Any which way up the message should convey, love on Fathers Day and Thanks Dad. The history of Father's Day is very interesting. The thought for creating a day for children to honour their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. The idea of having the Father's Day came to the mind of Sonora Smart while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. After the death of her mother, she along with her siblings was raised by her father, William Jackson Smart. Sonora wanted to tell her father how special he was. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910. The National Father's Day Committee was formed in New York City in 1926. A Joint Resolution of Congress recognized the Father's day in 1956 and in 1966 President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June. Thus, the Father's Day was born in memory and appreciation by a daughter who believed that her father and all other fathers should be honored with a special day. Celebrate Father's Day 2007 on June 17, Sunday Fathers Day is celebrated to honor our dear dad for his love and support. Kids and adults plan to make the day worth memorable for their father and 'father figures' like uncle, grandpa or a big brother. Shower tender love on your father with gifts, cards or simply scribble a heart-filled poem and make him feel the most loved dad in the world. Story of Father's Day Father's Day is a beautiful festival that acknowledges and appreciates the important role played by a father in raising the child and consequently building a stronger society. Though fathers have been revered at all times by civilizations across the globe ironically what was missing until the last century was the official recognition of the significance of fathers in ones life. Father's Day story is the tale of realization of the need for a Father's Day festival primarily by Ms Sonora Louise Smart Dodd of Washington. The story narrates Sonora's unflagging struggle to officially set a day to honor all fathers. Thanks to Sonora, today Fathers Day is celebrated in a large number of countries around the world. The Beginning of Father's Day Story Historians have recorded that there was a tradition to celebrate Father's Day even thousands of years ago. Their study say that 4,000 years ago in Babylon a son called Elmesu carved a father's day message on a clay card. In his message Elmesu wished his father a long and healthy life. There is no knowledge as to what happened to this father son duo but it is believed that several countries retained the custom of celebrating Father's Day. Genesis of Father's Day in Modern Society The tradition of celebrating Father's Day as seen today originated in the last century. Though there are several people who are credited for furthering the cause of Father's Day, there is far greater acceptance for Ms Sonora Louise Smart Dodd's contribution. A doting daughter from Spokane, Washington, Ms Dodd is recognized as the Founder or Mother of the Father's Day Festival. Inception of the Father's Day took place in Sonora's mind when she happened to hear a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Sonora, who was 27 then, had begun to recognize the hardships her father must have gone through while bringing up his six children alone. When Sonora was 16, her mother had died during childbirth. Sonora's father a Civil War veteran by the name of William Jackson Smart raised six children including the newborn on his own. Sonora questioned that if there is a day to recognize mothers then why is not there a day to honor fathers? Many people laughed and joked at Sonora's idea. But her will did not droop. She began a sincere campaign lobbying for the cause of Father's Day. Her hard work began to show signs of success when Spokane celebrated its first Father's Day on June 19, 1910 with the support of Spokane Ministerial Association and the local Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). To pay tribute to her affectionate father, Sonora wished that Father's Day be celebrated on her father's birthday on June 5, but it so happened that there was not enough time for preparation and the day came to be celebrated on third Sunday in the month of June. The noble idea of celebrating Father's Day became quite popular in US so much so that President Woodrow Wilson approved of the festival in 1916. President Calvin Coolidge too supported the idea but it was President Lyndon Johnson who signed a Presidential Proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Father's Day in 1966. Then in 1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June. Fathers Day Celebration in Present Time Father's Day has become a hugely popular festival. World over people thank their father and pay tribute to them. Most commonly children gift Father's Day cards and flowers to their father. Neckties are a popular gift on the occasion of Father's Day. Due to the tradition of giving gifts, cards makers, florists and gift sellers campaign for Father's Day Festival in a big way and cash in on the sentiments of the people. News from Gifting Direct Article Date: Friday, 23 March, 2007 Subject: Easter Dates 2007 & History - read more In 2007, Good Friday is on April 6 th Good Friday (Holy Friday) What is the meaning of Good Friday? Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday. On this day, Christians remember the day when Jesus was crucified on a cross. The date of Good Friday changes every year. See the Easter page to find out why. The date of the first Good Friday will never be known, but many scholars believe that the event took place on April 7th, A.D. 30. If they are right the calendar is wrong, by three years. The Anglo-Saxon name for Good Friday was Long Friday, due to the long fast imposed upon this day. Why is it called Good Friday? The name may be derived from 'God's Friday' in the same way that good-bye is derived from 'God be with ye'. It is 'good' because the barrier of sin was broken. What happened on Good Friday? Jesus was arrested and was tried, in a mock trial. He was handed over to the Roman soldiers to be beaten and flogged with whips. A crown of long, sharp thorns was thrust upon his head. Jesus was forced to carry his own cross outside the city to Skull Hill. He was so weak after the beating that a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was pulled from the crowd and forced to carry Jesus' cross the rest of the way. Jesus was nailed to the cross. Two other criminals were crucified with him, their crosses were on either side of him. A sign above Jesus read "The King of the Jews." According to the bible: • The third hour of the day - Jesus was nailed to the cross. (9:00 am ) • The Sixth Hour of the day - darkness covered the land ( 12:00 noon ). • The ninth hour of the day - the darkness left, and the Lord died ( 3:00 pm). The hours in the bible are calculated from the first hour of the day, being 6 in the morning. Christians believe that Jesus stood in our place. His death paid the penalty not for his own wrong doings but for ours. What happens on Good Friday today? Since the early nineteenth century, before the introduction of bank holidays, Good Friday and Christmas Day were the only two days of leisure which were almost universally granted to working people. Good Friday today is still a public holiday in much of the UK. This means that many businesses are closed. Some Christians fast (go without food) on Good Friday. This helps them remember the sacrifice Jesus made for them on the day of crucifixion. Many churches hold a special service. This may be a communion service in the evening or a time of prayer during the day, especially around 3 o'clock as that is about the time of day when Jesus died. Many Churches hold services lasting three hours. They may celebrate the Stations of the Cross, or take part in Passion plays and dramatic readings. Some Christians take part in a procession of witness, carrying a cross through the streets and then into church. Churches are not decorated on Good Friday. In some churches, pictures and statues are covered over. It is seen as a time of mourning. It is traditional to eat warm 'hot cross buns' on Good Friday. Hot Cross Buns with their combination of spicy, sweet and fruity flavours have long been an Easter tradition. Why eat Hot Cross Buns ? The pastry cross on top of the buns symbolises and reminds Christians of the cross that Jesus was killed on. The buns were traditionally eaten at breakfast time, hot from the oven. They were once sold by street vendors who sang a little song about them. "Hot cross buns, Hot cross buns, One a penny, two a penny, Hot cross buns." Hot Cross Bun Ceremony At the London Pub, The Widow's Son, a Hot Cross Bun Ceremony takes place each Good Friday. In the early 19th century, a widow who lived on the site was expecting her sailor son back home for Easter, and placed a hot cross bun ready for him on Good Friday. The son never returned, but undaunted the widow left the bun waiting for him and added a new bun each year. Successive landlords have kept the tradition going after the pub was opened. Other traditional Good Friday food It is traditional to eat fish on Good Friday instead of meat. Good Friday Traditions Traditionally Good Friday was the day when everything was cleaned and whitewashed in preparation for Easter Sunday. Old Traditions on Good Friday Cramp Rings From the reign of Edward III to that of Mary Tudor, monarchs used to bless a plateful of gold and silver rings every Good Friday at the Chapel Royal. By rubbing the rings between their fingers, the royal touch was believed to cure cramp and epilepsy. The custom was abolished during the reign of Elizabeth I. Holy Saturday Holy Saturday is also known as Easter Even and the Great Sabbath. The term "Easter Even" was used by the 1549 Prayer Book. The 1979 BCP uses the title "Holy Saturday" for the Saturday before Easter (p. 283) When is Holy Saturday? It is the Saturday before Easter, the last day of Lent and is the day when Christ's body lay in His Tomb. In the early church Holy Saturday was a day of fasting and preparation for the Easter Vigil. What happened on the day before Easter Sunday? This day was the Sabbath and the day which Jesus rested in the grave. Easter Vigil Easter Vigil, dating back to at least the Roman times, takes place on Holy Saturday. The Easter Vigil is a service held in many Christian churches as the official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The service includes the first use of the word alleluia since the beginning of Lent as well as the first Eucharist of Easter. The Easter Vigil is celebrated by the use of a wax candle which is inscribed with a cross. The letters alpha and omega are inscribed at the top and bottom and the four numbers representing the current year are inscribed above and below the cross arms. Five grains representing the wounds of Christ are sometimes pushed into the soft wax. Traditional Holy Saturday Event The Bacup Nutters Dance traditionally takes place on this day in the small Pennine town of Bacup. Each year a team of folk-dancers with blackened faces dance through the town from boundary to boundary. A form of morris dancing, the blackened faces may either reflect a need for the dancers to disguise their faces from evil spirits, or have a mining connection. The tradition of this dance is thought to date back to 1857. www.coconutters.co.uk Easter Saturday Holy Saturday is also often incorrectly called Easter Saturday, a term that correctly refers to the following Saturday after Easter. Why do we give Easter eggs? Eggs are a forbidden food during Lent, making them a welcome return to the menu on Easter Day. For Christians, Easter eggs symbolise new life. They believe that, through his resurrection, Jesus defeated death and sin and offers people the promise of eternal life if they follow his teachings. Eggs have been a symbol of continuing life and resurrection since pre-Christian spring celebrations. Eggs had a religious significance in many ancient civilizations; Egyptians buried eggs in their tombs as did the Greeks; A Roman proverb states, "All life comes from an egg". It’s probably no surprise that Christianity should also adopt the egg to symbolise the resurrection of Christ. The Traditional Egg Gift The first eggs given at Easter were birds eggs. These eggs were painted in bright colours to give them further meaning as a gift. As chocolate was becoming more wide spread in the 20th Century, a chocolate version of the traditional egg was developed. The size of the chocolate egg has grown over the years and is now more likely to be the size of an ostrich egg rather than a small birds egg. Easter Presents Chocolate eggs are given to children. The eggs are either hollow or have a filling, and are usually covered with brightly coloured silver paper. Around 80 million chocolate eggs are eaten each year in Britain. Easter Egg Hunt Small chocolate eggs are hidden for the children to find on the traditional Easter Egg Hunt. In recent years this game has been linked to the Easter Bunny, which only arrived in Britain relatively recently. Pace Egging Easter eggs are sometimes known as pace eggs, a name that is ultimately derived from Pesach (Passover). All kinds of fun are had with the hard-boiled decorated pace eggs. The background colour of the eggs is provided by onion skins, with designs created by leaves and flowers placed next to the shell. Origins of Colouring Eggs at Easter Decorating and colouring eggs for Easter was a common custom in England in the middle ages. Eggs were brightly coloured to mimic the new, fresh colours of spring. The practice of decorating eggs was made even more famous by King Edward I of England who ordered 450 eggs to be gold-leafed and coloured for Easter gifts in 1290. Egg rolling Egg rolling is very popular in England and is an Easter Monday sport. Hard-boiled eggs are rolled down a hill. Customs differ from place to place. The winner's egg may be the one that rolls the farthest, survives the most rolls, or is rolled between two pegs. Egg Jarping (Egg Tapping) Another activity that takes place on Easter Day is the playing of a game with the eggs known as "jarping", It's a bit like playing conkers, with players tapping their opponents' eggs until one breaks. The victor goes through to the next round and it's a process of elimination until there's only one good egg, the winner's, left. Easter cards Easter cards arrived in Victorian England, when a stationer added a greeting to a drawing of a rabbit. The cards proved popular. Special Food at Easter After the lean months of winter and the fast weeks of Lent, food at Easter was always a special treat. Easter day, like Christmas day, is also associated with special food. Boiled eggs are traditionally served at breakfast, then Easter cards and gifts may be exchanged. Roast lamb, which is the main dish at Jewish Passover, is the traditional meat for the main meal on Easter Day. It is served with mint sauce and vegetables. The traditional pudding are custard tarts sprinkled with currants and flat Easter biscuits. Simnel cake is baked for tea. Eleven balls of marzipan are placed around the top layer to represent the eleven true disciples (excluding Judas). Originally the simnel cake was a gift to mothers on Mothering Sunday in Mid Lent. Easter Biscuits Easter Biscuits are sometimes called "Cakes", and are eaten on Easter Sunday. They contain spices, currants and sometimes grated lemon rind. Traditional Easter Events / Customs Calendar Easter Monday Easter Monday, another public holiday in much of the UK, has little religious significance but is the occasion for numerous secular customs. Egg rolling Egg rolling is very popular in England and is an Easter Monday sport. Hard-boiled eggs are rolled down a hill. Customs differ from place to place. The winner's egg may be the one that rolls the farthest, survives the most rolls, or is rolled between two pegs. Biddenden Dole At Biddenden in Kent, the Biddenden Dole, in the form of bread, cheese, tea (formerly beer) and cake is distributed. The cake bears an image of two women said to be the founders of this charity, a pair of Siamese twins who were born in 1100 and died within a few hours of each other at the age of 34. Hare Pie Scramble and Bottle Kicking At Hallaton in Leicestershire, the Hare Pie Scramble and Bottle Kicking begins with the blessing of a pie (usually made with beef rather than hare), which is subsequently broken up and thrown to the assembled crowd. This is followed by an unruly football game between the village of Hallaton and Medbourne. Small wooden barrels filled with ail are used as rugby balls in the no-holds barrel contest, the object of which is to get each of the three casks to a touchline in either village. Palm Sunday Pax Cakes In 1570, to encourage good neighbourliness among parisherners, Lady Scudamore arrange for five shillingsworth of cake and ninepenn'orth of ale to be provided every Palm Sunday in four Herefordshire churches. Nowadays small biscuits stamped with the image of the Pascal Lamb and the words ' God and Good Neighbourhood' are distibuted at the church doors after the service. Good Friday Hot-Cross Buns Service - St Bartholomew-the-Great, Smithfield. Starts 11.30 In a ceremony that dates back hundreds of years, 21 widows are given money and hot-cross buns after the church service Easter Bun Ceremony A London pub in Bromley-by-Bow, holds an annual Easter Bun ceremony on Good Friday. Each year a sailor adds a hot cross bun to the many that hang already in commemoration of a poor widow who baked a bun for her only son that never returned from sea. Midgely Pace Egg Play - Calder Valley, West Yorkshire Easter Saturday Nutters Dance - Bacup, Lancashire Easter Sunday Egg Jarping and Egg Rolling Easter Monday London Harness Horse Parade- Easter Monday 17th of April 2006 Usually held at Battersea Park. CHANGE OF VENUE In 2006, it will be held at the South of England showground, Ardingly, West Sussex. The first parade occurred in 1885 to encourage drivers to take a humane view of their horses. Today a huge variety of vehicles can be seen in action from rarely used horse drawn fire engines to the Harrods delivery ‘unicorn’ which is used every day. Hare Pie Scramble and Bottle Kicking - Hallaton, Leicestershire World Coal Carrying Championship - Nr. Wakefield in Yorkshire Easter Tuesday Tuppenny Starvers Thanks to a bequest made in 1739, children attending morning service at St Michael's Church, Bristol, on Easter Tuesday are given enormous spicey buns to eat. At the time of the bequest, tuppenny buns, intended for the choir boys, were a special treat compared with the more usual penny ones. Second Tuesday after Easter (Hock Day) This day used to be held as a festival in England and observed until the 16th century. According to custom, on Hock Monday, the women of the village seized and bound men, demanding a small payment for their release. On the Tuesday of Hocktide the men similarly waylaid the women. The takings were paid to the churchwarden for parish work. Hocktide Festival - Hungerford, Berkshire Hocktide is a very old term used to denote the Monday and Tuesday in the week following the second Tuesday after Easter. Hungerford is now the only place in the country still to maintain the annual Hocktide festival. The festival dates from the 14th century when Prince John of Gaunt gave the rights of free grazing and fishing to local ‘commoners’. To celebrate the town's patronage from Prince John of Gaunt, the town crier blows his horn and calls together the Hocktide Court in the town hall. Here, all commoners, living in the most ancient house in the High Street, must pay a fine to ensure their rights of fishing and grazing. While the court continues, "Tutti-Men" with florally decorated poles are led through the streets by the "Orange-Man" to collect kisses from all the ladies resident in the High Street. They receive an orange in return. Various traditional suppers, ale-tastings, lunches and balls follow. April Walpurgis Night, Beltane Eve Celtic Fire Festival celebrating the coming of summer. Friday News from Gifting Direct Article Date: Monday, 12 February, 2007 Subject: Luxury Cosmetic Gifts- read more giftingdirect.co.uk Gifting Direct is creating a reputation for innovative gifts in the cosmetic online industry and as from late 2006 the range of products available has been increasing exponentially. Cosmetic gifts are very personal and have a long history back to the early Egypt, the foundations of Greek and Far Eastern Cultures. We have enclosed a brief history of the search for beauty enhanced by cosmetic influence. Thank you to all contributions to this news-letter Late Eighteenth Century Return to Nature By the French Revolution of 1789 fashion changes developing since 1775 took effect. The new female hair fashion was to wear a wig of arranged curling coils on top of the head letting the natural hair fall loosely down the nape of the neck. As the 18th century came to a close, all things Roman were in fashion with cropped simple hairstyles. This was soon replaced by a vogue for all styles Greek and the simplicity of freshly washed hair copied from Greek vases was thought attractive. Victorian Delicacy. Women in the 19th century liked to be thought of as fragile ladies. They compared themselves to delicate flowers and emphasised their delicacy and femininity. They aimed always to look pale and interesting. Paleness could be induced by drinking vinegar and avoiding fresh air. Sometimes ladies discreetly used a little rouge on the cheeks, but make-up was frowned upon in general especially during the 1870s when social etiquette became more rigid. Actresses however were allowed to use make up and famous beauties such as Sarah Bernhardt and Lillie Langtry famous beauties of the 1880s could be powdered. Most cosmetic products available were still either chemically dubious, or found in the kitchen amid food colourings, berries and beetroot A pale skin was a mark of gentility. It meant that a lady could afford to not work outdoors getting suntanned which was then considered vulgar and coarse. Continuous work in sun and harsh weather coarsened the skin then, as it does now. Parasols were de rigueur and used to protect the complexion. Rooms were shuttered with dark heavy velvet curtains to keep out the sun's rays. Some effort was made keep the décolleté neckline in good condition as it was often exposed in evening dress. Fine blue lines would be painted on the skin to increase the appearance of delicate translucent skin showing veins During this time it was thought that a woman's crowning glory was her hair. It was rarely cut, usually only in severe illness. It was also supplemented by false hair depending on the current fashion After 1886, Harriet Hubbard Ayer promoted face creams and various anti-ageing products. Before that, little that was satisfactory had been available. Edwardian Beauties It often surprises people to learn that it was the dowagers and matrons of Edwardian high society who were also the fashion leaders of Edwardian society Many an Edwardian society hostess in middle age was in urgent need of the help of cosmetics and by 1900 face enamelling was once again beginning to be accepted among society ladies. The Edwardian society hostess's complexion, ravaged by age, a high carbohydrate diet, spasmodic exercise, combined with living in a dirty polluted atmosphere was far from radiant. Queen Alexandra flaunted her make-up and shocked and amused observers. But she epitomized the feminine ideal of the Naughty Nineties. Ladies were more discreet and despite a gradual acceptance of make-up in the 1890s, it was still considered 'not nice' to admit to its use The House of Cyclax.Ladies of society liked to preserve the myth of being naturally beautiful. A Mrs. Henning, who owned a beauty salon in South Molton Street, London, which later became the House of Cyclax, had a special back door for embarrassed clients. Heavily veiled, a lady would hurriedly alight from her carriage and disappear into the discreet entrance Initially Mrs. Henning sold creams plus three shades of rouge. Hostesses also used 'papier poudre' (still available from Avon and at some make up counters today). 'Papier poudre' came in books of colored paper and pressed against the cheeks or nose, the leaves of powder removed shine. Burnt matchsticks were used to darken eyelashes, and geranium and poppy petals stained the lips Helena Rubenstein Cosmetics. With such primitive cosmetics as these it was inevitable that those who could afford it would flock to Helena Rubenstein's salon when she opened in London She did not have to wait for customers. They came veiled, and no lady carried money with her. But they were prepared to pay considerable sums.' The sweet pea colour of the clothes was complemented by the lavender smells and until 1901 this was the only admissible perfume for hostesses. Lavender was associated with ladylike qualities. You can read more about perfume developments of the era in Perfumes The Marcel Wave. In her desire to appear natural many ladies had their hair waved. In 1908 Marcel of France introduced a new form of hair waving called the Marcel wave. At a stroke hairdressing techniques in Britain were revolutionized. This technique curled the hair with hot irons in a waved arrangement around the head. As well as Marcel waving, women also dyed their hair. Nestle Permanent Hair Wave. By 1906 Charles Nestle invented the permanent wave. An electric heat machine was attached to the hair pads protecting the head and curled the hair A Woman's Crowning Glory. Until the 1914 war, hair was always considered a woman’s crowning glory. Society ladies dressed it with jewels, feathers, elaborate combs, or an aigrette which was a combination hair ornament made up of all these things Selfridges. By 1909 Selfridges opened in London's Oxford Street and they openly sold cosmetics. Cosmetics displays were openly visible to the customers and were no longer hidden under the counter The Influence of Diaghilev's 'The Ballet Russe' and Poiret. Then in 1910 Sergei Diaghilev's Russian ballet became influential in fashion. Influenced by the styles of the ballet, Paul Poiret created designs based on the ballet costumes and these took London by storm. This had a definite influence on make-up and clothes. Ladies began to favour more exotic brighter colored clothes and this was reflected in more vivid make up. Tattooing became especially popular among society ladies and many a society hostess had lips, pink blushes and dark eyebrows permanently needled in1920s – Suntans. In the 1920s make up began to be used again after many years of not being used. In addition the inter war years showed a great advance in the development of cosmetics. Elizabeth Arden developed cleansing and nourishing creams, tonics and lotions At the same time Helena Rubenstein was developing creams to protect the face from the sun. This was welcomed in an era when sun worshipping made fashionable by Coco Chanel, was becoming a craze. Later Rubenstein also began to manufacture face powders and lipsticks. Less makeup was worn in the 1920s than in the 1930s, as youth demanded naturalness and slimming to obtain the boyish silhouette advised in magazines. 1930s - Important Lips and Nails. Lipstick grew redder throughout the 1930s changing colour every year. Lipstick was applied quite thickly. One daily paper commented that kissing had gone out of fashion due to the high cost of lipstick. But lipstick in the 1930s produced an undesirable stain and Oxblood a favourite colour may well have been the cause of such a remark Fingernails became scarlet and were grown to extreme length, whilst toenails were contrasted in pink nail enamel. On the cheeks and ear lobes rouge was worn. Eyebrows were plucked to a thinner line in the 1930s than the 1920s. Sometimes they were completely plucked to a thin pencil line substitute; some women even shaved them with disastrous end results as the brows never grew back. There was also a fashion for false eyelashes. 1940s - Make Do with Little Make Up.In the 1940s make was kept to a minimum due to a shortage of constituents and the seeming frivolity of its use. However hairstyles and the variety of looks they produced were very important. The influence of film stars helped make fashionable, styles such as the Veronica Lake style. News from Gifting Direct Article Date: Monday, 8 January, 2007 Subject: Luxury Corporate Flowers- read more Exclusive luxury flowers delivered in the UK by independent online florist Gifting Direct flowers. We are not part of any floral network; we cut out the middleman and commissions and buy flowers direct from the best growers and auctions around the world. Our flowers are also fresher than what you will find in traditional flower shops, since the flowers spend less time in transit. We train our florists to the highest standards offering fresh flowers of the highest quality at unbeatable prices. Our flower delivery service is available anywhere in the UK. We offer a same-day flower delivery service in England, Wales and most of Scotland where you can order flowers up until 1.00pm same day. In all parts of England we offer fresh hand delivered flowers and bouquets and you can order flowers online up until 12.00 noon for same day delivery. In Scotland, Wales and all other regions of England we offer a next-day flower delivery service. To ensure our flowers arrive in pristine condition, we use our own specialist t flower courier delivery service and specially-selected florists. We do not deliver our flowers by post to ensure you can send flowers with confidence. Gifting Direct UK is the leading UK Florist of designer flowers online Corporate Flowers The image of your business Reputations often preceded you, what are you doing to keep it? Transform your workplace with a striking display of fresh designer arranged flowers. Whether you're looking for a one-off special event display, or a weekly supply of fresh blooms, Gifting Direct can help. Our expert floral artists create unique displays to complement your workplace and create a mood that impresses your customers, while inspiring pride in your colleagues. Simple, quintessential to quirky, we create to your expectations... Corporate accounts make it easy to order flowers for your office shop hotel restaurant, studio & workplace, clients and competitors - giving you more time to focus your business. Article Date: Monday, 7 August, 2006 Subject: Champagne Service - read more Gifting Direct Champagne service. Gifting Direct has and is further increasing its Champagne Gift delivery service throughout this autumn in the UK. Gifting Direct Champagnes have the largest selection of real Champagnes of any mail order gifting service available to the UK on next day delivery throughout England Wales and Scotland. It should be noted that the Scottish Highlands & Islands are a two day delivery service and when delivered over water by ferry or Air the standard delivery charge does increase. All the classic Champagnes are included with the Gifting Direct service & next day delivery. Such as Moet Chandon, Dom Perignon, Bollinger, Verve Cliquot, Lanson, Krug, Piper Heidseck, Mumm, Pol Roger, A new series of packaging options are becoming through Gifting Direct Champagne services. Some of the options available include wooden, leather, finished board boxes with new vibrant coloured specialist Champagne gift boxes for single, double three, four six and dozen bottle boxes. Included within the Gifting Direct Champagne range are mini bottles, half bottles standard 70cl bottles Magnums and Pink Champagnes Champagne is of course the French sparkling wine and because it has the vines in the Champagne region of France, but many other countries provide excellent sparkling wines produced by the Method Champagne. In particular the some Spanish sparkling wines (known as Cava wines) are equal and even better than the .French product. California and Australia also produce excellent Sparkling wines. It has to be said that France has other regions producing Sparkling wines and I can think of Sparkling Saumur as one French Champagne style wine that is equal to some of the best champagnes. Gifting Direct Champagne Services include Sparkling wines other than Champagne including Spanish Cava, Californian Sparking “Champagne Method” wines and of course some excellent Australian Sparking Wines. All sparkling wines and Champagne are available for next day delivery today with an increased range becoming available throughout the autumn and in-house for the Christmas period. Gifting Direct Champagnes and Sparkling wines are available with Flowers, Candles, any of our Diabetic, Organic , Vegetarian and Event hampers adding as they do and extra dimension to the quality gifts available on-line 24/7 through the Gifting Direct website at www.giftingdirect.co.uk. Other Champagne information Champagne is produced by Champagne houses or négociants-manipulants. Champagne is not necessarily named a vineyard such as the Chateau or Appellation Controllee used by other winegrowing areas of France. Instead Champagne Houses they are known by commercial names. By far the most powerful Champagne House is Moët & Chandon, accounting s for 24% of all sales. Moët & Chandon is owned Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, which includes Pommery & Veuve Clicquot. Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy accounts for virtullay 50% of all Champagne sales. Another Champagne conglomerates are The Canadian Seagram Group, & Rémy-Martin. Seagram is a stockholder in Mumm Perrier-Jouët, Heidsieck Monopole. While Rémy-Martin has a major position in the excellent Champagne wine, Krug, while recently buying into the Charles Heidsieck house inclusive of Piper Heidsieck. Famous Champagne houses are known as Grandes Marques In 1882, three Grand Marques, Syndicat des Grandes Marques. Later that year nineteen other Champagnes houses joined virtually cornering the market In the 20th century, the Syndicat des Grandes Marques was renamed the Club des Grandes Marques increasing membership to those other Chamapgne houses who could reach minimum quality standards. There are many other quality producers outside of the Club des Grandes Marques who produce good champagne. Most growers outside the Club des Grandes Marques bottle their own or belong to cooperatives. Listed below are the Grandes Marques and some of the other principle Champagne houses. The Grandes Marques of Champagne Ayala • Ay Billecart-Salmon • Mareuil-sur-Ay Bollinger • Ay Canard-Duchêne • Ludes Deutz & Geldermann • Ay Heidsieck & Co. Monopole • Reims Charles Heidsieck • Reims Henriot • Reims Krug • Reims Lanson Père et Files • Reims Laurent-Perrier • Tours-sur-Marne Moët et Chandon • Epernay G. H. Mumm • Reims Perrier-Jouët • Epernay Joseph Perrier • Châlons-sur-Marne Piper-Heidsieck • Reims Pol Roger • Epernay Pommery & Greno • Reims Ch. & A Prieur • Loius Roederer • Reims Ruinart • Reims A Salon • Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Taittinger • Reims Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin • Reims . Article Date: Monday, 24 July, 2006 Subject: Diabetic Hampers - read more Gifting Direct has and is still the only British Gifting Company that caters for the Diabetic community through a dedicated Diabetic gift hamper selection. All Diabetic hampers are available either on the Gifting Direct Diabetic Hamper website at www.giftingdirect.co.uk or by free phone mail order. 0800 37 47 60 Article Date: Friday, 17 June, 2005 Subject: Wine Packs Fantastic new wine packs available now from Gifting Direct. Selection of three, four and six bottle wine packs from all areas of the wine growing world. Article Date: Friday, 27 May, 2005 Subject: Hampers Gifting Direct is happy to announce its new Hamper range. Featuring the very best delights we could find and packed in these fantastic hampers Article Date: Friday, 20 May, 2005 Subject: Computers and Consoles A new range of stunning computers, TFT monitors and the all new Slimline Silver Playstation 2 are now available for our ever expanding range of gifts. Article Date: Friday, 22 April, 2005 Subject: Development Gifting Direct have been concentrating on making our website even better to use. Now you can group your gifts together by adding a recpients name to the gift group when you add to your cart. This allows you to pick several gifts to go to one person on a day with only one charge and at the same time order something for someone else for a different day. Article Date: Friday, 18 March, 2005 Subject: Kit Kash You can now order our gifts, get discounts and win prizes from Gifting Direct via KitKash. Nestle have a promotion with its Kit Kat brand where you could win great prizes like a £50 bouquet every month for a year Article Date: Friday, 18 February, 2005 Subject: Vouchers If you are unsure of what to buy someone as a present Gifting Direct Ltd has added the new menu selection bar to the side of the website. Easy choices are made by selecting or hovering over one of the tabs. Inside each tab is a world of gifting, be it wine, whisky, fine Cognac, fine or specialist foods, toys , flowers and much much more all available for delivery in UK next day. . Article Date: Friday, 21 January, 2005 Subject: Vintages Our wine importers have really excelled this month with some stunning vintage wines and champagnes. Located in the wines & spirits section we have some beautiful vintages from all around the world including Dom Perignon, Vintage Moet Champagne and several Chateaus Article Date: Friday, 26 November, 2004 Subject: Partner Site in 'You and Your Wedding Magazine' Gifting Direct partner site Wonderful Floral Designs appeared in the latest edition of You and Your Wedding Magazine. Wonderful Floral Designs are purely flower delivery based and work closely with Gifting Direct on its floral design and flower production. Article Date: Wednesday, 24 November, 2004 Subject: Kids Racing Cars Gifting Direct now has the ability to provide a variety of cars for toddlers. Built for children the cars have 6V and 12V motors or simple pedal power. The range includes some famous models like the Ferrari Grand Prix car or the Porsche 911. Article Date: Friday, 19 November, 2004 Subject: Giant Bonsai Trees Gifting Direct has just secured a contract to provide Giant Bonsai Trees to the UK. These bonsai trees stand over 2 metres tall. In addition Gifting Direct not only has the ability to deliver to your door but also to your garden with the 'Plant my Tree' service available with all Giant Bonsai Trees. Our professional contractors will see that your tree is correctly planted and secured in your garden. Article Date: Friday, 12 November, 2004 Subject: GMTV give 5 out of 5 The creator of Gifting Direct received glowing reports on National television from GMTV. In a review of flower delivery services including Interflora, Teleflorist, Next, Flying Flowers and Marks and Spencer, the creator of Gifting Direct came out head and shoulders above the rest with 5 out of 5. Best value, best quality and best service. Determined not to let this fantastic service pass you by, Gifting Direct has opened its site to include a stunning selection of flowers from the very same creator. Copyright © 2012 Gifting Direct Ltd All Rights Reserved Maintained byComputing Systems