Hurrah! Christmas starts here!
First up on my ‘shop’ series is the wonderful, the lovely, the amazing treasure trove that is The Hambledon in Winchester. Located in one of the most beautiful cities in the South (so many historic buildings and green spaces!), you can find them tucked away by the cathedral, surrounded by a gazillion lovely places to eat and drink (handy!)
The shop is amazing all year round, with shelves packed full of lovely things; Falcon enamelware jostles for space with the softest of table linens and miniature glass bottles, tables are stacked with copies of wonderfully thick cookbooks and interiors tomes, and walls are festooned with garlands, fanwheels and bunting. There’s ladieswear and accessories and beauty, menswear, bags, flowers and partyware. Childrens toys, beautifully illustrated books and the crispest sheets of lovely wrapping paper. It is, at all times, one of my favourite places to shop. But at Christmas, it’s something else.
At Christmas, the fairy lights come out. At Christmas, there are buckets of foliage dotted about, and wreaths hung merrily on the wall. There is a brightly coloured display behind the till, made up of gift wrapping and decorations, giant fanwheels and tiny boxes topped with pompoms. At Christmas the upper floor is turned into a twinkly, sparkling wonderland; glittery ornaments hang delicately from a tree, while beautifully wrapped gifts in a rainbow of colours are piled beneath. There are snowglobes and miniature trees, decorations for the tree and decorations for the table. Sugary treats nestle on shelves; sumptuous Turkish Delight dusted gently with icing sugar, soft marshmallows and endless bars of chocolate in a variety of flavours.
What’s even better is that The Hambledon sell all of these Christmass-y treats online, so if you’re not local, or you can’t make it to the shop in time, you can still snap up some goodies. Hurrah! In case you’re having trouble deciding what you absolutely can’t do without, I put together a little guide to make things a bit easier for you…. (hint, hint, Husband!)
(From top left)
Festive Mallow Pop, £3.95 // Moon and Stars Boxed Tags, £9 // Rose Turkish Delight, £9.95 // Large Arrow Ornaments, £9.95 // Glitter Heart Tree Decoration, £3.75 // Snowflake Cookie Cutters, various prices // Large Neon Crackers, £17.50 //