Tag Archives: Things to do

Staving Off Boredom During Winter

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Winter can be a rather tedious, bleak time of the year; freezing cold winds and bitter rains mean that many will be trapped indoors throughout winter, unable to enjoy the pursuits they otherwise would be able to enjoy during the rest of the year. If you’re stuck inside, the prospect of boredom is always just around the corner, and if you just don’t know what to do with your time when the snow is blowing outside, here are a few fun things you can occupy yourself with until the spring thaw occurs!

winter in St Pauls

Reading is always a great way to spend the time during winter. Curling up in front of the fire whilst surrounded by blankets and pillows, indulging your bookish side, reading can be a heck of a lot of fun. Either get some ebooks via a device like Amazon’s Kindle, or make your way through those bookcases worth of paperbacks you purchased or were given but never had the time to read in the more pleasant months.

Cooking is also a safe way to beat back boredom, and will do wonders for your culinary prowess. Rustling up a hearty stew or casserole can be a heck of a lot of fun, and whilst recipes are often useful, it’s always nice to deviate slightly away from the prescribed cookery formula, putting your own flair on your favourite dish. What’s even better is that whilst you slave away over that hot stove, you’ll actually be warm!

With so many devices, smart phones, tablets and laptops around nowadays, games are a great way to spend a few hours. If you have a games console, think about getting an RPG game such as Skyrim; whilst it pours it down outside you can live the life of a fantasy hero for a few hours, exploring dungeons, fighting dragons and generally having a great time! Online games are also great fun; Casino.betway.com is a fun site that allows users to play classic casino games such as roulette, poker and blackjack. You’ll even have the chance to win a little money- great if you need a little extra cash over the Christmas period.

Perhaps not as exciting as video games, but just as engrossing, board games are a fun, traditional way to pass time throughout the snowy season. Pop into the loft and dust off those old copies of Risk, Scrabble, Monopoly and Pictionary, invite round some friends, crack open a bottle of something tasty and enjoy a lovely, chatty night in together!

 

 

Westfield’s Launch ‘We Are LDN Summer’ Campaign

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To celebrate the launch of Westfield’s ‘We Are LDN Summer’ campaign, running 16 July – 31 August, visitors to Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City will be treated to six weeks of London’s best in class of dance, music, art, food, children and fashion themed activity. WESTFIELD LAUNCHES WE ARE LDN SUMMER CAMPAIGN Each themed week will showcase the capital’s finest free dance workshops, musical performances, art exhibitions, culinary demonstrations, children’s activities and style sessions along with competitions and offers from Westfield’s dining, entertainment and leisure retailers.   Whether you’re out for a spot of shopping, enjoying a delicious meal or soaking up the sun, Westfield has all your summer bases covered.  

MUSIC WEEK (21 – 27 JULY)

 

West & East London Talent, Various Stages, Daily

The very best of London musicians, choirs, writers and performers will be showcasing their talents across a variety of stages at Westfield London and Stratford City. The Mayor of London’s annual busking competition will also be taking place during this week so get front row to see the capital’s next big star!

 

DANCE WEEK (28 JULY – 3 AUGUST)

 

English National Ballet, 30 July at Westfield London, 31 July Westfield Stratford City 11-4pm

Children can experience the love of dance firsthand with this exciting workshop hosted led by the English National Ballet, featuring the enchanting tales of Coppélia, Swan Lake and Nutcracker.

 

Big Dance, Westfield London, Mon 28 July, Fri 1 Aug, Sun 3 Aug, 11-5pm

High energy performances and have-a-go workshops from Big Dance at Westfield including street, Brazilian, Jazz and swing.

 

IMD Legion, Westfield Stratford City, 3 August, 12pm

Check out East London dance crew, IMD Legion as they show off the talent that made them famous on Got To Dance, Nickelodeon, Ashley Banjo’s Street Crew and CBBC Fridays.

 

ART WEEK (4 – 10 AUGUST)

East vs. West Art, Westfield London, Daily

Curated in associating with Jack Jones of The London Collection, the exhibition brings together a selection of established and emerging artists to promote the cultural richness and diversity that West London has to offer. This exciting collection will feature a mix of contemporary painting, photography and sculpture.

 

Kids Arts, 6 August Westfield London, 7 August Westfield Stratford City, 11-4pm

Wednesday 6 August is a dedicated kid’s art’s day. Kids are invited to come down grab a painting easel, a beret and a paint brush and hone their skills.

 

Live Graffiti, Westfield Stratford City, Throughout the day

Check out the week long interactive live graffiti artwork supplied by Graffiti Life. Become part of the daily mural or get your own graffiti name tag giveaway!

 

FOOD WEEK (11 – 17 AUGUST)

 

Cooking Demos, Westfield London, Westfield Stratford City, Daily, See website for details

Enjoy free, daily masterclasses with L’atelier des Chef, the leaders in fun, energetic culinary classes.

 

Kids Cooking Day, Westfield London 13 August, Westfield Stratford City, 14 August, 11-4pm

Kids are invited to try and be the next Jamie Oliver at Kids Cooking Day. Kids can try their hand at making finger sandwiches and pies.

 

Foodie Festival, Westfield London, 16 – 17 August

Top off a week of gastronomy at Westfield London with a weekend foodie festival. Located in the al-fresco surroundings of The Southern Terrace, retailers and guest vendors will be sharing their tasty treats to shoppers.

KIDS WEEK (18 – 24 AUGUST)

 

Dinosaur Train,     Westfield London: 19 August, 11am, 12noon, 1:30pm, 2:30pm and 3:30pm,

Westfield Stratford City 20 August, 11am, 12noon, 1:30pm, 2:30pm and 3:30pm

 

Beloved Nick Jnr programme, Dinosaur Train, is coming exclusively to Westfield! A UK first, Buddy the tyrannosaurus rex and his adopted pteranodon family will be entertaining their fans. Free wristbands collected from 9am.

 

My London Girl Lessons, Westfield London, Daily, 12 – 5pm

During kids week, retailer My London Girl will be holding free in-store arts and crafts such as dolly hair braiding, friendship bracelet making and decorating trinket boxes.

 

Kids Arts & Crafts, Westfield Stratford City, Chestnut Plaza, Daily, 11-5pm

East London themed kids workshops and activities organised by Iced Gems Events, including games, making and decorating bags, jewellery, ceramic plates, clothes, giveaways, competitions, and face paint. Fun for all ages every day!

 

The Kick Off, Westfield Stratford City, Outside Café Football, 21 August

Think you could do better than US goalie, Tim Howard and the 16 goals he saved? Try your penalty shootout skills with Café Football.

 

FASHION WEEK (25-31AUGUST)

 

Style Sessions, Daily, Westfield London, Westfield Stratford City (see website for schedule)

For the forward-thinking fashionista or those after some styling advice, Westfield London will be hosting open style sessions from Westfield’s retailers and team of personal stylists.

PLUS, SAVE THE DATE FOR…

 

ABBEY CLANCY AT SCHOLL EXPRESS PEDI BEACH

Westfield London, The Atrium, 18 July, 11am

As the official ‘feet’ of Scholl, Abbey Clancy will make her exclusive, star appearance to open the glorious indoor beach on the morning of Friday 18 July

 

SCHOLL EXPRESS PEDI BEACH

Westfield London, The Atrium, 18 – 19 July, 10am – 7pm; 20 July 12pm – 6pm

The Scholl Express Pedi Beach is set to be the perfect pit-stop for your pre-holiday speedy summer pedicure. Let the Scholl pedicure team tend to your tired soles with a free express pedicure using the Scholl Velvet Smooth range to give you soft, beautiful feet in an instant.

 

ALEXA CHUNG BOOK SIGNING 

Westfield London, The Atrium, 12 August, 12.30pm. Signing for 1.5hours

Fashion’s It girl, Alexa Chung, will be make an appearance to sign her aptly entitled book, It. A collect of writing, doodles and photographs, It has been a huge success with Alexa’s army of fashion and style followers.

 

BIG HOUSE

Big House, Westfield Stratford City Daily, 11-6pm, Sunday 12-6pm

Daredevil visitors to the Big House can hang from the window ledges by their fingertips with not a care in the world. Well, it will look like you can! The Big House is nothing but an optical illusion. Give it a go and share on social media to trick you friends!

 

Don’t forget to have your picture taken with the great big WEST and EAST letters to pledge your allegiance to #WestLDN or #EastLDN on social media.

 

Things To See: The Eiffel Tower | Travel

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I have to start this piece by saying that the Eiffel Tower has a special place in my heart, as just over a year ago my fiancé whisked me away to Paris and proposed to me. After his proposal we went to the Eiffel Tower. Before I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time I always thought it would be long and thin. In fact, the Eiffel Tower is huge, both in height and girth. It is so vast and impressive that it is impossible to not feel just a little insignificant in it’s shadow. It is easy to see why the Eiffel Tower is one of the most famous attractions in the world, and is seen in countless movies and television shows.

Paris

Even more shocking and surprising is that this genius of architecture and human ability is now 125 years old. How they had the technology and ability to do this 125 years ago always makes me wondrously impressed. It took 300 workers, 18,038 pieces of wrought iron, 2.5 million rivets, 10,000 tons, 984.25 feet high and two years, two months, and five days of construction to complete. Not bad at all.

The Eiffel Tower

Photo credit: Catherine Balavage

 

The Eiffel Tower is a must see, especially if you live in Europe as it is so easy to get to Paris. Especially on the Eurostar. And there are many amazing and reasonable priced hotels near the Eiffel Tower which can be found through Hotel Direct After getting over my general awe of just how huge both the base of the tower, and the height was, we went all of the way to the top. I even went out into the balcony at the very top. It was a little scary but I did not want to pass up the opportunity. The view of Paris from the top is absolutely amazing and it is quite an adrenaline rush.

In it’s 125-year history more than 250 million people have visited the Eiffel Tower, making it the most-visited paid monument in the world. Here are some more facts:

The view from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Photo credit: Catherine Balavage

The view from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Photo credit: Catherine Balavage

The view from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Photo credit: Catherine Balavage

The view from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Photo credit: Catherine Balavage

The Eiffel Tower is more than one colour. It is darker at the top and lighter at the bottom to counteract atmospheric perspective. It is also painted every seven years to protect the tower from rust. Fifty to sixty tons of paint is needed to paint the entire tower.

The Eiffel Tower was meant to be taken down after twenty years. In the end the French military and the French government used it for radio, and later tele, communications. When the towers permit expired in 1909, the City of Paris renewed it indefinitely.

The people of Paris originally hated the Eiffel Tower. Parisians thought it was an eyesore and newspapers received angry letters saying it didn’t fit into the feel of the city. Apparently, novelist Guy de Maupassant hated the tower but ate at its restaurant everyday. When people asked him why he said it was because it was the only place in Paris where he couldn’t see it.

eiffeltowercatherinebalavage

The Eiffel Tower changes height. Because it is made with wrought iron the metal expands when exposed to heat. This increases the towers height by 6.75 inches.

The Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world until 1930 when New York City’s Chrysler Building rose up to 1,046 feet 

Apparently, the Eiffel Tower wasn’t the brainchild of Gustav Eiffel.  It was his senior engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier who designed the tower. Gustav Eiffel sent the engineers to the head of the company’s architectural department, Stephen Sauvestre. After Sauvestre’s edits, Eiffel finally got behind the plans and he also bought the right to the patent.

The Eiffel Tower, Champ de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007 Paris, France

Read our Paris In Instagram Pictures pieces for more great things to do in Paris.

 

Chelsea Art Fair | Events

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After last year’s successful relaunch of the new Chelsea Art Fair under the directorship of Ben Cooper, it will be returning to the Chelsea Old Town Hall and open to the public from Thursday, April 10 to Sunday, April 13, 2014. Offering an equally wide selection of well-known artists and some new discoveries, 40 of the most respected modern and contemporary art galleries from around the country will bring their highlights – many shown on the London Fair scene for the first time.

chelseaartfaira

Flat and three-dimensional works of art with prices up to £50,000, making this the perfect Fair for keen collectors and first-time buyers alike. The chic boutique Fair encourages visitors to take their time to look around and talk to dealers in a relaxing, contemporary atmosphere.

This year, the Fair sees some of the best galleries from Cornwall and Devon exhibiting on the King’s Road, including Falmouth-based Beside the Wave, Lighthouse Gallery and Stoneman Gallery from Penzance and Totnes dealer White Space Art. They are bringing a wide range of art depicting the South West of England and artists from the region.

For the first time, Didier Ltd will be selling iconic jewellery by leading 20th-century painters, sculptors, designers and architects, and as such bringing a new dimension to the Fair, which will work well with some jewellery by other contemporary artists sold by some of the exhibiting galleries.

Several galleries will be exhibiting sculptural art as well, but the leaders in life-sized sculptures are Muse,The Sculpture Gallery. Muse’s key sculptor Philip Jackson will be joined by several other established and emerging UK and European sculptors. While the Sheridan Russell Gallery focus on UK artists, among them Shaun Brosnan, Stephen Page and Mel Fraser, who will create a life-size sculpture especially for the Chelsea Art Fair.

Other top end galleries and contemporary art dealers exhibiting include Francis Iles Gallery, Camburn Fine Art, Carina Haslam Art, Woodbine Contemporary Arts, Wren Gallery and The Russell Gallery, who will bring works by artists collected by well-known art collectors, museums and celebrities around the world.

There will be some exciting talks on various aspects of modern and contemporary art to give visitors the opportunity to engage more with the art on view (more info below).
The Chelsea Art Fair will support the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People Charity again this year and a percentage of specific works of art will go directly to the charity.

When: THURSDAY, APRIL 10 to SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 2014
Where: CHELSEA OLD TOWN HALL, LONDON SW3 5EE
Open: Thursday, 11-9, Friday & Saturday 11-6, Sunday 11-5
Cost: £6
Up-to-date information and E-Tickets: can be found on www.chelseaartfair.org or on Twitter and Facebook.
Tours: There will be several tours around the fair, available to book on the day at a cost of £10, including entry and 50% of which will be going to the charities.
Friday, 12 April: 14.30 How to decorate your home with art
Saturday, 13 April: 14.30 Investing in art
Sunday, 14 April: 14.30 An introductory tour on how to start your own art collection

 

Cities At Dawn Workshops: A Photographers Dream

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asWe are a huge fan of these Cities At Dawn workshops, they teach you how to capture  London, Paris and Venice at dawn. We have a blog from one half of Cities At Dawn Anthony Epes, (the other half is his wife Diana Bird, both are an incredible, talented team) You can also read about ‘the art of seeing’ which is what Anthony wants to help people develop on the workshops alongside all the technical stuff.

An adventure in Paris By Anthony Epes.

Last week a group of talented, eager and inquisitive amateur photographers joined me in Paris for my first Paris at Dawn workshop. It was a truly incredible, intense and inspiring experience.  After four days they had created a great portfolio of photos, we’d had many conversations about photography and walked miles exploring the beautiful, pretty, epic, gritty and sometimes crazy streets of Paris. There were many bars visited and a good amount of delicious food taken in.

On our first morning we met at 4am when Paris was still heavy in darkness and wandered through the beautiful cobbled streets of Montmartre, past the debris of last night’s fun and the many cafes that line the streets that are usually heaving with people. The winding roads and alleys (and many steps!) took us up to Sacre Coeur. We met people along the way – a group of French revelers intent on continuing the night, a painter I know who was out walking his dog, a few workers on their way home – and as is usual when there is no one else around, people were friendly and chatted to us along the way, curious to find out what we were doing up at such an hour and wanting to see out work.By old Shoreditch Station

The dawn didn’t disappoint. We stood on the hill by Sacre Coeur and watched as Paris was lit up by a red and yellow sun. The group were instantly inspired and a furry of activity, running up and down the steps, trying to capture the amazing dawn light as it changed rapidly. I was there to assist, giving tips and providing guidance.

Dawn gives you a tiny window of opportunity to see some of the most beautiful light of the day, you have to be prepared and you have to be quick. Every dawn is different, sometimes you might have an epic sky for a few hours or you can be waiting for hours and then suddenly for 30 seconds  the sky burst with incredible light, only to vanish in seconds. Be prepared or miss out on the best light of your life. It always gives me a thrill to wait and see what each morning will bring.

The next morning we headed down to Notre Dame on the Seine and Ile St Louis. Sunrise over any river, especially one that has so many beautiful bridges like in Paris, is a good opportunity for great photos . I really enjoyed introducing the group to these iconic places, even though I have been to these spots dozens of times, the beauty of Paris is so incredible that even I manage to get new shots each time I visit. This little stretch of the city is one of my favourite places to shoot, the little lamps by the river, the grand imposing Notre Dame, the pretty little bridges.

cad-6Our Parisian adventure also included lots of technical and composition sessions, and a 1-2-1 with each of  the photographers, for me to look over their portfolios and give them some advice about how they can each develop. I love getting to know each person’s body of work and it helps me when I am out and about to give advice that is specific to them.

We also took an afternoon walk from my apartment in Batignolles along Pigalle and the ‘saucy’ bit of the city (and past the Moulin Rouge, which looks much smaller in real life than one imagines), to Rue Barbes which is a heavily north and West African area with a great French and ethnic market and food shops, through the Sri Lankan area around the gritty Gare du Nord (where the smells of curries and parathas coming from the cafes make your mouth water) across Jardin Villemin, one of those pretty parks the Parisians do so well, and ending up at Canal St Martin a sort of London East-Endish cool area. Design shops, cool bars, a couple of galleries line the canal which is beautiful, especially in the morning with its high green bridges and tall trees. We stopped at Le Comptoir General, a very cool bar/cafe that’s down a little unmarked alley way, and had African street food and some much deserved beer.

The workshop finished up at my apartment on Sunday morning, over an indulgent breakfast of buttery croissants and cad-2chocolaty, custard pasties. We looked over the images the group had got, talked about our experiences and discussed any lingering questions. And then reluctantly, we all left to pack up and go home to our real lives. I found it incredibly inspiring to spend this time with these people who were so curious and interested in discovering Paris, taking photos and building their skills. Being with other people who share your passion is such a pleasure. Talking photos, taking photos, exploring, being together – it’s such a joy. We all came away inspired by each other and of course by Paris, at dawn.

 
Workshop dates for 2014 are:
 

 

cities at dawn cities at dawn cities at dawn cities at dawn

Fashion Meets Food As Yauatcha & Harvey Nichols Team Up for Chinese New Year

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This February sees a unique twist on Chinese New Year with an exclusive collaboration between Michelin-starred Chinese dim sum teahouse Yauatcha, by the internationally acclaimed Hakkasan group, and global luxury fashion destination Harvey Nichols. Renowned for their fantastical and elaborate store windows, the Harvey Nichols visual display team have designed a spectacular one-off window display, to be exhibited at Yauatcha in Soho from 20th January to 10th February.

chinesenewyear

Inspired by the Chinese tradition of spreading luck by gifting friends and family red envelopes containing money, Yauatcha and Harvey Nichols designed the display to capture the essence and ethos of Chinese New Year, the most auspicious date in the Chinese calendar. As 2014 is the Year of the Horse, the creation focuses around a large red origami-style Perspex horse jumping into the front window, with a flowing mane and tail brought to life with almost 1,000 bright red folded envelopes, hand made by luxury paper merchant GFSmith. The window display will extend back into the restaurant, with red paper envelopes flying from the horse and forming patterns in the air above and around guests. Smaller origami horses will also appear along the front and side windows.

 

Throughout the collaboration each guest at Yauatcha will receive a red envelope containing vouchers for fashion and beauty treats, along with a bespoke Chinese New Year cocktail created by the Yauatcha and Harvey Nichols bar managers and available at the Fifth Floor Bar. During the campaign eight special golden tickets will be given to guests at random, containing lavish prizes such as meals and cocktail masterclasses at Yauatcha and makeovers at Harvey Nichols.

 

In addition, Hakkasan group’s Executive Pastry Chef Graham Hornigold has created bespoke macarons and petits gateaux, which will be added to the existing array of award-winning desserts, macarons and handmade chocolates. The limited edition flavours include:

 

Red Macarons depicting the Chinese character for the Year of the Horse, filled with mandarin ganache and mandarin pâte de fruit. Mandarins are traditionally given at Chinese New Year, and symbolise luck and fortune.

Red Petits Gateaux in the shape of a traditional Chinese New Year lantern, depicting the Chinese character for the Year of the Horse. A jasmine mousse filled with a honey panna cotta centre, with caramelised mandarins and sesame brittle. The mandarins symbolise luck and fortune, the sesame seeds fertility.

 

Price: Macarons – £1.60 each, £9 per 6 pieces, £18 per 12 pieces. Petits gateaux – £5.90 (retail), £8.50 (a la carte).

Guests at Yauatcha on the afternoon of Sunday 2nd February will view the spectacle of the traditional Chinese dragon dance, with the raucous theatrical procession of the dragon visiting every table with its colourful and noisy celebratory performance.

 

The Book of Mormon | Things To Do

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The Book of Mormon is from the makers of South Park and has had brilliant reviews. We are going to review it next week and will be giving you our verdict, Until then, check out the videos below for some funniness.

The Book Of Mormons, tickets

Tickets from Stubhub.co.uk

Royal Crown Derby Entertains At The Waldorf Hilton, London

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At Frost there are few things we love more than a good cup of tea. So if you are looking for something quintessentially English to do then we might have something for you.

Royal Crown Derby Entertains has unveiled its fine bone china tableware for a traditional British afternoon tea offering at The Waldorf Hilton, London. The Westminster design Royal Crown Derby Entertains will be introduced at the hotel on 16 September 2013, through a special afternoon tea package.

Guests will be treated to a quintessentially English afternoon tea experience in the hotel’s deluxe Homage Grand Salon, with distinct blends of tea and exquisite finger sandwiches, pastries and cakes all served on the finest quality bone china from Royal Crown Derby Entertains. The afternoon tea occasion has been further refined to include a live harpist and champagne trolley including a vintage champagne option.

Manufactured in the heart of England at the company’s Derby based factory, Royal Crown Derby Entertains is a range of delicate tableware pieces embellished with iconic patterns from Royal Crown Derby’s distinguished history. Sourced from the company’s extensive pattern archive, Westminster was conceived by Royal Crown Derby Entertains to bring a sense of elegance to a hotel or restaurant table. The range features a distinctive sweeping motif, which has been set against the pure white finish of the bone china and Royal Crown Derby’s signature 22 carat gold border. The Royal Crown Derby Entertains collection comprises all of the fundamental ingredients for a formal afternoon tea. Each piece has been painstakingly designed to deliver the highest quality performance and preserve the subtle intricacies associated with the ceremony.

The Waldorf Hilton, London, has a rich London heritage spanning over a hundred years, with is interior bringing to life the glamour of the roaring twenties through an elegant art deco décor. Situated on the tree-lined thoroughfare of Aldwych, the hotel is a stone’s throw from Theatreland and some of the capital’s most iconic attractions.

Peter Beckwith, area general manager, London, Hilton Worldwide, said, “At The Waldorf Hilton we pride ourselves on our heritage and partnering with Royal Crown Derby was an excellent opportunity to expand and take delight in our rich hotel history. Through collaboration of our afternoon tea and the Westminster Collection, guests will be treated to a truly traditional British afternoon tea experience.”

waldorfhilton

The Royal Crown Derby Entertains collection includes six designs, Chelsea, Westminster, Covent Garden, Knightsbridge, St James and Piccadilly, with an array of shapes available for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner services. The ranges are complemented by a bespoke design service that enables special commissions to be fabricated in Royal Crown Derby’s factory.

Royal Crown Derby Entertains Sales Director John Mohin comments: “When developing the Royal Crown Derby Entertains collection we drew upon our wealth of history and experience in producing the finest tableware for an afternoon tea ceremony or formal dining occasion. Each of the ranges within our portfolio reflects Royal Crown Derby’s rich heritage of creative artistry and technical skill within its border pattern, with every design sourced from our archive and reinterpreted to meet the demands of the premium hospitality industry.”