At 5pm on Sunday, I was standing on top of an elephant in Aylesbury Market Square. This incredible, mechanical animal provided me with the best view in the house. I know it sounds like a fantastical dream, but this was reality! The elephant and fire dancers, surrounded by hundreds of people holding illuminated paper lanterns, were the finale act in Aylesbury’s Festival of Lights.

This was the 7^th Festival of Lights event in our town. I have to admit that putting on an event of this nature demands considerable time and energy. I’ve operated on minimal sleep for weeks and there are times when I’ve thought it is too much. Then, you see the smiles on people’s faces, the dancing, music, outfits, food and conversations. It makes it all worthwhile.

As a trustee, lead organiser and sponsor, it was heart-warming to see so many people coming together and enjoying an afternoon of celebration. I have so many people to thank for helping me to make my dreams of a Diwali-inspired community event a reality. If you’d like to get involved in the 2024 event, let me know!

Join Me at Festive Events in Buckinghamshire

I’m going to need a few days to unpack, sort everything out and follow up on the Festival of Lights, but there’s little time to put my feet up.

This coming weekend, I have a stall at Stowe House Christmas Gift Fayre.  Then, I will join the No.2 Pound Street’s artisan Christmas Market in Marlow on Saturday 2 December. Following this, I will be one of the many stallholders at the Waddesdon Christmas Fair from 6 – 17^th December.

Closing the shop when the lease ended was difficult and a bit of a relief. It marked the end of an era but freed up time to attend markets. I’m thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to talk with people, including other stallholders, and encourage them to sample my teas. It’s not hard to tempt them with a hot drink on a cold winter’s day!

“A good cup of tea is like a warm blanket for the soul.”

I am looking to be a stallholder at regular and one-off artisan and gift markets through 2024. If you know of any local events, please provide me with the details.

Back to the shop, I’m pleased to see that a sensory toy shop is now open for business on Cambridge Street. I wish Sensory Toys4U every success.

New for Christmas!

I am pleased to have launched new tea tins and gift boxes at the Festival of Lights. The small, metallic tea tins feature a leaf design and help to keep tea fresher for longer. Each tin is filled with 40g of our bespoke blend loose leaf teas.

Gift Boxes, featuring three tins filled with Emporium Breakfast Tea, Road to Marrakesh and Festive Vanilla Chai are a new offer for Christmas 2023. You’ll be pleased to know that I have stocked up for the forthcoming markets. These gifts make a perfect present for any tea lover!

A thank you goes out to my sister, Geeta, who helped coordinate the design work and source the printed tins and stickers.

I plan to build a tea subscription box service in 2024. These small, refillable tins are likely to feature, along with other accessories and samples of tea. I’ll keep you posted. For now, remember Holy Cow Home online shop for unusual festive gifts!