I love a spot of camping (only in the summer though, I am a fair weather camper).

Anorak is a style driven company that produce durable outdoor products for camping and the garden. Born from childhood memories of family camping adventures, Laurie Robertson created Anorak after graduating from her masters in Printed Textiles.

What I love is the simplicity of the designs and the bright bold colours The best thing…It’s all designed and manufactured in Britain. How good is that! big round of applause for Anorak .

Well it had to happen at some point didn’t it!

Unless you’ve had your head stuck firmly in the sand for the last year (and to be honest, with the recessionary doom and gloom – who could blame you), then you will probably have seen the “Keep Calm and Carry On” posters that have been floating around the web.

So the story goes, the original posters were issued by the Ministry of Information during World War II for the purposes of propaganda and to boost morale on the Home Front. Lost for a generation, a copy of the poster was found in an auction along with a load of old books. The lucky buyer put the poster up in their house and got so many compliments that they decided to reproduce it. As the crown copyright had passed, it was fair game for anyone and everyone to start producing them which is why the web is littered with some brilliant (and some not so good) reproductions and parodies.

As we’ve been spending some time recently in a screen printing studio, we decided to put our new-found skills to good use and make our own version – and it seemed pretty obvious that Keep Calm and Carry On Britain should be the message.

The posters are lovingly screen printed by hand onto 150gsm, acid free “Canford” paper which is manufactured in England by Daler-Rowney, a British company who have been producing artists materials and ‘Inspiring Creativity Since 1783′.

Our Keep Calm posters are 40cm x 30cm in size and come in a beautiful range of colours to suit any room in your house. Please excuse us for trying to flog you something but…well…there’s a recession on don’tcha know and we need to make a few quid to fund our further travels around Britain

To see the full range or to maybe even buy a poster – keep calm and carry on over to our friends at Ryne Arts Gallery.

I have had the best Christmas break!

The fella and I have been driving all over Britain visiting family and friends. After Christmas Day in Nottinghamshire and Boxing Day in North Yorkshire, we then drove to Pembrokeshire for my friend’s 30th birthday and New Year’s Eve. It was fab! Pembrokeshire is stunning and I spent a lot of time walking up and down beaches or sat in front of a wood burning stove, eating. The fresh sea air was much needed after the excesses of Christmas and New Year.

Here a few photographs of my trip.

The first is of Newgale beach. The sky was really dramatic and looked amazing, soon after though we got caught in a huge hail storm and blizzard.

This is Whitesands beach which is near St Davids. St Davids is the smallest city in the UK I think? (Just checked and it is!)

The best part of the trip however was the pub that we happily stumbled across called The Sloop in Porthgain. It’s everything you could want from a pub in the middle of Winter. Good beer, open fire, warm, cozy and serving great pub food. It was so good we went back twice. The mussels were incredible, served in a coconut Thai sauce with a chunk of bread. I had ham, leek and chicken pie both times I went (it was that good!). It was a proper pie served with lots of veggies and mash potato. Then for pudding sticky toffee and date pudding with custard….. perfection after a night on the sauce and a long walk on the beach.

The whole week away was brilliant. I loved Pembrokeshire and even though it took 6 hours to drive there, it was thoroughly worth it and I got to fulfill a dream of walking on a beach on New Years Day

So back home and back to reality although I got the Cool Camping Wales book for Xmas so I am already planning the Summer’s camping trips – can’t wait!!!!

Happy New Year to you all – I hope you had a lovely time!

“In the spacious and hygienic preparation areas of The Smokehouse, salmon is salted and smoked; bacon, hams and other meats cured and sliced. Elsewhere, the smoke stoves are filled with sweet-smelling chippings of maple and oak which impart the distinctive taste to Cheshire Smokehouse products.”

Doesn’t that just get the old taste buds rolling! I love the thought of the big stoves going on a crisp Winter’s day.

Cheshire Smokehouse is based in Wilmslow in Cheshire, and basically it does what it says on the tin.

As both ‘farm shop’ and national branded producer, The Smokehouse is an oasis of quality and service in a world of blandness and uniformity. What really makes The Smokehouse different is that most of the products you see and eat – even the fantastic smoked nuts! – are made right there on the premises, with all the expertise and attention to detail you’d expect.

The meat is fantastic, I have long been a fan of their smoked bacon which we have virtually every saturday morning with fresh eggs and Barbakan bagels. We recently did a little trip out to the smokehouse to stock up on some meat. The prices are very competitive with the supermarkets and it’s lovely to know that it is all reared and prepared on site. I just have to be really careful that I don’t blow the budget on sticky toffee pudding and other goodies in the Pâtisserie.

So that rounds it up for another year. I know we have be a little sparse for the past few months but the Carry on Britain team have big plans for 2010. So, wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

What I love in winter is when you go for a long lovely walk in the freezing cold and then treat yourself to a plate full of pie and mash afterwards.

To me it doesn’t get any better. Add in some mulled wine at this time of year and a good Xmas movie and I’m happy all night.

I first came across Pieminister pies when a bar (aptly named Pi) in Chorlton, Manchester started selling pie and mash for tea – a choice of three or four pies served with mash, mushy peas and thick gravy. What a brilliant idea!!!

Back in 2002, Jon Simon and Tristan Hogg teamed up to start a pie business, giving the British public what they needed – a good pie made from proper stuff. After months of development Pieminister was born, what followed was a small shop in Bristol and a stall at London Borough market sitting alongside some of the finest food producers in the world.

Pieminister now has a proper pie kitchen filled with chefs and bakers and is stocked in pubs, restaurants and shops all around the UK, they have even been eaten by the Queen.

Each pie is still made by hand only using the finest ingredients sourced from British farmers and all the meat is free range. We like it when the animals are happy!!

Oooh hello. Bet you didn’t expect to see me again.

I know I know, where have I been?

Well as my last post said I took voluntary redundancy from my job and launched my own company, lovelittle. This really has taken up all of my time and energy but I never forgot about Carry On Britain. Anyway, my New Year’s resolution is to devote more time to this blog and from now until Xmas I have a feast of festive inspired posts for you to read.

Ok, let’s start with some Xmas present ideas for those who really have left it till the last minute.

Bellingham Soap Company is run by Allyson Proudfoot from her home in Northumberland. It all began in 1997 when she was living on a little small holding in Bellingham and her goat Lottie was producing more milk than Allyson knew what to do with. After reading up on the internet, Allyson found a recipe for goat’s milk soap. It was a basic “old timers” cold kettle recipe but it was a start. After a long process of trial and error Allyson formulated an olive, palm and coconut base and began scenting it with flowers and herbs from her garden.

Since 1999, Allyson has shown at many craft fairs as well has having her own premises in the Kirkharle Courtyard which has seen her business grow from strength to strength. In 2007, Allyson decided to focus more on the trade side of the business and moved her workshop back to her home where she continues to make her gorgeous soaps today. The soaps are now sold around the country and more recently through the National Trust.

For me, buying such a natural product is a necessity as I suffer from eczema, but it is always wonderful to find new products that I can use. As well as this product being great on your skin, its also great for the environment as Bellingham Soaps only used ethically produced palm oil and all the packaging is recycled and biodegradable.

These soaps are kind in every way

Today is the last day to order before Xmas so get a move on!

Ah the humble frittata.

What can I say, its easy, its cheap and it can be very healthy.

This is a recipe for the best frittata and its so healthy because it has no cheese in, plus all the ingredients are home grown in Britain or if you’re really smug, home grown in your garden. I am not that smug though.

This serves two people.

Get some left over spuds from the day before, about 8-10 boiled baby potatoes.Break up the spuds and fry them off in a little oil.

Leeks, 1 whole leek will be suffice, wash and gently soften in the frying pan.

Ok so we have softened leeks and fried potatoes. Mix the two together in the pan and pour over 4 eggs whisked and then the best ingrediant, some chopped rosemary. Fresh is best and dont be scared on how much you put in.

Thats it, brown the bottom of the frittata and then put under the grill the cook the top. Serve with salad or my favorite baked beans. Simple

The recession has hit Carry on Britain!

Two weeks ago I lost my job, well I took voluntary redundancy, to pursue my career as a freelance designer (shameless plug alert! lovelittle). Anyway, this forced us to re-evaluate our lifestyle on a grand scale. No more going out for dinner, no more trips to the coast and no more deli counters with their fancy cheeses and stuffed olives. It’s back to basics for Carry on Britain but our ethics and beliefs will not change. Throughout our journey I will be looking for healthy, cheap, British food and I will document our journey here. Just check the menu bar for Carry on Britain on a budget for regular updates.

“She makes cider inside ‘er inside…”

There’s not a lot to say about this little place except that you should really drop in if you’re going anywhere near the Lizard Peninsula and you have a penchant for the appley goodness of cider.

Rebuilt from part of the wartime RAF station at Predannack, The Cider Barn is a fairly new addition to the area. Home to Cornish Blacksmith Cider, they actually make the good stuff on site. Drop by to enjoy tasting the wide selection of different ciders, wins, liqueurs and meads. They also have an outdoor display of ancient Cider presses too.

There was such a massive selection that me and Louise had a bit of a problem choosing, so we ended up buying a big selection which we then merrily ‘tasted’ back at the campsite.

Hidden just round the corner from Penzance you will find a higgledy piggledy place called Mousehole…

I think them there locals pronounce it ‘Mowzel’ but please don’t hold me to that!

Mousehole is a very beautiful and quaint fishing village on the western tip of England, out towards Lands End. Nestled onto the hillside and down to the water, this gorgeous little fishing village retains bags of charm and character and is well worth a visit if you’re in the area.

In the height of summer, I imagine it is a bustling tourist destination with its numerous art galleries, craft shops, little harbour and little white sandy beach. Parking is a bit of a premium so (after a manic squeeze through the tiny, winding streets) we dumped the car at the top of the hill and wandered down to the village centre. Luckily it was a very bright and sunny day so it gave us a chance to top up the tan while taking in the views.

Tempted by the smell of fish and chips and site of cream teas, we decided to stay there for lunch. A little way up the hill we found The Cornish Range which had a very cool, contemporary and relaxing restaurant inside. As it was sunny, we plonked our bottoms in the garden at the back and enjoyed a cool beer/wine for the lady, while tucking into some very well cooked seafood.

Checkout the website for a sample menu and more information about the place. I wasn’t surprised to find out later that this is quite a highly regarded restaurant in the area. They also have 3 guest rooms which would make an ideal place to stay for a cheeky night away. Another place that comes recommended (thanks to Mark Glynne-Jones) is the Old Coastguard. Well worth checking out if you’re looking to stay in ‘Mowzel’.

Overall, Mousehole was a really nice place to visit. However, as heavenly as it looks – after watching a poor ‘L’ plated driver navigating round the one way system, blind corners and crazy tourists – I imagine it’s hell to learn to drive there. Eak!