A Guide to a Cornish Christmas from Readymoney Beach Shop

 

Your little sister Poppy is a real girly girl.

• These handmade headbands by local crafter Lexi's Place are the perfect gift but be quick, stocks are limited. Poppy also loves drawing and sketching so why not send her one of our Shorelines Designs notebooks, featuring designs created from beach clean finds, together with a Readymoney pencil.

Your mum and step-dad love walking through the Cornish countryside with their spaniel Buzz.

• How about one of our fabulous walking books by local author Liz Hurley (not THAT Liz Hurley) so they can plan trips for next year, together with a bag of gigantic Josh's Chocolate buttons to keep them going. Don't forget treats for Buzz too, we've got bags of yummy Santa Paws and handmade treats from The Cornish Barkery, including a gluten free option for sensitive doggy tummies.

Your teenage niece Rae is a free spirit.

• These bee bracelets are a thoughtful choice to brighten her day. Rae carries out regular beach cleans and litter picks so a pair of of these zero-waste earrings by Stellen, made from offcuts of discarded bouncy castles would be another great option for her.

Your tween nephew Alfie is a bit of a screen addict and anything to lure him away from the latest online game is a winner.

• The card game Jesture was designed by two young brothers during the first national lockdown and is rock, paper, scissors with a twist. Perfect for playing via video call with friends and family members when we're all stuck inside on a rainy day. Pop a bag of Buttermilk Cornish fudge in his parcel too to help keep his energy levels up.

Your best friend’s son Mo is one of those children who just love to free-range outside.

• Treat him to one of our pocket kites so he can run up and down to his heart's content. Our plastic-free crabbing lines, handmade in Golant, are also a good eco conscious gift choice, for when the weather is better and things start to get back to normal.

Your good friend Emma took up sea-swimming this year and is proud to have braved the waves almost every day since.

• One of these wave disc pendants from Wild Reef or a starfish cord bracelet will help keep her connected to the water and one of our enamel mugs is perfect for her flask of post-swim hot chocolate.

 Your brother Alex is a real booklover and always has a pile of books on the go.

• One of these beautiful leather bookmarks from Wild Origin will be the perfect present. For something really unique, gift him a copy of '17 Syllables About Fowey', a beautiful little hardbacked book filled with detailed illustrations taking us through a humourous year in Fowey via the medium of haiku.

 

Your school friend Dave and his husband Ronan love to plan weekends away travelling.

• Although their 2020 calendar has remained disappointingly blank they are keeping their fingers crossed for 2021 so one of Sue Eng's watercolour calendars will be perfect for helping them plan life after Covid. Add in a box of delicious Cornish shortbread biscuits too for dunking in their tea whilst they ruminate over what to put on their destination list.

Your twin sisters Madison and Morgan have very different styles but they both love a statement earring, whether for going out or staying in.

• Each pair of Best Makes dangly earrings is different, making yours gifts as unique as your sisters are. The twins both decided to go vegan this year so a bag each of Buttermilk dairy free caramel cups will make their day.

You don't really know your new partner's dad Rashid that well yet but you do know that he loves to bake.

• Fowey Primary School's charity recipe book is a great feelgood choice with all proceeds to the Royal Cornwall Hospital Charity’s Covid Fund. One of Cornish Magpie's striking Cornish fish teatowels will look great either on duty in his kitchen or framed on display on the wall.

Your friends Lucy and Ali managed to buy their first flat together this year, despite everything.

• They've missed their annual trip to Fowey so why not treat their new home to a set of wooden coasters or tablemats and a keyring for their new keys. We’ve got these leather keyrings by Wild Origin or these colourful round key-rings by Cornish Bird In The Sticks, available in two designs.

Your dad Steve is so tricky to buy for, there never seems to be anything he needs!

• If in doubt, go with edible: a Mr Filbert's festive bauble filled with truffle & sea salt mixed nuts is a good place to start, perhaps with a solid chocolate Cornish pasty for good measure. Steve does like enjoying a pint on Town Quay whilst watching the sailing so one of Julie Yardley's art prints would also be a good option.

Your Aunt Miriam loves Readymoney but as she was shielding, she couldn't make it to Fowey this year for her annual holiday.

• These sand earrings contain miniscule amounts of Readymoney sand so you can take the beach to her. Why not add in one of our scented candle tins too, we've got several gorgeous fragrances to choose from.

Your lovely neighbours Mr and Mrs Chan have been dropping in treats for your children during this difficult year.

• They love to spend time sitting on their garden patio in the summer so why not gift them a set of BeeBalls, packed full of bee friendly wild flower seeds. A rainbow seagull magnet for the ever expanding collection on their fridge is a cute way of displaying the rainbow motif so popular during this bizarre year.

Your cousin Freya is a nurse. She is exhausted.

• These all-natural butters from Cornish Naturals will soothe her over-washed and over sanitised hands. She spends all her working days in NHS issue PPE so why not treat her to a Christmas themed reusable fabric mask for when she's not on the ward. You've not been able to see her for months so sending her a sparkly hug is bound to put a smile on her face.

Your eldest son Chris is in his second year at uni.

• He's lost his bank card more times than you can remember so why not see if one of these handmade card wallets will improve things this Christmas. We've got stunning leather wallets made in Cornwall by Wild Origin and wallets made out of upcycled broken bouncy castle by Wyatt & Jack on the Isle of Wight.

Your sister in law Elena is trying to reduce single use plastic as much as she can.

• A set of beeswax wraps is the perfect alternative to clingfilm and one of Scalet Paperie's beautiful Scandi style tote bags is perfect for taking to the local bakery. A set of Jewell’s washable fabric face wipes is another easy single-use swap for her.

Your daughter Lowenna claims to be too old for dolls.

• However she'd just love our Readymoney piskie Daphne to sit on her bedroom window ledge and inspire her to write about the sea, just as Daphne Du Maurier herself did in Fowey. A Readymoney sand charm for her new Pandora style bracelet is a great grown-up gift too.

Your wife Chrissie loves adding new artwork to your home.

• From Land & Sea's monochrome line drawings of Readymoney and Fowey’s Town Quay or one of Scalet Paperie's simple prints in muted tones, (or even both!) would be a great choice for the carefully curated gallery wall in your living room.

Your colleague Trish has been organising Friday afternoon Zoom quizzes since you all started working from home.

• Why not show your gratitude for keeping up team spirits by sending her a beach themed coaster for her ever present mug of tea.

Your old flatmate Freja lives overseas but you’d like to send her a little something to let her know you’re thinking of her.

• A pair of Jewell’s stud earrings, either wood & resin or colourful stripes, wrapped up with a few mini Kernow Chocolate bars would be a great choice.

 

A couple of years ago you started doing Christmas Eve boxes for your children.

• These Kernow Chocolate Spoons are the perfect addition and these little fabric coin purses could be filled with some festive sweets. And why not give yourself a little seasonal treat too with these Langley's Rocky Road Trevethen Gin crackers. You could even hang them from the tree.

• What it really needs is a sparkly crown-wearing felt pasty, scone or seagull (or all three!), a wooden star to remind you of your favourite beach or a Cornish styled gingerbread man.

And there we are, your Christmas shopping for 2020 is DONE! We're currently offering free shipping and local delivery (Fowey area) so don't miss out. Do let me know if I've overlooked anyone on your list. I'm still ruminating over what to buy my husband, he's a big fan of spiced rum so I'll be looking along those lines. Not something I can sell in my shop though sadly but I will make sure I #shopsmall and #buylocal. Nadelik Lowen!*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Cornish for Merry Christmas!