January can be such a boring, long month. It’s like everyone feels guilty about the excesses of December they try to atone by restricting what they eat and drink, taking exercise and being generally gloomy.

I think that’s OK for a week or two, but we all need something to look forward to. Summer seems such a long way away, but Spring is just around the corner.

So earlier this month I set about looking for some exciting new stock. Lovely things for the home and garden, things that will bring a simple smile or a hysterical belly laugh, things that people will notice or talk about for years to come.

I searched everywhere for suppliers that could offer something different, things that you wouldn’t find in every village shop or department store. I’m quite a unique character and I think that comes across in what I create and what I sell in the shop.

“Trust me” I often say to the rest of the team when they see what I’ve bought.

OK, occasionally I get it wrong and most of my mistakes end up in my garden, but even then, I love and I’m never short of a conversational piece.

And when it comes to conversational pieces, you can’t beat the giant cockerel I have for sale!

My ‘piece de resistance’ is Clarence the Cockerel. He’s as tall as me and almost as wide (if I duck and breathe in) and I’ve fallen in love with him, which is always hard when it comes to selling things. John has to keep reminding me that I own a SHOP , I’m not supposed to be shopping and I can’t keep everything I buy.

I have lots more new stock in, not just Clarence, so if you get a chance do pop in.