London is welcoming 2012 and the exciting Olympics and Paralympics event with a dazzling fireworks display on New Year’s Eve.

The Major of London, Boris Johnson, has confirmed plans for England’s capital to kick off the momentous year with special celebrations at the EDF Energy London Eye.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “As we begin one of the most extraordinary and exciting years in our great city’s history, the sky will light up with a dazzling display of pyrotechnic magic. 2012 will open, not with a timid whimper, but a colourful bang, a noisy clarion call to herald one amazing year.

He added: “Londoners know how to celebrate and our fireworks display will be the first in a year long celebration of all things London. From the magic of the Games, to the Diamond Jubilee, to the London 2012 Festival and our own outdoor arts festival, there will be world-class events in every corner of the capital, to create a summer like no other. 2012 will be a year to be confident and ambitious and London will welcome the world with energy and optimism.”

The fireworks display is one of the highlights of the festive season and the New Year period. Join in the festivities and celebrate the Games with Ulster Weavers Olympics homeware range.

It comprises of quality tea and kitchen cosies, aprons, bags and tea towels that are all Olympics-themed; so grab yourself a piece of British history and collate some commemorative memorabilia. 

Do you often find that you get bored over the Christmas holiday and crave to get back into work to do something?

Do you love the time off work to relax but then need something to stimulate the brain?

Most people decide to take up the art of knitting over the festive season.

Only recently, a group of 1,805 knitters in Taiwan set a new world record for the ‘most people knitting simultaneously in a single location.’

According to the World Records Academy, the students and community volunteers in Fengshan, Kaohsiung broke the existing record of 1146 participants in Ireland. The record-breaking knit-athon produced thousands of scarves which were given to under-privileged groups including senior citizens living in nursing homes, the disabled and single-parent families.

Why not try your hand at the craft and make some woolly jumpers for the kids for next winter? Or make yourself a tea cosy to keep the piping hot pot of tea warm? And if you do find that this is slightly too advanced, you can cheat and purchase quality tea and kitchen cosies from Ulster Weavers.

Knitting can be very therapeutic and regardless of the stereotypical image, knitting has become very popular with young Brits as of recent years. A hoard of celebrities have been photographed enjoying some gentle past-time and knitting including Sarah Jessica Parker, Geri Halliwell, Julia Roberts, Madonna and Uma Thurman.

So join the plethora of famous people and knit with the stars as your hobby this Christmas. And why not quench your thirst whilst doing so with a lovely cup of tea in Ulster weavers china mugs.

Merry Christmas everyone and have a fantastic New Year!

Keep warm this winter by snuggling up on the couch and drinking piping hot cups of tea and hot chocolate with the help of Ulster Weavers.com!

The cold weather front is drawing itself onto the UK and with the blustery winds reaching record levels, there is no better time than now to stay toasty by wrapping your freezing hands around an inviting bone china mug that is full to the brim with gorgeous drinks.

Put the kettle on and treat your friends and family this festive season with some tea and cakes served on your best china.

Ulster weavers china mugs are the perfect addition to a homeware range and they also come with matching textiles so you can keep the pot of tea warm with a fabulous themed tea cosy.

Our vast collection of bone china mugs is so extensive that there is bound to be something to suit your taste from the ‘Domestic Goddess’ range, the ‘Queen’s Diamond Jubilee’ range or ‘Tea Party’. Put your feet up this festive holiday and enjoy each other’s company by reminiscing about old times over a lovely brew.

Most often or not the whole world is moving so fast and everyone is running around living their lives that we forget to just stop and take everything in. Why not pause and reflect on the past 12 months that have occurred over a cup of hot chocolate with yummy marshmallows!

Make 2012 a year to remember and write down your New Year resolutions over some afternoon tea. One of your New Year resolutions could be to make time to relax and catch up with close friends once a month.

So sit back this season, have fun scoffing scrumptious biscuits and sipping tea with the help of Ulster Weavers gorgeous homeware. 

Tea Party Bone China Mug

Queen's Diamond Jubilee Traditional Bone China Mugs

Domestic Goddess Bone China Mug

A tea company in Portsmouth in the UK has broken the world record for producing the largest tea bag.

‘All About Tea’ has set a new Guinness world record for a 120 kilogram tea bag that is 8ft tall, weighs 19 stone and can make more than 50,000 cups of tea.

According to the World Records Academy, to date the largest tea bag has weighed 68.49 kilograms and was unveiled in Los Angeles, in California, in America. However, that record has now been smashed by the English tea firm.

The world’s biggest tea bag has been proudly hoisted for public display on the deck of the HMS Warrior; an iron-hulled, armour-plated warship built for the Royal Navy based in Portsmouth. Apparently, tea first came into Britain through Portsmouth.

The company’s owner Andrew Gadsden, who is a former Royal Navy officer,  spent four days stuffing the needle-stitched bag with a blend of Indian Assam and Kenyan tea he’s named Portsmouth Tea. 

The 35-year-old said: “The previous record was held by the Americans but I thought the record for the largest tea bag ought to be a British record because Britain is well-known as the biggest tea drinking nation in the world.”

Similarly, the world record for the largest tea cosy knitted by members of the public is also hosted by Bupa care home residents in the UK.

Check out Ulster Weavers today for gorgeous tea and kitchen cosies!

The fashion accessory this winter is the shoulder bag.

In all high street retailers, a key trend that has emerged is bags with long shoulder straps. Invest in a chic bag to see you through this winter and take the weight off your hands by wearing it over your body.

Shoulder bags are perfect to use because they can fit all your bits and bobs in that are essential for this time of year. There is plenty of room for your hat, scarf and gloves and the crucial chap-stick to keep your lips looking luscious over winter time. British winter weather often comes complete with snowfall and rain so protect your hair with a packable umbrella that fits nicely into your bag!

Ulster Weavers has a delectable array of fantastic shoulder bags to choose from including the topical colours of neutral shades of black, cream and beige. A simple shoulder bag is not only fashionable it is also a great gift idea. Why waste your time, resources and money by using wrapping paper when you can give a present in a bag as a 2-in-1 Christmas gift?

A statement shoulder bag can make or break an outfit and is the best way to accessorise an ensemble. Show off your style with a bag that sparkles for the festive season with bright tones and jewels.

Gucci used the Shoulder Bag trend in its Autumn/Winter 2011 show and incorporated varying shades of desirable croc to numerous looks. It was worn across the body with long shoulder straps to create an elegant feminine feel.

So jump on board the band wagon and get involved and check out the dozens of designs available to that are in all different shapes and sizes.

Birdsong Canvas Shoulder Bag

V&A Strawberry Thief PVC Shoulder Bag

Team GB Black & Gold Canvas Shoulder Bag

So, all the guests have devoured a scrumptious starter and main course Christmas dinner but what about dessert? No matter how much you have eaten or how full you are, every Brit always finds room to have some afters.

Ulster weavers.com have done some digging and found out what the traditional British Christmas sweets are in the third and final part of our Christmas cook help guide. They include Christmas pudding/cake, chocolate Yule log, Tiramisu, sherry trifle, mince pies and cheesecake.

Dependent on which dessert you are going to make, be organised and take into account if it needs to be set or defrosted for a number of hours for example jelly. The majority of puddings also require a certain amount of alcohol included such as Baileys, whiskey, red wine or brandy. Be cautious if you are driving on Christmas Day if the desserts have alcohol in the ingredients, so check the packaging before eating.

Why not ease the strain on your cooking load by asking some of the relatives to bring the desserts? Each one can bring a different pudding so there is plenty of choice for everyone and it will save the purse strings by balancing the costs out.

Ask all the guests beforehand if they have any special dietary requirement because some desserts can include items such as gelatine which vegetarians do not eat, or some may be allergic to.

There is no better time than Christmas to bake sweets, so don’t take any shortcuts and make the pies fresh with your own hands. A lot of desserts can be frozen so if you can, try to make them the night before and store them over night to save yourself some valuable cooking time.

A top tip is to bear in mind thawing times; just as you put the turkey in the oven when you begin cooking, take the desserts out of the freezer. Finish the meal off with a piping hot cup of tea or hot chocolate in Ulster weavers china mugs. 

The main course is one of the most important dishes of a Christmas dinner because it is what everyone looks forward to eating.

When compared to a Sports Day, it is the main event athletes work hard for and it usually attracts the largest crowd of spectators.

Many people argue that a Christmas dinner is not that different to a Sunday roast and that the main ingredients include the meat/fish, vegetables and Yorkshire puddings.

The last thing any budding chef wants is to be half way through serving the main course to realise that the carrots have not been put on, or that you completely forgot to make the sauces. So here is Ulster weavers Christmas cook help guide to cook the perfect Christmas main course.

Traditionally, a Christmas dinner includes;

- Turkey (other favourites include duck or chicken)

- Stuffing

- Roast potatoes

- Pigs in blanket

- Brussels sprouts

- Carrots

- Parsnips

- Sauces usually consist of gravy, cranberry sauce and bread sauce.

Got all the ingredients? Check!

Now for timing… please find below a list of all the food in order to make everything so nothing is left burnt or undercooked.

- Turkey (The length of time to cook the meat is dependent on the size of the turkey. Take it out of the freezer the night before to defrost and preheat the oven to 180C. Calculate the cooking time with the methodology of 20 minutes per 450g, plus an extra 20 minutes.)

- Potatoes (Peel and wash the potatoes and then boil them until soft. Then glaze them with olive oil and cook them in the oven for at least 45 minutes/one hour.)

- Pigs in blankets (Whether you are purchasing them ready-made from the shop, or making them yourself by wrapping bacon around sausages, they only need little oven time. Around 30 minutes/45 minutes will suffice.)

- Vegetables (All vegetables only take around 15/20 minutes to cook.)

- Stuffing (Dependent on how crunchy you like your stuffing, it only requires 15 minutes to cook.)

- Sauces (Can be prepared either the night before, before you start or right at the end. They do not need to be cooked, so if you have a spare amount of time whilst the potatoes are cooking why not prepare them then.)

So don your aprons and cook up a master piece this Christmas and serve with our festive themed tea towels!

With Christmas just around the corner, Brits around the country will be flocking to the supermarkets to stock up on lots of scrumptious food.

From turkey and stuffing to Yorkshire puddings and cheesecake, freezers will be stuffed full of delicious cuisine to feast on over the festive holiday.

If this is the first time you have the responsibility of cooking Christmas Day dinner, rest assured everything will go smoothly with Ulster Weavers.com Christmas cook help guide.

And the first blog in our expert handbook is Starters. The starter course is just as important as the main course because it is the leading dish the guests will eat. It will inform everyone how successful the rest of the meal will be and give them a taster of what is to come.

So kick the Christmas dinner off with a bang, don some gorgeous aprons and impress the family with some tantalising starters!

Traditional starter dishes include prawn cocktail, melon, soup, fish pie or salmon but the possibilities are endless in what you can choose. If there is a certain dish that has been cooked in your family year-on-year, which has been passed down the generations, then why not add a modern twist to it?

Cheese and spinach baked mushrooms is a lovely alternative for vegetarians or goat’s cheese and onion tart is an easy dish to make and is a doddle to assemble. The top tip is to be organised so before you even begin your starters, put the turkey in the oven first because it takes up to four hours to roast.

Prawn cocktail is the ideal dish to start an elegant Christmas dinner and if you want to challenge your culinary skills, don’t just buy it from the shop, make the sauce yourself.

Showcase your fantastic cookery talents and remember that presentation is key; so serve the starters with Ulster Weavers tea towels.

This weekend is the special holiday of Choral Day!

It is a dedicated day that people from all over the world can get together with their friends and enjoy the power of song. Choral Day promotes choirs and choral singing in all forms and it aims to promote unity, harmony and kindness through choral singing.

And you can get involved too and celebrate with Ulster Weavers Birdsong ranges.

Founded in 1990 by Alberto Grau, the international event is part of the International Federation for Choral Music. The official website states: “It is time to show, with more power and strength, that our choral family contributes, through music to break down the artificial barriers product of politics, different ideologies, religious differences, and racial hatred that separate human beings.

“We must be able to show that music, the divine art, is more than the mere search of formal perfection and interpretative beauty, music should serve to extol the values of solidarity, peace, and understanding. We cannot work isolated, we have to make all possible efforts to have our voices heard and to let music work its own paths of communication.”

Our birdsong ranges comprise of tea and kitchen cosies, gauntlets, oven gloves, aprons and bags. The bags available in the design vary to suit your needs including small/medium canvas, shoulder, packable and PVC.

As well as the birdsong range, we also have a Celtic Blessing Linen Tea Towel and our super cute Musical Cat range which is a Rosina Wachtmeister design. The collection similarly comprises of tea cosy, linen tea towels, cotton apron, double oven glove, pot mitt and bags.

So join in World Choral Day on Sunday 11th December by having a sing-along, visiting your local choral seminar, or going to a festival and check out the gorgeous homeware today.

Birdsong Double Oven Glove

Celtic Blessing Linen Tea Towel

Musical Cat Linen Tea Towel

Most parents will understand how difficult it can be to keep the kids entertained during the festive holiday.

The blustery British weather can be really cold so with the children cooped up indoors, they can get bored and start getting under your feet.

But to amuse the little ones it doesn’t necessarily mean to put them in front of the television for hours on end, or to keep them quiet by giving them some computer games to play with. Kids can be mentally and physically stimulated as they would be outdoors by taking part in some exciting arts and crafts.

Doing homemade projects like making Christmas cards or tree decorations is a fantastic way to get the whole family together to have fun, as well as keeping the monsters busy on a low budget.

HAND MADE CARDS

Our kids aprons are fantastic to wear this season because they are jolly- themed and practical to protect the clothing. A personalised card can really put a smile on someone’s face because it shows effort and care, so why not encourage the children to write their own Christmas cards to their grandparents?

They can use coloured pieces of paper, felt tip pens and glitter to make them as merry as possible. Stick cotton wool to the card to make snow and show them pictures of robins, Christmas trees and Santa Claus so they can replicate them. Or to make it easier, trace an outline of a drawing and let them colour it in with paint!

DECORATED CANDLES

For another craft, why not decorate all the candles around the home with pretty ribbons, buttons and sequins? Make sure to supervise the kids throughout the whole process for health and safety and do not light the candles until finished and until the candles are aware from child’s harm. The project will only take around an hour to complete but let the kids imaginations flow and urge them to be creative with their designs.

Follow some of these brilliant arts and crafts ideas to keep the kids busy this Christmas when they are off school and for further top tips on homeware and giftware, go to Ulster Weavers.com.

Painting Child's PVC Apron

Home Sweet Home Child's Cotton Shaped Apron

Jack Child's PVC Apron