How many Indian words do you use in everyday conversation? You may be surprised at how many Indian words were adopted by our Victorian ancestors during the days of the Raj and one of them is ‘bangle’. Which leads to the thought, Continue reading
Members of the UK Armed Forces serving abroad in Europe, or further afield, can now purchase silver gifts from our web site and use their tax-free status while serving outside the UK, to buy their gifts and jewellery VAT-free.
To get the VAT Free price use the discount code: BFPOVATFREE when you place your order. You enter this during the order process.
If you are serving inside the EU your exemption from paying VAT can only be processed when a correctly completed and signed form 15(10) has been provided. It is available for download here.
Customers who give a BFPO delivery address in the EU will have their order processed, but it will not be dispatched until the completed 15(10) has been supplied. If within 14 days the 15(10) has not been submitted, the order will be canceled and your payment refunded. We suggest you place your order and download the form at the same time. Once it has been completed you can return it to us by post, by fax or by scanning it and emailing it to us.
If you have any queries you can phone us for advice on +44 (0)844 736 5866
Please remember, it is a criminal offense to make false declarations relating to your tax status.
The Silk Knot Cufflink, also known as Turk’s Head cufflinks have been around since the early years of the 20th century and their invention is credited to the Paris shirt maker Charvet, of whom more later. Continue reading
Collar stiffeners are essential shirt accessories for the well-dressed man; they enable the shirt collar to lay flat against the collarbone rather than curling up or down. For none UK readers, what the British call collar stiffeners may be known as collar sticks, bones, tabs or stays, Continue reading
Finding celebrity silver weddings becomes increasingly difficult with each passing year. Many famous couples married in 1987…but not that many marriages have survived 25-years. Continue reading
The history of the cuff link does not go as far back as you may think. Shirts were originally an item of men’s underwear and did not become an exposed garment until the 16th Century. The cuffs of the shirt, when it was an undergarment, were sometimes frilled or ruffed and allowed to be shown at the wrist. Some commentators suggest that this was a rather daring thing to do, much like exposing a hint of underpants today. Continue reading
One of our recent customers wanted to emulate Inspector Henry Crabbe, a character in a TV series shown on BBC1 between 1994 and 1997.
“Pie in the Sky” was a light-hearted British police drama featuring a disillusioned policeman and pie chef extraordinaire. The role was created specially for Richard Griffiths, typically known for his comic performances and his role in Harry Potter.
I missed that series, but apparently the detective pieman, used to carry a little silver pepper mill in his waistcoat pocket which was whisked out as the occasion demanded. Continue reading
I read that the health do-gooders are at it again, this time with yet another report that UK adults eat too much salt. Which? Magazine and Consensus Action on Salt and Health found no difference in chemical content between regular salt and ‘costly gourmet brands’.
In a quote aimed at getting reported in the tabloid press, they went on to say, “Celebrity chefs should not be encouraging people to sprinkle sea salt on food, as you can get all the salt you need from a balanced diet.”
So Jamie, Marco Pierre White and even our local JP Gravier are being accused of not knowing how to prepare a meal and season it so that it arrives at the table with a combination of flavours to delight the customer.
Meanwhile, most ready made meals from your local supermarket will be overdosed with salt to preserve the food and avoid the use of more expensive herbs and other ingredients.
Fortunately, a few salt producers were allowed to comment on the report. Romi Alexander of So Natural, which supplies Himalayan Crystal Salt, spoke tellingly, saying, “Table salt is a highly refined, processed white substance that’s devoid of nutrients.”
Of course, one of the benefits of ‘expensive’ crystal salt is that its price will make home cooks use it more sparingly than free-running processed salt, so that’s got to be good for you. While the bigger benefit is that it encourages people to invest in our beautiful range of salt mills. (You had to read this far to find out why I was writing about salt and not silver!)
Found on the tables of Michelin starred restaurants and one of our popular gifts – in combination with with our silver peppermills – our range of salt mills are available in solid silver or in combination with Rosewood, Blackwood and Ivorine. Like most of our gifts we can engrave them with names or messages. Perhaps “Just One Twist” would satisfy Which?.
Today marks the occasion of Muhammad Ali’s Silver Wedding Anniversary. In 1999 Ali was crowned “Sportsman of the Century” by Sports Illustrated and “Sports Personality of the Century” by the BBC. But the sportsman simply known as ‘The Greatest’ by millions of people around the world and quotes such as, Continue reading
To coincide with the announcement of the Christmas Stamps for 2011, we are publishing our last posting dates for Christmas. If you live in Australia or New Zealand, there’s less than a month to go before you can place your last order…so don’t delay! Continue reading