Snails In Wigs On The Moon Anyone?

Today is one of the more bizarre national days, It's the day to celebrate both National Escargot Day and National Wig Out day. Now we're not suggesting you put wigs on snails, that would be a bit too surreal. However the unusual was what sisters Alice and Kate Clark had in mind when they came up with Wig Out Day in 2006. Their intention was to get all the local residents to attend work wearing various types of wigs. The idea being that at the end of the work day everyone would gather downtown for a huge shindig. This sounds like a good way to celebrate the day, however if you fancy something more conservative you could try eating Escargot. The French dish is made from snails in a very rich sauce and is highly popular throughout France, with the French consuming 40,000 metric tons of snails a year!  Now if you do decide to treat your palate to some Escargot you'll need to wash them down.  Traditionally the French opt for a red wine with their escargot dish. This could be made all the more special with a Red Wine & Pair of Crystal Glasses. Lovely!
On this day in 1543 Polish Astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus died in the year his major work "Six Books Concerning the Revolutions of the Heavenly Orbs" was published. It was to cause controversy amongst religious leaders who condemned his heliocentric view of the universe as heresy. Fortunately his views were later validity and he is now seen as the father of modern astronomy. We love at Personal Touch Gifts love astronomy and feel that thoughts about space can set imaginations alight. If your youngsters feel the same why not get them a space diary to write down all their thoughts?
  

We have a wide range of space related products at Personal Touch Gifts which any future astronaut would want and they all can be personalised. So why not have a look at the full range and visit us today at www.PersonalTouchGifts.co.uk

Shiver Me Timbers...

Argh shiver me timbers me hearties! On this day in 1701 notorious British privateer William Kidd, more popularly known as Captain Kidd, was hanged for murder and piracy. Kidd was born in Strathclyde, Scotland he went on to become a sea captain before he settled in New York in 1690. Here he married and owned property, ironically he was authorised by American colonies to capture enemy privateers who plagued the coast.  His first venture into piracy of his own was in 1698 when he captured an Indian vessel named the Quedagh Merchant. The ship had been supposedly sailing under a French pass and had an English captain. It was this that had angered the British who knew the boat to be loaded with various treasures. 

It was all but confirmed piracy in the eyes of the British government when Captain Kidd sailed to St. Mary's in Madagascar. The port was well known to be an infamous buccaneer oasis. From here, he traveled to the West Indies and was informed of the piracy charges against him. He decided to sail to New York and clear his name, claiming the Quedagh Merchant was a 'lawful prize'. 

It didn't wash with the authorities and he was arrested and taken to London.
In 1701 he was on trial for one charge of murder and five charges of piracy. He was convicted on all counts and was sentenced to hang on May 23 1701. Years after his death his story grew into a vibrant myth which included accounts of buried treasure which fortune seekers have pursued till this day. However you don't need a map to find pirate treasures which will gift you, oh no just visit us at Personal Touch Gifts today! 

Vanilla Pudding, It's Elementary...

Ok so yesterday was National Strawberries and Cream day and today is no less decadent. For those of you on a diet look away now because today is National Vanilla Pudding Day. I wonder if the people who come up with these days realise it's nearly bikini weather!! We all know that vanilla pudding is delicious but did you know that the modern recipe, which evolved from custard, dates back the ancient Romans? So today you could knock yourself up a heavenly treat using knowledge the Romans could only dream of. Whilst you're there you'll need the best clobber so why not get yourself a personalised apron?

Today also happens to be the birthday of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of master sleuth Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur was born in Edinburgh, Scotland this is also where he attend university. Whilst studying medicine at the university of Edinburgh he met Dr. Joseph Bell. Doctor Bell is said to have partly inspired Doyle's famous creation Sherlock Holmes. After medical school, Doyle moved to London, where his slow medical practice left him plenty of free time to write. His original Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet, was published in Beeton's Christmas Annual in 1887. Starting in 1891, a series of Holmes stories appeared in The Strand magazine. Holmes enabled Doyle to leave his medical practice in 1891 and devote himself to writing, but the author soon grew weary of his creation. In The Final Problem, he killed off both Holmes and his nemesis, Dr. Moriarty, only to resuscitate Holmes later due to popular demand. So why not investigate our personalised gifts? We're sure you'll return to them due to popular demand! 

Strawberries and Cream Anyone?

Today is the day to celebrate National Strawberries and Cream Day! This simple dish of sliced Strawberries and whipped cream has been around for centuries. In medieval times in England it was the custom for newlyweds to enjoy strawberries and soured cream for their wedding breakfast. These days something more exotic might be served. Either way be sure to check out our range of personalised wedding gifts to find the perfect gift for the bride and groom.

Another classic British association with strawberries and cream is of course Wimbledon. The famous tennis tournament is a part and parcel of the British summer or lack thereof! We all love the excitement that goes along with the tournament and  we eagerly await the chance to finally see a British champion. Admittedly we've been waiting a while, if you don't like long waits and would like to see some real fast service you should always order your personalised gifts from Personal Touch Gifts! 

Now on this day in 1901 in Connecticut they were deciding to slow a few things down, namely drivers. They became the first state to legally introduce a speed limit which was set at the dizzying rates of 12 mph in cities and an electrifying 15 mph on the country roads.  This precedent paved the way for New York City to introduce the world's first comprehensive traffic code in 1903. The first edition of the British Highway Code was published on 14 April 1931, with a price of one penny, and contained only 18 pages of advice. These days it contains 307 numbered rules and nine annexes covering pedestrians, animals, cyclists, motorcyclists and drivers. No wonder passing the driving test is such an achievement! Make sure you celebrate a new drivers success with a personalised gift! 

Be Kind to Animals Week & National Pet Week

This week two celebrations to mark our respect and care for animals occur. Be Kind to Animals Week was started in 1915 by the American Humane Association. The objective is to pay honour to the role animals play in our lives and promote everyone to treat animals humanely. National Pet Week's goals are to promote responsible pet ownership. Also to honour the relationship between animals and humans and bring an awareness of veterinary medicine to the public.

Here in the United Kingdom our nation’s love for pets is stronger than ever. Perhaps this is due to companionship needs, security or just simply for more family fun. Whatever the reasons behind pet ownership they play an integral part in most peoples lives. There are 27 million pets in the country and 43% of homes include at least one furry, feathery or scaly family friend, making pets well and truly part of the UK’s landscape.

A recent pet owner study concluded that there are 27 million pets in the UK with dogs and cats being the animal of choice for pet lovers with over 7.3 and 7.2 million across the UK respectively. One interesting if not rather depressing statistic shown by the survey is that 39% of London’s pet owners purchase their pet for companionship, despite living in the UK’s highest populated city. This trend of pets for companionship was also shown in the fact that 60% of single people in the UK buy a pet for companionship – 39% of whom have replaced their partner with a pet.

So if you want to spoil your much loved pet why not treat them with a gift from our range of personalised gifts for pets? 

Don't You Step on my Blue (and Red) Suede Shoes

Today is the day for you to unleash your inner eccentric, why? Because it's National Two Different Coloured Shoes Day! A day which was created to observe variety. For 364 days a year, just about everybody wears matching footwear, but today is your excuse to go against the norm.

The day was devised by Dr. Arlene Kaiser to acknowledge and honour human diversity. According to Dr. Kaiser, the simple act of wearing two different coloured shoes proclaims your individuality. By taking this “positive risk,” you can exhibit your disposition to be different, and show your gratitude for the special people in your life.

Wearing two different coloured shoes can be as simple as wearing a black shoe and a red shoe, or as outrageous as wearing a boot and a flip-flop. However you decide to express yourself today, do so with satisfaction! Happy National Two Different Coloured Shoes Day!

One act of eccentricity displayed on this day in 1810 was by Lord Byron, who swam across the Hellespont, a tumultuous strait in Turkey now called the Dardanelles. He was copying Legendary Greek hero Leander who purportedly swam the same four-mile stretch. The 22-year-old Byron was taking an extended tour of the European continent when he decided to take his illustrious swim. His travels inspired his inaugural widely read poetic work, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage.

Now whether you decide to show your unique individuality by wearing odd shoes or swimming a legendary swim, one place you can always find a unique and legendary personalised gift is at Personal Touch Gifts! 

Let's have some Chocolate!

It’s National Truffle Day! According to fable, a man named Louis Dufour invented the chocolate truffle in Chambéry, France in 1895. Some years later, Antoine Dufour opened the Prestat Chocolate Shop in London. Historians believe this chocolate shop was solely responsible for spreading the popularity of chocolate truffles in England (and beyond), but the relationship between Louis and Antoine is unsure. What is known is Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was a huge fan of Prestat truffles!

The first recipes for chocolate truffles appeared in the 1920s. Today there are three main types—American, European, and Swiss. Each type of truffle has a slightly contrasting twist, but they all include a creamy ganache filling and a topping like cocoa, coconut, or drizzled chocolate.

To celebrate National Truffle Day, why not get some personalised chocolate?

In other 2^nd of May news, on this day in 1933 the modern legend of the Loch Ness Monster was born when a sighting made local news. The legend of the beast dates back over 1,500 years but it re-emerged with a vengeance when a newspaper called Inverness Courier broke the story. They related an account of a local couple who claimed to have seen "an enormous animal rolling and plunging on the surface." The story of the "monster" (a moniker chosen by the Courier editor) became a media phenomenon, with London newspapers sending journalists to Scotland and a circus offering a 20,000 pound sterling reward for seizure of the beast.

In 1933, a new road was completed along Loch Ness' shore, gave drivers a clearer survey of the loch. After an April 1933 sighting was reported in the local paper on May 2, curiosity steadily grew, especially after another couple claimed to have seen the beast on land, crossing the shore road. Various British newspapers sent correspondents to Scotland, including London's Daily Mail, which hired big-game hunter Marmaduke Wetherell to catch the beast. After a few days scanning the loch, Wetherell reported finding footprints of a large four-legged animal. In response, the Daily Mail carried the dramatic headline: "MONSTER OF LOCH NESS IS NOT LEGEND BUT A FACT." Scores of tourists descended on Loch Ness and sat in boats or decks chairs waiting for an appearance by the beast. Plaster casts of the footprints were sent to the British Natural History Museum, which reported that the tracks were that of a hippopotamus, specifically one hippopotamus foot, probably stuffed. The hoax briefly deflated Loch Ness Monster mania, but stories of sightings ensued.

Today recreational investigators kept an almost continuant vigil, and in the 1960s several British universities established expeditions to Loch Ness, using sonar to search the deep. Nothing conclusive was found, but in each expedition the sonar operators detected large, moving underwater objects they could not explain. In 1975, Boston's Academy of Applied Science combined sonar and underwater photography in an expedition to Loch Ness. A photo resulted that, after enhancement, appeared to show the giant flipper of a plesiosaur-like creature. Further sonar expeditions in the 1980s and 1990s resulted in more tantalizing, if inconclusive, readings. Revelations in 1994 that the famous 1934 photo was a hoax hardly dampened the enthusiasm of tourists and professional and amateur investigators to the legend of the Loch Ness Monster.

Today why not investigate our monster array of Personalised Gifts and capture a beast of a bargain! 

Happy May Day

Today is May Day, a traditional pagan religious celebration which honours the first day of the summer. The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian times, with the festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, and the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries. It has since been amalgamated with Christian traditions and has lost many of its original pagan inferences. Some which have remained include Morris dancing, crowning a May Queen and celebrations involving a Maypole. These traditional British May Day rites and celebrations come from pagan Anglo-Saxon customs. Whether you enjoy these traditions or not one thing we all hope is the weather will start to become more summery!

Now you may or may not have known that the first of May is May Day but maybe you weren't aware that it is also New Homeowner's Day. This is a day dedicated to celebrating the delight and joyfulness of buying a new home. However moving house can be very stressful, in fact research has shown that the anxiety of moving house is one of the most stressful events that can occur throughout your life. It can be on a par with divorce and bereavement with all the inescapable tension and anxiety of the build-up to the actual day of the move itself. That's why if you have a friend or family member who is acquiring a new home it's a lovely idea to get them a nice personalised house warming gift.