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! 

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.

National Honesty Day

Now the 30^th of April may seem like an unimportant day for our calendars but did you know that today is National Honesty Day. National Honesty Day is a day dedicated to encouraging us to be honest, honestly you couldn't make it up!

The day originates from an idea had by M. Hirsh Goldberg, former press secretary to a governor of Maryland and author of five books. He invented National Honesty Day in the early 1990s after spending four years researching and writing The Book of Lies (Morrow). The idea behind the day came because he felt that the month of April, which begins with a big day of lying (April Fools Day), should end on a higher ethical note.

We here at Personal Touch Gifts think that honesty is an outstanding virtue. If we want people to believe us when its consequential, then we need to be open and honest all of the time. We all know about the boy who cried wolf. When a wolf actually appeared, no one believed him! So we say Celebrate National Honesty Day in a completely open and honest way. There are few regulations for this special day......just be honest.

Why not visit us today at and we honestly think you'll find the perfect personalised gift for that special someone! 

There's been some big historical events on this day too. On this day in 1789  George Washington, the great military leader of the American Revolution, was inaugurated as the first president of the United States in New York City. It was cause for celebration   The inaugural ceremony was performed on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street, and a huge crowd cheered after he took the oath of office. The president then went indoors to read Congress his opening address, a low key speech in which he spoke of "the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people." The evening celebration was opened and closed by 13 skyrockets and 13 cannons. Now we know that skyrockets and cannons might not be quite practical for your celebrations perhaps a personalised banner might more be in order!   

Personalised Manchester United Football Club Gifts

Manchester UnitedFootball Club

Manchester United, the giant football club, the club with the biggest following in the world, valued at $2.3 Billion, The ‘Red Devils’, actually started out life as a department team of railway workers called Newton Heath LYR F.C. in 1878.  The Red Devils began wearing green and gold shirts, the colours of their railway company.

The team changed their name to Manchester United in 1902 and relocated to the now famous Old Trafford in 1910. Previously playing only other railway teams, Manchester United first proper football match came against Bolton Wanders in 1880 and were destroyed 6-0!

Today Manchester United is an enormously successful team under the long term management of Sir Alex Ferguson. Sir Alex took over way back in 1986 and has won 24 major honours during his time with Man Utd.

In 1958 Manchester United suffered a terrible tragedy in the Munich Air Disaster which claimed 8 of its players. But Manchester are true champions and in 1968 they became the first English football club to win the European Cup.

Their amazing success includes a record 19 league titles, a record 11 FA Cups, 4 League Cups and a record 19 FA Community Shields. The club has also won three European Cups, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, one Intercontinental Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup. In 1998–99, the club won a Treble of the Premier League, the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League, an unprecedented feat for an English club.

Any Manchester Utd Fan is bound to be proud of their team. Why not help them show it off with a unique personalised Manchester United gift. Treat yourself or a fellow fan to a Man Utd  Pen engraved for free with your/their  name on. Or a nice set of Man Utd  cufflinks, a personalised ManUtd  mug, even a personalised ManUtd  iPhone case, or a great Man Utd  personalised book.  We have lots of gift ideas for Man Utd  Fans that they will love, treat a friend of loved one to one of this quality branded gifts. Everything can be given that ‘personal touch’ to make it unique and it will be cherished by the crazy Man Utd Fan.

Personalised Arsenal Football Club Gifts

Arsenal Football Club

Arsenal Football Club, the ‘Gunners’ were founded in 1886, 128 years ago.  Originally the great North London team were actually based in South London. The team was formed by some of the Royal Arsenal workers in Woolwich, hence the name ‘Gunners’.  These workers named the side Dial Square.  Seven years later the team became a limited company and changed their name to Woolwich Arsenal.

In 1904 the team were promoted to the First Division.  However, low crowd attendance (largely due to the location and isolated area) caused the club to have financial troubles and by 1910 they were near bankrupt.  At this time two local businessmen bought the company, Henry Norris and William Hall.  The new owners saw the problem of the team’s location and shrewdly moved the side north of the river to Highbury and dropped the ‘Woolwich’ from the side name.  Arsenal was here and in their new Arsenal stadium.

After finishing just 5^th in the Second Division Arsenal were still promoted at the expense of another local team, Tottenham Hotspurs. The manner of this promotion is reportedly dubious and today the two teams’ great rivalry continues strong.

Arsenal is the only team to have completed a Premier league season unbeaten across 38 matches, achieved in the 2003/04 season. The have the longest unbeaten run in total at 49 games.  This great side have claimed 13 League Championships, 10 F.A. Cups and 3 League & F.A. cup doubles.

There is a lot to be proud of if you are an Arsenal fan. So show off your team with some of our great personalised gifts, treat yourself to an Arsenal Pen engraved for free with your name on. Or a nice set of Arsenal cufflinks, a personalised Arsenal mug, even a personalised Arsenal iPhone case, or a great Arsenalpersonalised book.  We have lots of gift ideas for Arsenal Fans that they will love, treat a friend of loved one to one of this quality branded gifts. Everything can be given that ‘personal touch’ to make it unique and it will be cherished by the football crazy Arsenal Fan!