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The Loudbird Christmas Gift List Our pick of the best of the St Albans independents
The Loudbird Christmas Gift List 2019
There are so many fantastic independent shops in St Albans – you can do all your Christmas shopping here, and support local businesses at the same time. From fashion, to homewares, spa experiences, restaurant vouchers – we have something for everyone in the Loudbird Christmas Gift List
FOR HER – mum, grandma, teen daughter, friends…. LUSCIOUS LIPS GLASSES HOLDER She need never lose her glasses again with this quirky glasses holder from Cositas on Holywell Hill. £15 cositas.co.uk
EVOLVE RADIANT GLOW MASK The Loudbirds love a skin product! So will your best friend, and your daughter won’t turn her nose up at this either. From Chloe James Lifestyle on the High St, this rich mask blended with raw cacao powder and clay revitalises and purifies, whilst coconut granules buff the skin to silky perfection. Fragranced with Organic Vanilla oil. £20 chloejameslifestyle.co.uk The Loudbird Christmas Gift List 2019
EVOLVE HYALURONIC EYE COMPLEX Hyaluronic is the buzz word for anti-aging nowadays but it’s actually massively hydrating – so good for teenage spots breakouts as well as wrinkles. Exotic Tuberose flower plant stem cells help to reduce the appearance of eye bags, fines lines and puffiness while firming and brightening the delicate eye area. Hyaluronic acid helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, whilst cucumber extract cools and soothes. £16 chloejameslifestyle.co.uk CHILLY’S BOTTLE – 200ML Everyone needs a Chilly’s bottle in their life! And Chloe James Lifestyle has many to choose from. We love this rose gold one – particularly great for taking to the gym or that dance class. £25 chloejameslifestyle.co.uk The Loudbird Christmas Gift List 2019
THE B YOUNG COATED STRETCH JEANS BLACK A fashion item for age 15-80 in the Loudbirds’ fashion book! The B Young Coated Stretch leather look black skinny Jeans from Chloe James Lifestyle. As seen on ITV Lorraine! Made famous when stylist Mark Heyes said, “They’re so stretchy you could do lunges in them.” It’s true! They look amazing paired with both trainers, for a day-time look, and heels/ boots for a chic evening outfit. £59.99 chloejameslifestyle.co.uk
SCREAM PRETTY BAGUETTE EAR CUFF – SILVER OR GOLD Chloe James Lifestyle has the best selection of ear cuffs –the latest jewellery trend. We love this one, crafted from 925 sterling silver this elegant design also comes available in 18ct gold plated. Comfortable to wear every day our subtle ear wrap has a fixed spherical shape with a small opening that makes it easy to wrap around the middle ear, creating an illusion of a conch style earring. The 1920s style baguette cut cubic zirconia stones can be seen all the way round this weighty ear cuff design making it a cut above the rest! £30 chloejameslifestyle.co.uk EDEN JACQUARD BUMBAG – BLACK This is gorgeous for your friend, or daughter. Another big trend, the bumbag. This one is the Eden Jacquard Bumbag from Chloe James Lifestyle. It’s effortlessly chic, and will add some Christmas vibes to your little black dress, or mono poloneck and jeans. Can be worn cross-body or round the waist. £52 chloejameslifestyle.co.uk
VEJA – V LOCK LEATHER TRAINERS – EXTRA WHITE AND NATURAL And the love affair with trainers continues… these on trend Veja ones are super cool and will go with anything. Good for teens up to trendy grandmas! £120 the-dressingroom.com
The Loudbird Christmas Gift List 2019
SHOE THE BEAR HAILEY LACE UP LEATHER BOOTS - BLACK Drop some serious hints for the latest boot brand: Shoe The Bear – and bag some of these just in boots for yourself this Christmas. Go plain, or seriously funky! £145 the-dressingroom.com
Or, pre-order Shoe the Bear Agda Leopard Lace-up Boots – Brown. £170 the-dressingroom.com
The Loudbird Christmas Gift List 2019
ON THE RISE STALKING LEOPARD T-SHIRT Take a walk on the wild side this Christmas with a leopard T-shirt for any of the women in your life. £35 the-dressingroom.com
ORANGE, CEDAR AND CLOVE CANDLE The Loudbirds cannot have too many candles, and the best place to get our candle fix is from Raindrops on Roses on the High Street. The Orange, Cedar and Clove Candle is particularly festive. £22 raindropsonroses.org.uk
NUNOO ELLIE WASHED LEATHER BAG - ROCK What’s not to love about this vintage grey tone, this leather bag from new Danish brand Nunoo? £133 the-dressingroom.com
PARMA VIOLET GIN – LIMITED EDITION Gin can be beautiful thing and look at this bottle of gorgeousness created from a collaboration between Tomoka (Christopher Place) and Wheathampstead-based Black Bridge Distillery. This will look lovely in mum’s drinks cabinet. £37.95 tomokaspiritsboutique.co.uk The Loudbird Christmas Gift List 2019
FOR HIM – dad, grandpa, sons, friends… BLACK BRIDGE BLUE ADMIRAL GIN Seriously stylish craft gin for dad or grandad from local distillery Black Bridge and available at Tomoka (Christopher Place) £38.95 tomokaspiritsboutique.co.uk
CARHARTT POP WATCH HAT Any teenage boy – and trendy dad – will go mad for this Carhartt pop watch hat in black available from David Copperfield on Chequer Street. Anything Carhartt will be a winner, in fact! £35 dcopperfield.co.uk The Loudbird Christmas Gift List 2019
RIPPLE BOTTLE OPENER Staying with the drinks theme, and with David Copperfield, this stainless steel Ripple Bottle Opener by CRAIGHILL will go down as well as a cold beer. £60 dcopperfield.co.uk INDUSTRIAL BAR SIGN Read the sign! The lights are on, the bar is open, the drink is flowing. Hung on the wall or placed on a surface, this eye-catching bar sign will make the party rock. £36 cositas.co.uk
MOUSTACHE GLASSES HOLDER And for your grandpa, dad, or husband, the Moustache Glasses Holder from Cositas – a fun way to keep their glasses safe! £15 cositas.co.uk
RESERVED FOR DAD CUSHION Dads can be hard to buy for. Not at Cositas, with this stylish Reserved For Dad Cushion – to pop on his favourite chair. Everyone else will still sit on it, obvs. £15 cositas.co.uk
GLOVES BY NORSE PROJECTS Keep the boys warm with these gorgeous leather wool trim gloves by Norse Projects in tobacco. £100 dcopperfield.co.uk
FARR BREW GIFT SET The perfect gift set for any beer-looking men in your life from local brewers Farr Brew. £12 available from the St Albans Museum + Gallery Shop
ENGINEERED GARMENTS: BUCKET HAT If he’s more a fan of the on-trend bucket hat, then this one is a winner. A bit more of a designer price though – Engineered Garments: Bucket Hat in Olive Cotton 8w Corduroy, £115 dcopperfield.co.uk
The Loudbird Christmas Gift List 2019
FOR HIM OR HER
MENUS THAT MADE HISTORY Nothing beats Christmas in front of a fire with a book. Well lucky us! A new independent bookshop has opened on Holywell Hill. Books on the Hill specialises in rare, special, first editions, antiquarian, children’s and new books. And, we hear it might even have some copies of Menus that Made History – a fascinating new book about the world’s 100 most iconic menus throughout history, from local actor Vincent Franklin and writer Alex Johnson. PACKED If you are fed up with hearing your other half THE R&R EXPERIENCE moaning about having a cheese Anyone who loves a spa will love these deals from and pickle sandwich every day Verulamium Spa at Westminster Lodge. The spa is for their lunch, then grab a copy seriously indulgent, with an aroma steam room, a of Packed for them. It’s full of caldarium, a kelo sauna, a hydra spa pool, a laconium, and great, simple and easy-to-make, healthy tepidarium! Also a relaxation room for afterwards. A Pampering Spa Day costs £95 lunch ideas from local food and drink and includes a 25-minute massage, a 25 minute facial, use of the spa facilities, use expert Becky Alexander and nutrionist of the swimming pool, and use of the gym. Michelle Lake. £12.99 available from everyonespa.com/our-venues/verulamium-spa-st-albans/ Books on the Hill, The Fleetville Larder The Loudbird Christmas Gift List 2019 DAY ET DAY GWENETH BAG – GREEN BAY We love this overnight bag – super roomy, but light as a feather. And also good for the man in your life if you buy a neural colour, like this pale green. £35 the-dressingroom.com
DINING OUT
There are so many wonderful independent restaurants in St Albans, most of which do vouchers, so you can give a meal as a gift YE OLDE FIGHTING COCKS England’s oldest pub has a yummy Christmas menu, but its menu all year round is award-winning. Vouchers for meals are available by emailing info@yofcltd.com; w: yeoldefightingcocks.co.uk BISHOPS CAVE – CHEESE AND WINE We love Bishops Cave: a cheese, wine and beer shop, a wine bar, a beer den, a sophisticated wine hang out, a deli, a place to relax and to enjoy some amazing products with friends. Selling gift vouchers and can make bespoke hampers – pop into the shop on Holywell Hill to ask! thebishopscave.co.uk
DYLANS AT THE KINGS HEAD Food, wine, real ale and craft beer lovers will be delighted to receive vouchers to dine out at Dylans at the Kings Head on George Street. With a menu that befits a fine-dining restaurant but an atmosphere of a cosy vibrant pub, lunch or dinner at Dylans is a very memorable experience. But make sure you book in advance – it’s a popular place to eat and drink any time of year. dylanskingsarms.com
The Loudbird Christmas Gift List 2019
FOR THE KIDS Raindrops on Roses on the High Street is a special shop because 100% of the profits go to combat cancer. It’s run by an army of volunteers, and it has loads of local artisan providers. Definitely worth a visit this Christmas! In particular, it has a gorgeous section for little ones – sorely lacking in St Albans! The mouse dancers (top left) are beautiful, and are £18.50 each. The Famous Person books (top right) are a great idea, brilliantly executed. They tell the story of various iconic figures, including David Bowie and Stephen Hawking, in a way that’s accessible to little ones, £9.99. For a dramatic statement on the bedroom wall, pick up a moose head £49 (bottom left). If your little one likes to dress up, these items are perfect. Fairy princess crown, and glittery mask are £6.10 each. (bottom right). raindropsonroses.org.uk CHAOS CITY COMICS The force is with Chaos City Comics in Heritage Close, this Christmas – pop in there to buy your Star Wars fans some graphic novels and merchandise. They also have DC, Marvel and much, much more. chaoscitycomics.com The Loudbird Christmas Gift List 2019
The St Albans Museum + Gallery shop has a wide range of gifts, especially for kids. We like these dress-up Roman helmets, shields and swords, which fit in nicely with St Albans’ history. All kids love a London bus or taxi to play with and fortunately, the museum shop has plenty in stock. They also have some wonderful space-themed gifts, including some glow-in-the-dark stars. And with Stephen Hawking hailing from here, and the recent Space event at the Cathedral, we think these gifts would be out of this world for little ones. Prices for gifts from the museum start at £5.99.
The Loudbird Christmas Gift List 2019
STOCKING FILLERS FOR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND ANYONE IN BETWEEN
UNIVERSE OF US SPARKLE SOCKS These socks are a must-have for any woman who likes a gin! And they are a stocking-filler price, at only £10. the-dressingroom.com
GLITTER A5 NOTEBOOK – HIGH VIBINGS Add some sparkle to any girl’s diary with this A5 notebook with plain paper £12.95 cositas.co.uk WOODEN MAN BOX If the man in your life struggles to find his keys or his phone on a daily basis, then this Man Box is the perfect solution to this everyday problem. He will now be able to keep all his “stuff” in this great, compact Man Box. £15 cositas.co.uk
The Loudbird Christmas Gift List 2019
‘SAWDUST IS MAN GLITTER’ SIGN This sign screams “man who loves pottering around in his shed doing it a bit of DIY” to the Loudbirds. And we all know quite a few of those, right? £6 cositas.co.uk TATTOO TAROT CARDS This stocking filler is guaranteed to be a talking point over Christmas. Make sure you check out the instructions on how to create your own readings before you start predicting what the future holds for Auntie Gwen! £14.99 cositas.co.uk
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DECK THE HALLS 1. St Albans Cathedral shop has some funky sparkly Union Jack Brit baubles that will look stunning in the chicest of homes. The shop, which is located in the spanking new Visitor Centre, also has some more traditional ornate style baubles in beautiful colours (baubles from ÂŁ6). 2. Raindrops on Roses has some gorgeous white wooden stars and fluffy angels.
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3. Chloe James Lifestyle is selling some beautiful jewelled crown decorations and quirky London buses. 4. Cositas has some festive offerings when it comes to loveable Christmas decorations. How can you resist the Christmas dog? Prices from ÂŁ5 each for the Standing Santas. The Loudbird Christmas Gift List 2019
1. The Loudbird Christmas Gift List 2019
MARKET SHOPPING St Albans’ famous Charter Market will run from 14 December every day until Christmas Eve in St Peter’s Street this year. And the first-ever covered Christmas Night Bazaar will take place in the garden of Ye Olde Fighting Cocks (England’s oldest pub) in Verulamium Park. It will run from 4-22 December, every day (except Mondays and Tuesday 10 December) from 5pm – 10pm under a giant marquee in the garden of the pub, with heating and music and twinkling lights. Santa’s Grotto will be there for little ones – sitting under cover with a gluhwein definitely beats queuing in the rain, mums and dads! It will be pretty and cosy with artisan The Loudbird Christmas Gift List 2019
gifts available to buy and will be a great addition to all the other many events taking place throughout the city in the run-up to Christmas. Anyone interested in being a stallholder should email info@yeoldefightingcocks.co.uk
SAVE ST ALBANS PUBS CHRISTMAS CRAWLS
Local campaign group Save St Albans Pubs has created a festive pub crawl map that takes in 44 pubs in the city and district with five pub crawls. Will you be trying the Blitzen or is the Jolly Holly more up your street. The map will be available from all participating pubs.
STOCKISTS
Books on the Hill, 1 Holywell Hill, St Albans AL1 1ER tel: 07788 350021; w: facebook.com/booksonthehillstalbans Chaos City Comics, 20 Heritage Close, St Albans AL3 4EB; t: 01727 838719; e: chaoscitycomics@gmail.com; w: chaoscitycomics.com Chloe James, 12 High St, St Albans AL3 4EL; tel: 01727 843431; e: enquiries@chloejameslifestyle.co.uk; w: chloejameslifestyle.co.uk Cositas, 32-34 Holywell Hill, St Albans, AL1 1BZ; t: 01727 530592; e: emma@cositas.co.uk; w: cositas.co.uk David Copperfield, 3-5 Chequer St, St Albans AL1 3YJ; t: 01727 835175; e: sales@dcopperfield.co.uk; w: dcopperfield.co.uk Dylans at the Kings Head, 7 George Street, St Albans AL3 4ER; tel: 01727 530332; w: dylanskingsarms.com Raindrops on Roses, 15 High St, St Albans AL3 4EH t: 01727 866898 w: raindropsonroses.org.uk
St Albans Cathedral Shop, St Albans Cathedral, Sumpter Yard, St Albans, AL1 1BY; t: 01727 890210; e: mail@stalbanscathedral.org; w: stalbanscathedral.org St Albans Museum + Gallery, Town Hall, St Peter’s Street, St Albans, AL1 3DH; t: 01727 864 511 e: museum@stalbans.gov.uk; w: stalbansmuseums.org.uk The Bishop’s Cave, 19 Holywell Hill, St Albans, AL1 1EZ; t: 07458930983; e: thebishopscave@gmail.com; w: thebishopscave.co.uk The Dressing Room, 6-8 High St, St Albans AL3 4EL; tel: 01727 853577; w: the-dressingroom.com Tomoka Spirits Boutique, 5a Christopher Place, St Albans AL3 5DQ; t: 01727 894869; e: billmccoy@tomokaspiritsboutique.co.uk w: tomokaspiritsboutique.co.uk Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, 16 Abbey Mill Lane, St Albans AL3 4HE; e: enquiries@yofcltd.com; t: 01727 869152 w: yeoldefightingcocks.co.uk The Loudbird Christmas Gift List 2019
