From a pterodactyl kite to a sauna and plunge by the sea, Dorset magazine's editor rounds up some unusual local gifts and Dorset experiences to put under the tree Christmas 2022
A Pterodactyl for Christmas: Jurassic Kites’ pterodactyl kite was the idea of Sibyl Fine King of the Fine Family Foundation, a long-standing supporter of projects along the Jurassic Coast. Sibyl, who is currently the High Sheriff of Dorset, thought it would be wonderful to see pterodactyls flying once more over this UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. The pterodactyl kite, which is sold around the world, causes quite a stir when its seen flying. Buy online (£24+P&P) at jurassickites.co.uk or enter our competition to win one at greatbritishlife.co.uk
Spa Treats in Poundbury: Who wouldn’t want to escape far from the madding crowd in a fluffy robe and chill out in a Relaxation Pod at an award-winning Dorset spa? The Monart Day Spa in Poundbury was recently voted Number One Day Spa in Dorset, Somerset and Bristol in the 2022 Muddy Stiletto Awards. Spa packages include: Thermal Suite (3 hours £66 pp) use of hydrotherapy pool, sauna, steam room, Himalayan salt grotto, infra-red pro cabin and experience showers (Highland Mist, Bermuda Shower, Polynesian Rain). monartspa.co.uk
Tea by the Sea: Afternoon tea is a gift to be enjoyed at any time of the year. The NICI, Bournemouth’s new 5-star hotel, offers afternoon tea for £25 a head (thenici.com). The Alexandra Hotel in Lyme Regis offers a Tier Tea (vegan available) for £27 (£37 with a glass of local fizz) and a Savoury Tier Tea at £29 (order 24 hours in advance/hotelalexandra.co.uk). For a dash of nostalgia, the Dorset Afternoon Tea at Knoll House is a cracker. Overlooking Studland Bay, this is where Enid Blyton used to stay and their ‘Famous Five’ cake menu would delight her young adventurers (£18.50 per person/knollhouse.co.uk).
Dorset Workshops, Courses & Classes: When it comes to buying a creative experience as a gift, Dorset is your oyster. WhitePepper Chef Academy & Cookery School at Lytchett Matravers offers recreational cookery day courses including Indian, Italian, plant-based and patisserie (from £180) or opt for Lesley Waters Cooking with Friends online course at £45 (white-pepper.co.uk). Guggleton Farm Arts at Stalbridge offers reasonably priced art courses (from £15 a session) ranging from painting and pottery to macrame and ceramics (guggletonfarmarts.com). For Strictly fans Pavilion Dance South West in Bournemouth has a wide range of classes for beginners from Bollywood to Ballroom (£6.50 a class/pdsw.org.uk).
Sauna by the Sea: Gifting an unusual local experience is a great way to make happy memories. Shoreline Sauna, located next to the RNLI on The Cobb in Lyme Regis, is a mobile wood-fired sauna which comes into its own in winter. Enjoy 10 -15 minutes heating up in the sauna, a toasty 60-80°C, before plunging into the sea (there’s cold-water bath and shower if you prefer) then back to the sauna. Cold water immersion is a mood booster through the darker months, and followed by a sauna is energising. Book a private one-hour sessions for £60 (seats 6 - 8 if good friends) or pay per session ‘open’ saunas (£15 for 45 minutes, or five sessions for £40). Booking online essential shorelinesauna.co.uk/book.
That’s a wrap: Hammams UK, who are based in Bridport, have a fabulous range of hammam towels in over 60 designs and colours. Hammams are large rectangles of colourful 100% cotton woven cloth, the size of a large beach towel and a fraction of the weight, so fast drying. Ideal for beach or river bathing, they can be used as a picnic blanket, throws, sarong, shawl, or even an outdoor tablecloth. Hammams were originally used in steamy Turkish baths so are functional as well as beautiful – making them as ideal gift. Check out their Dorset range (starts from £17). Order from hammams.co.uk
Mindful luxury in the bag: From the designers at Heart & Soul Studio in Poole comes a new eco-conscious brand inspired by nature. Launched in July, Hayashi – Japanese for ‘forest’ - offers a range of eco-friendly, stylish bags made from a unique vegan leather material, Hayashi Paper. This luxe paper, designed to look and age like leather, is made from 80% cellulose tree fibres, which is water-resistant and hand washable to ensure durability and longevity. This beautiful and practical material features in its range of laptop cases and sleeves, tote and shopping bags and zipped card cases. Buy at hayashi-uk.com or contact them to stock this new vegan Dorset brand.
Award-winning stationary from Dorset: Sarah and Mark Downey, co-founders of the Dorchester-based company Epic Print, have launched Coffeenotes –a fully recyclable and biodegradable range of stationary made from recycled coffee cups, repurposed textile and food waste. The result of a lockdown project, the seeds were planted five years earlier when Mark visited James Cropper Plc in Cumbria and discovered CupCycling, which transforms takeaway coffee cups into paper. The result is stylish, robust writing paper; fountain pen-friendly and ideal for sketching. Recently awarded Sustainable Stationery Product of the Year at the London Stationery Show, the Coffeenotes range includes notebooks, planners and notepads in various colours and textures. coffeenotes.shop
Dorset Baubles: In my family, we gift a new tree decoration to each other every year. So, we dip into a box full of family memories as we decorate the tree. These decoupaged eggs are made in Dorset by Jenny Edward. Real eggs are hand-blown and cleaned before being covered with layers of festive paper and varnished to create a beautiful hanging decoration (£5.50 each). Order at seasonsgreen.co.uk or pop into the Season Green shop in Corfe Castle village.
Beauty treats for eco warriors: Lush, the internationally renowned eco-beauty brand, is based in Poole and its products are often inspired by Dorset. Lush's Fresh and Flowers monthly subscription boxes would make a great gift for an eco-warrior, curated by Lush's own inventors, including its co-founder and Dorset resident Mo Constantine, their November box was inspired by Poole Harbour including a Birding Boat bath bomb, spirulina eye mask and seaweed massage bar – it smelt divine! Lush fresh handmade cosmetics are created in their Poole kitchen using fresh ingredients from land and sea and inspired by the British seasons. Subscribe for £35/month at freshandflowers.lush.com/uk/en
Christmas Lights from Dorset: These pretty tea-lights are hand-printed and assembled by Dorset artist Ginette Boyd. Using traditional wooden blocks and non-toxic dyes, the pattern is created by printing sections of the design in different colours, making each tea-light one unique. They come with an LED tea-light (£8.50) and optional gift packaging and tag (£9). Buy in person at Seasons Green in Corfe Castle or online at seasonsgreen.co.uk.
Eco Crackers with a Dorset BuzzL Looking for stylish eco conscious luxury crackers for your Christmas table? Dorset’s Celebration Crackers launched their first eco range of crackers back in 2009, this trailblazing range remains proudly plastic free, fully reusable and recyclable. Their Heart & Soul by Nature cracker range are handmade in Dorset from recycled coffee cups. We liked the Buzzing Bees option (£50) with bee-themed gifts such as beeswax candle, beeswax wrap, honey drizzler, jar of honey and bee saving flower seeds. Order online at heartandsoul.studio
A subscription to Dorset Magazine: A year’s subscription to Dorset magazine is the gift that keeps on giving, as very month Dorset magazine will arrive through the letterbox packed with Dorset stories, places to visit, walks, wildlife, history, arts, food and drink - it’s a great read from cover-to-cover and filled with fabulous photographs of the county. A year’s subscription including print and access to the digital version of Dorset magazine is only £26.99.
