Flowers For Valentines - This Year's Top Ten Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas From Big Fat Balloons

Knowing that Valentine’s Day is filled with expectation (and stress), Big Fat Balloons, flowers for valentines,  the online helium balloon and gift store has put together its top ten Valentine’s Day gift ideas. Ranging from expensive to inexpensive, friendly to intimate, this top ten Valentine’s Day gift list is designed to make it a happy Valentine’s Day for everyone.

With February 14th fast approaching, card shops and store fronts are rapidly turning red with heart-shaped reminders of the most romantic day of the year.
But deciding on a Valentine's gift to impress a loved one isn’t always easy, which is why Big Fat Balloons, the balloons, teddy bears and gifts store, has put together its top ten gift ideas for Valentine’s Day. Sophie Baxter, managing director said:
“Valentine’s Day comes with a great deal of expectation and stress. If you haven’t been together very long, finding an appropriate gift can be difficult, while if you’re married or in a long-term relationship, thinking up new ideas to impress your spouse or partner can sometimes feel like a chore."
“While not all our ideas are suitable for all couples, we’ve tried to offer gift ideas that vary from inexpensive to expensive, and from friendly to more intimate.”
1 - Jewellery
Any jewellery is a welcome gift, but to be in the number one spot, it has to be the ultimate item of jewellery for Valentine’s Day - the diamond engagement ring. After all, valentine's day will be the perfect opportunity for those who are considering proposing to their girlfriend (or boyfriend, for that matter).
2 - A romantic weekend in Paris
Or a romantic weekend anywhere for that matter! A trip to New York, Prague, London or a secluded place in the country would be equally welcome. It’s getting away together that really matters. It is worth remembering that the little extra touches such as flowers, Valentine's balloons, chocolates or champagne in the room on arrival, will make all the difference.
3 - An experience day for two
An experience day for two can be a great surprise. "Book something that they’ve always wanted to do, such as drive a Ferrari or jump out of a plane. While the activities might not be romantic; the fact that you’ve made their dream come true, certainly is," comments Sophie Baxter from Big Fat Balloons.
5 - A romantic meal at your favourite restaurant
No Valentine’s Day gift list would be complete without a romantic meal at a favourite restaurant. But it’s the little touches that can make this gift extra-special. It is beat to book well in advance and request a table in a secluded corner. A bottle of their favourite wine or some champagne will make the evening more exciting.
6 - Champagne and chocolates
While not the most original idea, champagne and Belgian chocolates are still a welcome gift. Presentation is key. Having them delivered to to the recipient home or work or making sure they are wrapped beautifully will make your Valentine's gift feel more special.
7 - A huge bouquet of flowers
It's easy to add a twist to this traditional Valentine’s gift by ordering the recipient's favourite flowers and colours. As every month has a special flower, do some research and include the flower that relates to his or her birthday in the bouquet.
8 - A teddy bear
Everyone needs a big cuddle from time to time, no matter their age.Those who can't give a cuddle in person on Valentine's Day, can send a teddy bear to give their loved one a big hug. Sophie Baxter, Director at Big Fat Balloons explains "Teddy bears are a huge hit at this time of the year. Me to You teddy bears - with love you messages are especially popular as customers can find a bear to suit most recipients.".
9 - An evening to yourself
Couples with children often find the most romantic thing they can do is spend time alone together. Arranging for a relative or friend to have the kids overnight and enjoying an evening together can make for a special Valentine's Day.
Even for those who don’t have children, an evening in can be equally romantic. They could cook a special meal for the two or for a complete break, order a takeaway.
10 - A movie night in
Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to mean going out and spending lots of money; why not stay in and have an intimate date for two. A few red and white glow in the dark illoom balloons will be ideal to create a romantic atmosphere. Instead of going out to the cinema, why not recreate a movie theatre at home with a romantic film and snuggle up together in your very own back row,n.
10 - A romantic walk
Weather dependent, a walk can be a great way to spend time together with no distractions other than the beauty of the surroundings (and each other!).
It's worth remembering that on Valentine’s Day, it’s the thought that counts. So the most important thing this Valentine’s Day, is for couples to remember to let each other know how much they love the other!

Flowers For Valentines - Plan Ahead for Valentine’s Day Deals

February the 14th heralds the return of Valentine’s Day, our annual opportunity to demonstrate how special our partners are to us and indulge in a little bit of shameless romantic fun together. You might be planning a meal in a romantic restaurant, flowers for valentines, gifts or even a short getaway. This article is going to show you how you can use the power of voucher websites such as Groupon to make your money stretch farther than you would ever imagine possible, giving you access to a host of high class VIP experiences and helping you build lasting memories for you and your loved one.
Voucher sites such as Groupon harness the group buying power of the Internet to provide consumers truly staggering discounts on a broad range of products and services. You can make up to 70% savings, so your funds can stretch much further and you may be able to think a bit bigger than you were originally planning. Take this for example: if you fancy getting some winter sunshine, what could be more romantic than a trip to the beautiful city of Rome where you can obtain a number of exciting deals, including the offer of a two-night stay at the fabulous Hotel Rouge et Noir for a mere £75. This 4 star hotel boasts beautiful architecture and is a short hop from Rome’s vibrant city centre allowing easy access to all the attractions this magnificent city has to offer. A 62% saving makes for a great deal; just grab a budget flight to complete your journey.
Back to the UK and the offers continue to flow. There are some exceptional deals in Manchester for the thrifty romantic. How about a night away in a chic country hotel taking in the splendour of the Yorkshire moors en route? The Queen Hotel offers this charming mini break for a mere £55 (saving you £71.40) including dinner for two, a bottle of wine and breakfast. Wrap up warm for an evening together then take in the rolling windswept countryside the next day for a perfect getaway.
If you fancy a taste of up market pampering, then the Groupon deals in Liverpool page has an offer that may be right up your street. Head over and you can grab an overnight stay at the magnificent Crabwall Manor for only £99. Set in fairytale surroundings, this is the perfect destination for Valentine’s love, offering postcard views and incredible lodgings. Not only are you wined and dined with dinner, breakfast and a glass of wine on arrival but this deal includes full spa access, a spa treatment each and complimentary late checkout. Choices include Indian head massage, hot stone massages, facials and pedicures or manicures for the ultimate in relaxation. Grab this one at a whopping saving of £206.90 for a night to remember.
You can find similar deals in Newcastle like a stay for two at the Forest Hills Hotel and Spa. This hotel, set near the stunning panoramic countryside of North Wales, offers a taste of country living with full access to the spa for a night to remember for a bargain £49.

Flowers For Valentines To Feel Very Special Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day the most romantic day of the year. It is a time to bring their true feelings for that special person in your life to express. One of the most romantic ways to express feelings is to give the gift of flowers. They are not only a romantic gift, but they are a decorative addition to your home. Flowers for valentines is one of the best ways to communicate feelings of your heart to say, then someone know how much the building or is it really means to you. Valentine’s Day flowers to buy for a special person to inspire a romantic occasion, which was completed. Romantic spirit of Valentine's Day flowers for your gift, the message that accompanies Valentine's Day flowers to think. Each bouquet comes with a personal message from you, the Valentine's Day flower delivery, so that the emotions of this Note as the number one love. Affectionate and charming

You can buy flowers online, online florist flowers are the easiest and most convenient way to give her what she really wants the gift of Valentine's Day is a kind of lush flowers, perfume will be on site, and many arrangements are very accessible, but is a special day when you can afford it, should be blind to the impressive selection can be found. There are many days of delivery of the same flower shops. A red rose is a classic and romantic and is the best gift ideas, Valentine's Day, but all kinds of flowers for valentines thank you. Whether you choose to velvety red roses or a bouquet of flowers vary in color, is sure to feel very special Valentine's Day 14th February. Every woman loves Valentine's Day gifts, traditional and luxury, why we wrapped a selection of flowers for Valentine's Day in cellophane and tied with a ribbon always the most popular choice for this romantic day and Roses you put some chocolates on Valentine's Day or range are filled. Flowers will help make our feelings of romantic love. Roses are one of the most popular gifts around the world shows love romantic roses. Roses are not the only type of people who give flowers on Valentine's Day romantic. There are some cheap flowers and various types of Valentine's flowers with different shades of colors and flavors that you can accurately express how you feel. Lilacs and daffodils are beautiful flowers that emit a wonderful fragrance. White or purple lilac is sincerity. Orchids are a number of attractive, symbolize sensuality. White lilies are a wonderful way to bring your love, harmony and purity of expression. Here you will find beautiful fresh flowers for the collection of Valentine, who can bring the warmth of his love of expression. Find the perfect flowers for Valentine's Day. And send special flowers for valentines someone you care about.

flowers for valentines - The Virtual Valentine’s Day Guide From TheNextWeb

By wide request, the lovely TNW virtual holiday franchise continues on. After the smash hit Thanksgiving and Christmas guides, we are proud to bring you the Virtual Valentine’s Day Guide.

If this post is to simulate  the holiday, it should be a tract of over-hyped piffle that leads one along only to be left unsatisfied and alone at the end clutching a box of tissue, eating chocolate while drinking flat champagne, all the while bitterly complaining about another human, and their previously hidden, and now obvious, shortcomings.

I hope that this post does, well, in light of all that, disappoint. Shall we?

Valentines Day, or the Day of Saint Valentine (who was beheaded sometime in the ancient past, whatever), is supposed to be a lovely day filled with rose petal laden beds and giggling in heart-shaped bath tubs. If you do not live in Dubai, the view isn’t as good from your expensive hotel suite, but you do what you can. Lucky for your little hide, you can get a look at the views that other people will enjoy, and you will not. Take a look here.

In reality, the slim percentage of couples that get to the holiday happy invariably enter a tailspin of martial discord during its execution (ha). It adds unneeded stress to normal relationships. Best of all, you have to guess what they want in terms of a gift (alas). And guess correctly, or pay the price (again, alas). Play this guessing game to get in the mood to be frustrated.

But what would The Day o’ The Old Valentina be without some pink baubles? Get to it with this despicable bouquet or roses that no matter how many times you buy them, will never look like that when they arrive.

Let’s see, we covered what the day us supposed to be, what it actually is, how to get pre-mad in preparation, and what your gift will fail to be like. Ah! We need to cover how to handle the inevitable collapse of the day, your plans, your relationship and the like. Drown your sorrows in this realistic virtual drinking game, it’s at least entertaining.

Now curl up and read a Paul Carr post and let the inanity weave your thoughts into dreams. Alone.

There you have it folks, the very last TNW virtual guide, from here on out it is Yahoo Answers and Mahalo. Best of luck, you will need it.

flowers for valentines - Loveland valentine heart message order forms available

Citizens in the past have submitted valentine messages with phrases like "Tom Loves Debby," "B&K a groovy kind of love," "Oatmeal Loves Toast" and "Dwayne, my king of hearts."

Valentine heart order forms are now available from the Thompson Valley Rotary Club.

The messages will be placed on red hearts on light poles high above Eisenhower Boulevard, Cleveland Avenue, Lincoln Avenue and Fourth Street for the month of February.

The Rotary Club is partnering with the Loveland Chamber of Commerce this year and is offering new ordering options.

As in the past, heart messages can be ordered in person at both Loveland locations of The Group Inc. Real Estate: 1401 W. 29th St. or 5401 Stone Creek Circle.

The forms can also be mailed "attn: Thompson Valley Rotary Club" at either location, and orders can be placed online.

After 11 a.m. today to pay with a credit card.

"Sometimes the messages are a secret between the two people. No one else knows what it means," said Lindsay Cantley, the Heart Chair for the Rotary Club.

Organizations like Loveland Youth Gardeners, the Thompson R2-J School District and St. John's church also write messages thanking volunteers.

The club hangs 300 hearts every year and will start painting the hearts and then hanging them the last week of January.

For details, call the Loveland Group offices at 613-0700 or 663-0700.

The Rotary Club tries to honor location requests but can't guarantee them. Forms and payments must be received by Feb. 1, 2012.

"People love valentines. It's a great way to show the world that you care about somebody," Cantley said.

Jessica Benes can be reached at 669-5050, ext. 530,

flowers for valentines - Mexico keeps breaking world records

Mexico is setting a record pace--again.

Hardly a month goes by without someone here breaking a world record, or claiming to. The world's biggest cup of hot chocolate. Most people kissing at once. Longest carpet of flowers. Biggest group haircut. Recently, people were flocking to the parking lot of a stadium in Mexico City to see what promoters called the World's Biggest Nativity Scene: a faux Bethlehem covering five acres and populated with 1,000 life-size figures.

On Dec. 13 came recognition for the World's Biggest Soccer Tournament, with 12,000 teams and a player roster larger than the population of the city of Glendale. In November, the living dead took center stage: Nearly 10,000 people smeared with fake blood lurched through Mexico City's central plaza in what organizers said was the World's Biggest Zombie Walk.

The record-setting phenomenon is, in part, testament to the eye-popping scale of the Mexican capital, the venue for many of the record-breaking stunts. About 20 million people jam this place. On many days, it's a certainty that you are stuck in the World's Most Hopeless Traffic Snarl or packed inside the World's Hottest and Most Crowded Subway Car. Having so much humanity available means it's not hard to scoop up at least a few thousand for the most obscure record-setting event.

In the recent zombie walk, ghoulish participants gathered to call for an end to discrimination, collect food for impoverished children and draw attention to a Mexican horror film festival. Event organizers are gathering videos, lists of participants and other evidence to have the zombie walk registered by Guinness World Records. The quest for world records can be a way to boost a social cause, as when 4,125 people in pink created the longest human ribbon in Mexico City in October to publicize the fight against breast cancer.

Or the event can serve as a gimmick for tourism or other commerce. Mexico City authorities have hyped some of their seasonal projects as record-setters, including the biggest ice-skating rink (344,000 square feet) and artificial Christmas tree (362 feet high and 115 feet across). The gigantic Nativity scene was mounted by a Colombian company that charges as much as $5 to enter. The village, with 57 separate scenes and looking like something out of "Life of Brian," is done up with fake camels and palm trees and actors in robes and gladiator sandals.

Robotic plastic figures depict the biblical story of the Annunciation, when the archangel Gabriel tells Mary that she is to give birth. Adrian Lozano, the project's media director, said the installation set the record last year in the Colombian city of Cali, but that this Mexican version is even larger. "We wanted a big city that would provide a platform for the whole world to see," Lozano said.

Some regard the records fixation as plain silly and say it may be a sign of a shortcoming in the Mexican makeup. "We don't like to compete. They are records based on the idea of not competing," commentator Carlos Elizondo Mayer-Serra once wrote. "If we have the tallest Christmas tree in the world, it's only because our city government decided to use our taxes to make one taller, and called in a Brazilian company to do it."

But during a period when Mexico has suffered economic troubles and horrific drug violence, what's a better diversion than making the world's biggest taco (200 feet long in the city of Queretaro in November) or getting the most people to dance folkloric ballet at the same time (457 dancers in Guadalajara in September)? Pablo Guisa, who organized the zombie walk, said most of the Mexican records, such as the mass kiss in Mexico City a few years ago (39,897 people), are "pretty stupid."

Nonetheless, he said, they help take the pressure off. "In a country with so much violence and so many crises, to be able to take people out of their reality for a moment to be part of something bigger is, in the end, a good thing ... even if the effort is a bit empty," Guisa said.

With so much record-chasing, Mexicans sometimes find that the only marks left to smash are their own. Astronomy buffs here announced last month that they had surpassed their previous record for mass moon-gazing, with more than 15,000 people peering through 2,753 telescopes. And anyway, who doesn't want to leave a mark? "In the United States, they're very perfectionist. Mexicans try, but we tend to settle for less," said Lily Juarez, a Mexico City native who lives in San Antonio and was visiting the Nativity display. "We say, 'If we don't reach it, that's OK,' " she said. "But we do like to break records."

flowers for valentines - 52 ways to be a better person in 2012

Generally, New Year’s resolutions are all about you. This year, we’re offering ways to make them all about someone else. We’ve come up with 52 ways (that’s only one per week) to be a better you by showing kindness to someone else in 2012.

Want to share your goodness with the world? (Or thank someone else for theirs?) Send a message to @uticaod on Twitter with the hashtag reportkindness.

1. When driving, pay the toll for the person behind you.

2. Put away the shopping cart when you’re done.

3. Smile.

4. Make eye contact.

5. Offer to help someone.

6. Volunteer.

7. Send thank you notes.

8. Send “just because” notes.

9. Offer compliments.

10. Bake cookies for the office.

11. Take a friend to lunch. Your treat.

12. Write down the things you’re thankful for.

13. Forgive.

14. Forget.

15. Love to love, not to be loved in return.

16. Feed a stray animal.

17. Replace the toilet paper.

18. Wash the dishes when it’s not your turn and even if you didn’t dirty them.

19. Ask questions about someone’s life who you don’t know well.

20. Visit a nursing home. Listen and smile.

21. Send flowers when it isn’t Valentine’s Day.

22. Start your loved one’s car in the winter.

23. Get up early and make breakfast.

24. Hold the door.

25. Send a Facebook message to an old friend – or a new one.

26. Empathize.

27. Make a sacrifice that will change someone else’s day.

28. Give your chocolate away.

29. Tell your boss something good about a co-worker

30. Plant a tree.

31. Mentor a child.

32. Choose to only tell the truth.

33. Learn something new about people you’ve just met or known forever.

34. Speak up for someone else.

35. Show genuine concern, whether it be for someone having a bad day or someone going through more difficult problems.

36. Don’t talk. Just listen.

37. Buy coffee for the stranger behind you at Dunkin’ Donuts.

38. Wipe the snow off someone’s car.

39. Mow your neighbor’s lawn.

40. Call a friend you haven’t spoken to in awhile, let them know you’ve been thinking of them.

41. Tell the closest people in your life how important they are to you. Mean it.

42. Act selflessly.

43. Leave a note on someone’s desk/car/mirror pointing out a quality you like best about that person.

44. Be nice even when you don’t want to be.

45. Stand up for the underdog.

46. Skip dinner out with friends to stay home with your loved one.

47. Find something nice to say about someone you don’t like.

48. Say a prayer for someone who has hurt you.

49. Make a casserole for your neighbor.

50. Send a friend a handmade gift in the mail.

51. Send money (even if it’s $2) to a friend having financial difficulties. Don’t give any hints about where the money came from.

52. Apologize.

flowers for valentines - Holiday Products Releases Valentine’s Day Brochure

CHATSWORTH, Calif.—Holiday Products has released its 16-page, 2012 Valentine’s Day Brochure. The company continues to increase its exposure in the adult marketplace through target-specific print media.

Ken Sahn, vice president of Holiday Products, said, “Providing our customers with a concise yet comprehensive selection of Valentine’s Day products was our goal. Our graphic arts team exceeded expectations with this presentation.”

Susanna Molina, Holiday Products’ purchasing manager, said, “We hand-picked over 200 products to assist our customers in maximizing sales for the Valentine aeason. The catalog features new lines such as Bijoux Indiscrets, BMS Leaf, Screaming O Studio, Sportsheets S&M,  Icon Brands and LELO Insignia.”

Other top selling lines included are We-Vibe, Fresh Balls, Numa Gel, Shunga, Classic Erotica, Pipedream and California Exotic Novelties.

To request a free Valentine’s Day Brochure or for more information, call (800) 266-5969 or e-mail sales@holidayproducts.com.

i% � , I H � �� Bailey. Maybe I'm being a bit of an ageist against the 33-year old Bailey, or maybe I just don't like the Broncos (bet on the latter), but I would prefer Flowers over him.

Any other potential snubs? I don't really see any out there. Even Flowers as a snub is a stretch.

flowers for valentines - Keith Graham’s Country View

THERE are parts of the razzmatazz of the modern Christmas that I dislike profoundly.

Most of all perhaps, the sheer commercial cheapening of a great event which occurred more than 2000 years ago and which, whichever way you look at it, changed markedly the course of human history.

It may be that the materialism which now dominates our lives so, was not really a telling factor in memories of my own childhood.

I have only fragmentary memories of pre-war Christmases, so inevitably the wartime ones are clearer in my mind.

That of course, was a time when there was little place for materialism; rather was survival the order of the day... and frugal living!

But before I am accused of adopting a Scrooge-like attitude of "Bah, Humbug", let me assure you that there are still many aspects of Christmas that still warm the cockles of my heart.

I adore traditional Christmas music and by that I don’t necessarily mean, "I’m dreaming of a White Christmas"! But it is the connections that are renewed by the cards that I write and receive – those re-connection with old friends and new that bring news, sadly not always good, but which certainly stir memories, that are most certainly a source of great warmth.

There’s nothing to beat the sheer joy on a child’s face when presents are at last opened. And of course, the turkey, the Christmas pudding and the mince pies, not to mention all those other goodies that are so much a part of the festivities, are also inevitably among my own favourite facets of a family orientated Christmas!

These days we are deluged with the relatively recent traditions of Christmas trees and holly (and the ivy of course), both now a source of much trading, but which are perhaps rather resonant of our pagan past.

These evergreens, together with the likes of rowans were regarded as the best means of warding off evil spirits, the same reason incidentally, you will find yew trees planted in graveyards or indeed beside houses. I have incidentally, an ancient yew close to my own front door!

However, it is perhaps the Christmas cards that prove to be a particular highlight. They were of course, an invention of Victorian times, initially designed as Valentine messages but then soon seen perhaps as a symbolic and indeed, vaguely commercial aspect of a new kind of Christmas.

What we now regard as the “traditional Christmas” without doubt emerged during the age of Victoria, its introduction in particular, much influenced by her Consort, Albert.

It does seem that the celebration of Christmas was much more universal and indeed profoundly more colourful, in Continental Europe than it was here in Britain until the Consort’s influence began to tell.

Perhaps the Puritans here looked upon such Christmas festivities as if they were some kind of bawdy festival and thus, far, far beneath their dignity. It may also be the case of course, that historically, such celebration of Christmas had previously been reserved more exclusively for the nobility, rather than for the peasantry!

Whilst the first Valentines and indeed the first Christmas cards, unsurprisingly featured flowers (universal tokens of love), as most of them were initially exchanged between lovers or would-be lovers, it wasn’t long before the exchange of Christmas cards became more universal. Gradually, other images became fashionable and most noticeably, robin redbreast became a particularly popular subject on them.

By which time, postal services had begun and the first postmen employed. Coincidentally, their uniform included a vermilion coloured waistcoat and it wasn’t long before they became known as ‘robins’, a sobriquet, which inevitably connected to images of robins carrying Christmas cards in their beaks.

More images that connected with those first “traditional” Christmases slowly emerged too, with for instance, portraits of jolly, top-hatted gentlemen and crinolined ladies leaning out from heaving horse-drawn carriages as they approached a well lit hostelry... inevitably through a snow ridden landscape, among them.

But the robin remained and still remains dominant. Indeed, the rob, rob, robin just keeps bob, bob, bobbing along! And as far as I can see, this year, the robin has once more staked his claim as one of the more popular Christmas card images.

In that respect, the everlasting robin proves to be amazingly resilient even in the face of more modern images including what I am inclined to call “the stand up” funny’ (or sometimes decidedly unfunny!) cards, the “glamour” cards and a whole host of other, modern designs.

Imagery

Is the robin’s paramount place in the imagery of Christmas deserved? Well yes I think it is, for pretty much alone amongst our garden birds, the redbreast still provides us with fragments of deliciously sweet music, even on the shortest and darkest of winter days.

However, even in that fact is perhaps betrayed something of the nature of the bird, for those short phrases of bell-like notes offer more than a hint of the real nature of this garden favourite. For cock robin, the holding of territory, be it breeding territory or just winter feeding territory, is absolutely elementary.

Those fragments of song are indeed a message, not so much of goodwill, but a proclamation of territorial integrity. Indeed, they also advertise availability in the spring of the year. And ... they also issue a warning and at times a veritable battle cry to other cock robins that tells them that to challenge for this territory will inevitably culminate in conflict. And boy, when robins set about the defence of their realms they do so with every fibre of their bodies.

And yet, the robin remains the favourite of so many. Gardeners love them because as they dig, they expose all sorts of invertebrate goodies, which are immediately eagerly seized upon by redbreasts.

Perhaps it is this intimacy that adds to the appeal of the robin, with its baby-like, large, dark eyes and colourfully blazing red breast.

Indeed, here we also enter the world of legend for tradition has it that a robin attended Jesus upon the Cross, plucking a thorn from His brow, the red breast testament to the drops of blood that were duly shed.

There are tales too of a pet robin, which belonged to St Kentigern, the Scottish bishop who founded Glasgow’s cathedral. Because, as a student, he was much favoured by his tutor, St Serf, his fellow students became jealous of him and killed the robin.

However St Kentigern restored the wee bird to life. This touching story lives on through the City’s coat of arms, which features a “robin proper”!

William Wordsworth was another great fan of the robin, which he always called redbreast. The bird features in no fewer than 14 of his poems. Indeed in a note to his poem, “The Redbreasts”, he tells of a time when his sister Dorothy was ill and a redbreast took up residence in her sickroom.

He further relates that as well as singing to her, the bird periodically fanned her face with its wings ... “in a manner most touching”.

Tradition

Presumably, the poet was unaware of another tradition, which foretells that the appearance of a robin to a sick person might well presage their death!

If in essence, this is the stuff of legends, then the robin is nevertheless the most readily recognised of our birds, is certainly one of the key symbols of Christmas.

According to one seventeenth century poet, “The Redbreast teacheth charity”. As Christmas is surely all about charity ... giving, what better vehicle is there than the robin redbreast, to wish you all, “A Very Happy Christmas”.