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This month there is only one thing to say and that's many congratulations to Her Majesty The Queen, on her Platinum Jubilee.
However you celebrate or just enjoy an extended Bank Holiday have a fabulous time and remember to take you Perch so you can have fun what ever the weather. Happy Perching Ruth x
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 YES! May is National Walking Month, (though here at Jacwicks we think every month should be a walking month) and what a great month it is to be out and about. May is the month when the countryside comes alive. There are beautiful Bluebell walks in forests, the blossom is out and all the birds are singing. The weather is starting to warm up and you get the odd really warm sunny day when it’s great to be alive. This year it seems the blossom is fuller than ever and the Bluebells are blue’er than previous years or is it just me? There are lots of way to enjoy National Walking Month. You can challenge yourself by setting a goal of miles walked it month. You can sign up to a charity's NWM campaign and raise money for a worthy cause while you walk, there are lots taking part. Or you can catch up with friends and get fit at the same time. To make it a bit more challenging why not give Nordic Walking a try? The added arm movement gets your heart rate up and increases your activity. According to Nordic Walking UK: Nordic walking can be as cardiovascular as running but feels easier because the poles provide propulsion making you lighter on your feet. It tones the whole body and improves posture too, so we liken it to using a cross trainer machine in the gym - only we are in the great outdoors with fresh air and nature! Why not give it a go? There Nordic Walking groups across the country, some will even lend you sticks as a beginner, just to see how you get on. I Nordic Walk when I can and it’s a great way to combine a work out and a walk without going to a gym. Where ever you walk this month don’t forget to take a break and enjoy a beautiful view on your Perch. Until next time happy Perching. Ruth x   Made in UK Day 2022 March 9 2022, is Made in UK Day, the day when Make it British celebrate and champion designers and producers in the UK. I am delighted to be part of this unique campaign and proud to design and produce my products in the UK. There has never been a more important time to buy products that are made in the UK and support local manufacturing. By pledging to buy products that are made in the UK you are lowering your carbon footprint, saving essential skills, helping local economies and creating job opportunities. We want everyone to get behind Made in UK Day to celebrate the wonderful makers that we have in the UK. UK manufacturing is currently worth £192 billion to the UK economy and employs 2.7 million people. More than 65 million people live in the UK and if everyone bought just one item made in the UK worth £20 (the price of a Pocket Perch) on Made in UK Day it would be worth £1.3billion. Now that’s something worth celebrating! I'm also celebrating a first this month with the Pocket Perch appearing in Walk magazine Spring issue. Walk is the magazine for members of the Ramblers Association. A charity created in 1935 by a group of walkers from across the UK to improve, protect and increase access to the countryside. Throughout the years the charity has grown and developed and from an initial beginning of 1,200 members and 300 affiliated clubs, to over 500 local groups and over 107,000 members. They have been guardians of the countryside and lead many campaigns to keep footpaths open, accessible and available for all to enjoy across the UK. It’s great to be associated with these two pioneers of Britishness. Until next time, Happy Perching, Ruth x    Thank goodness January is over, I don’t know about you but I always find January one of the hardest months, The weather is cold and windy and walks are taken in the small window of daylight hours, as the temperature drops as soon as the sun goes down. February has the touch of a promise of warmer lighter days on the horizon. It can snow anytime until April here but February always gives me a sense of hope.
There’s so much to look forward to and celebrate this year. Not only the Queens Jubilee, but also the Woodland Trust Celebrates 50 years of saving and preserving precious woodlands across the UK. In 1972 a group of friends gathered around a kitchen table in Devon to discuss saving a local wood. The kitchen table belonged to Kenneth Watkins OBE – their founder and first chairman – who was so concerned about loss of ancient woodland, he decided to do something about it. That day the Woodland Trust was born. As they turn 50, they are proud to have inspired 500,000 people from the UK and beyond to be a member or supporter of the Woodland Trust, to care for more than 1,000 free, public woods and have got more than 50 million trees growing. An incredible achievement to say the least. Trees are one of my favourite things, I even have a family tree in the Jubilee Woods planted to celebrate HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. January saw some of the worst storms the UK has had for a long time and the toll it has taken on trees is devastating. Whole woodlands have been brought down, trees that have stood for hundreds of years gone in an instant. The power of the weather is phenomenal. It makes this year's celebration all the more significant. To preserve and appreciate the ancient woodland we have, as they are the lungs of the earth and once, they are gone it takes hundreds of years to replace them. Whatever you do this February, maybe take a moment and go for a walk and just appreciate a tree you see on the way. Until next time, happy Perching. Ruth x  New Year new hope. With the past 2 years being one’s, we’d rather not repeat we can only hope that 2022 will be a better experience. January is the time when people make resolutions only to break them before the end of the month. Some like to make intentions which I think is rather more doable. I have the intention to walk more, work smarter, stress less. Perhaps, maybe, it will work out, we’ll see. There are a few things to celebrate nationally this year. With the Queens Platinum Jubilee in June being a particular highlight, something we will never see again in our lifetime. The return of large events and shows is also exciting. Celebrations and anniversaries rolled over to this year will also hopefully make it a better year. Whatever your doing in 2022 make time to take a break, get out in the countryside and find a place to Perch. Take a minute to reflect on 2021, take a deep breath and move forward into 2022 with new hope. Happy Perching! Ruth   The weather is turning chillier and the clocks have gone back, which can only mean Autumn is here. I find Autumn a time for walking quicker to stay warm, find beauty in the rustic colours of flora and fauna. Finding joy in sighting wild animals going about their business gathering food for the hash months ahead. Last month I launched the new Fleece range of Perches just in time for Autumn and they certainly allow you to stay just a little longer to enjoy a beautiful view. The new Grab Ya Boots Bag was also launched and it saves your car or home from wet muddy dirty boots and is so easy to just grab and go. It comes with two pockets for your Perches or a scrubbing brush to get that pesky mud off once dry. They are also easy to clean without any zips to gather mud and dirt. On another note, with COP26 in full swing I found myself checking to the sustainability of the Jacwicks range. The Perches are made to be used and loved for years and years. Reused again and again. They are handmade in the UK from UK sourced suppliers. Where possible I try to rescue fabric from landfill. I keep all off cuts of fabric and work on new ideas to make them into something useful. I hate waste and strive to keep it to the minimum. All packaging is paper based where possible, only using plastic on larger parcels when I don’t have another option. As a small brand whose products are about enjoying the environment and the countryside around us, I’m trying to work with a conscience, be more sustainable and eco-friendly. If we all do our bit, we will make a difference. Until next time Happy Perching! Ruth x
 The COSIEST sit mat you can fit in your pocket just got even COSIER! As we move into Autumn and Winter, I'm sooo excited to launch a new range of warm cosy Fleece Pocket and Poly Perches. Available in 4 designs, all with 4 layers of protection, the Fleece Range brings you even more protection from cold damp benches, rocks and logs wherever you choose to sit outdoors. Choose from cosy Camouflage, Green Leaves, Purple Polka Dot and bright Sunshine. There's a Green Leaves Poly Perch for even more cosy coverage and Brown Paws Pet Perch for your fur baby.    Well, that was a summer of fun. July saw me at my first event since 2109, held in the beautiful grounds of Sudeley Castle. It was so lovely to meet customers face to face again, the stands were set socially distanced and it really worked well. Thank you to everyone that came along bought Perches and had a chat, it was great to meet you. Had a chance to take some time off as well to enjoy the fabulous weather the UK had. I hope you had a chance to enjoy a well earned break too. This September Jacwicks celebrates its 3rd Birthday! As you can imagine the past year has been a rollercoaster but we made it through. I'd just like to say a huge THANK YOU, to all customers and supporters who have got me to this point , I couldn't have done it without you. Looking forward to the coming year, there will be some exciting new product launches and the revival of Shows, Fairs and events across the UK. Talking of Shows and events, I have a full-on program of them in October: 1-16 October: Guest maker at Land of Oak and Iron. With a Meet the Maker Day, that’s just for me on Saturday 16 October. 9-10 October: British National Ploughing Championships and Country Festival, Mindrum Mill, Northumberland, TD12 4QL. 27-30 October: The Cheltenham Christmas Gift & Fashion Fair, The Centaur, Cheltenham Racecourse, Evesham Rd, Cheltenham GL50 4SH. If you are in the area please pop along and say hello, I love meeting you all. I am very excited to be launching some new products in the very near future. Keep an eye on the Jacwicks social media channels Facebook, Instagram, to be the first to view them. One is really, really useful and the other very, very, warm. I love them and I hope you will do too. After eating all that celebration cake I'm going to have to go for a walk Until next time, Happy Perching. Ruth x   June is the start of Summer. With the meteorological start of summer being 1 June and the longest day 21/22 (there’s always a debate in my house), the fab warm weather we are enjoying all leads to summer being here. Get outside, enjoy the sun when it shines and take in the sights and smells of the countryside. It will make you feel sooo much better. Another thing that makes you feel better is forest bathing. A walk in the woods is one of my favourite things to do. The Bluebells of last month are fading, new species are taking their place and the tree canopy is closing over to bring more shade. Find a quiet place to Perch and just take a moment to just be still, enjoy the bird song and the sound of the leaves moving in the breeze. Smell the forest and the flowers within it, anything that just makes you feel closer to nature, is good for the soul. As a supporter of the Woodland Trust, it’s interesting to read their latest report on the state of the nation’s woodlands and trees. The headline fact is that there is concern about woodlands and trees. Coverage from woodland has more than doubled in the last 100 years. Unfortunately, the main species of the additional coverage is with non-native trees (such as managed forest), leaving existing native woodland isolated. This leads to a poor ecological condition which has a knock-on effect to a decline in woodland wildlife. Ancient forests have a fascinating complex eco system, and are vital to the planet. If you are interested in trees and woodlands, I would recommend reading The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben. It makes a walk in the woods so much more interesting. There are several active tree planting campaigns at the moment, with the aim to encourage as many people as possible across the country to join in. Here are some you can join in with:
I love trees in my garden and even though it's quite small I have several medium size trees and over 20 homed in pots. I just need a bigger garden to plant them in. Enjoy the start of summer, plant a tree and you will enjoy the benefits for years to come. Until next, time Happy Perching Ruth   May is Bluebell time! One of my favourite spring walks has to be in a Bluebell wood. It takes me straight back to my childhood. I used to spend hours playing with friends in an ancient wood full of Bluebells, happy carefree days. Now each May, we have to make time to visit our favourite Bluebell wood, just seeing the carpet of blue instantly relaxes the senses and childhood memories come flooding back. Find a fallen tree or bench to Perch and just spend a moment just breathing in their sweet fragrance and relax. To find a Bluebell Wood near you check out the Woodland Trusts pages for their expert guide. Also at its best in May is cherry blossom and we recently spent a magical day at The Alnwick Gardens, Northumberland. The Cherry Orchard has been planted with over 300 Tai haku (Great White Cherry) trees. Making it the largest cherry orchard of its kind anywhere in the world.   They have cleverly included swing seats under the trees and you lose track of time sitting and gentle swinging in the warm spring sun. Just magical. All part of the Duchess of Northumberland's vision for The Alnwick Gardens.
You do need to have your Perch with you though, the birds make their presence known in no uncertain terms. Good job Perches are washable. With the slow easing of restrictions and being able to sit outdoors for pubs and cafes, Perches are a great way to save yourself from damp, chilly seats. As spring showers and frosty nights continue, just pop one in your pocket, unfurl and you can sit in comfort and enjoy our new freedoms. I am also looking towards the full easing of restrictions and I hope to bring you exciting news next month, if all goes to plan. I like to show you our products in use by our lovely customers and this month, we have this handsome fella, looks like he’s having a great time on his Pet Perch. Thanks Tim (and owner Jackie) for this fab image. Until next time, Happy Perching! Ruth x  The clocks have sprung forward, the daffodils, tulips, primroses and hyacinths are out, its official Spring has arrived. Spring is my favourite time of year. I love the new fresh buds on trees, seeing the leaves bust forth a little bit more each day and new born lambs leaping for the joy of being alive. There's nothing better to restore the soul after a long, hard, cruel winter, than to be out in the spring sunshine, or even if its not sunny just to be out in warmer temperatures. This years Spring is particularly poignant as it coincides with some restriction lifting and the rule of 6 coming back into our lives. We can now meet outdoors and catch up with friends and family we have been separated from for so long. With the vaccine now being rolled out at a rapid rate, this year Spring has the added feeling of hope. Hope that we have found a way through this, hope that we have found a way to live with this horrible virus, which will be with us for the foreseeable future and beyond. It's a scientific fact that sunshine and daylight has a positive effect on our moods and health. For a start it's helping us get enough Vitamin D. Sunshine also triggers the release of endorphins and prompts our brains to release serotonins, which improves our mood. Sunlight also causes our skin to release nitric oxide, which lowers blood pressure. So make the most of our extra hour of daylight. Go outside and Perch in the fresh air, or even better the sun (make sure you have sunscreen on) and feel those endorphins busting through. I'm taking a short break over Easter and will be back in the workshop on 7 April, 2021. Whatever you are doing this Easter, have a great time, stay safe and take in some fresh air. Until next time, Happy Perching! Ruth x   To celebrate Made in UK Day, Jacwicks Designs is launching its new Union Jack Pocket Perch. As the appetite to shop locally and support local businesses grows, Make it British, a community of UK-made brands and manufacturers, is calling on everyone to celebrate UK makers. Make it British was founded on 9 March 2011 as a blog to champion all the wonderful products that are made in the UK. To celebrate their 10 year anniversary 9 March this year, is Made in UK Day where you are encouraged to pledge to buy British. Since its launch MIB has seen an increase in interest for UK made goods. This year alone has seen a 68% increase in enquiries since the UK left the EU’s single market and customs union. There has never been more important to buy products that are made in the UK and support local manufacturing. As you may know all Perches are handmade in Co Durham. They are not mass produced, they are of a high quality and well made. Some designs have quite short runs which make them even more unique. When possible additional help is sourced from a local social enterprise, Just for Women, which supports women and families in the region. Fabric and sundries are sourced from UK businesses and every effort is made to ‘keep it local’ wherever possible. When you buy from my UK business you are also supporting a whole chain of UK based businesses. You are also lowering your carbon footprint, saving essential skills, helping local economies and creating job opportunities. Our New Union Jack Pocket Perch enables you to fly the flag for UK business, find yours on the Pocket Perch page of the website. If you saw last months Insights post you will have seen a photo of one of our lovely customers Kris sharing her favourite place to Perch. I'm so thrilled to be able to bring you the taker of that photo Maggie, enjoying a well earned rest on her Pocket Perch. Thank you so much for the lovely photos ladies, I absolutely love seeing customers favourite places to Perch. If you would like to share your favourite place to Perch, please take a photo and email me at ruth@jacwicksdesigns.co.uk I look forward to seeing you. Until next time, stay safe and Happy Perching! Ruth x   Happy February. I do think once we've got past the month of January, February has the promise of warmer times and spring flowers trying to push through. It looks like social distancing is going to be with us for a while still, so I thought it might be helpful to remind you of the way you can social distance outdoors by using a Perch as a measuring guide. The Pocket Perch this is 40cm wide, if the SD rule is 2m just take the Pocket, mark your starting point flip the Pocket over 5 times and you have 2m. If the SD goes down to 1m that 2.5 flips. The handy quilting marks help with .5 measuring.  If you have a PIxy Perch at 30cm wide, the flip rate is 7 for a just over 2m distance. Or 3.5 for a 1m distance.  The Poly and Pet Perch’s are 80cm in length, so that’s only a 2.5 flip rate. Always keep to government guidelines when out and about, we're all in this together. Lets hope with the vaccine on the way for all, we will soon be out of this nightmare. Thank goodness for walking. I love hearing from customers and seeing how they are enjoying using their Perches. Here's Kris out on a walk with her favourite furry friend and a tipple. My kind of walking. If you have a favourite place to Perch please share it with us, we love seeing you and you could even star in a blog. Until next time, keep safe and happy Perching! Ruth x   So here we are in 2021 and back into lockdown. Lets hope it won't be too long before we are out again and all make it through safe and sound.
The good news is we can still exercise outside. Walking is a great way of getting some gentle exercise, fresh air and if your lucky a beautiful view. Recently, on an icy walk, we found a park in our local area we never knew was there, just a stones throw from our front door. Happy days. As you can see from the photo above it also has a lovely view of a local landmark, Penshaw Monument which can be seen from miles around. It has an interesting history and is a great place to walk when we are allowed to go out and about again. After a very strange 2020, we are looking forward to a better 2021 and planning some fabulous new designs for the Perch ranges, after selling out of some lines and continuing with some old favourites. Check out our social pages on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news, feel free to show us your favourite places to Perch we love hearing from you. So what ever 2021 brings stay safe, keep walking and Happy Perching! Ruth x  A recent article in the Guardian highlighted the increasing interest in a more sustainable way of gift wrapping.
There is a growing trend towards a more sustainable way of living and a move away from the mountains paper gift wrap that is sent to landfill each year. Our Fabwrap range is sourced from rescued from landfill fabric that proves eco friendly does not have to be dull. Our vibrant glamorous double layered fabric can produce fabulously wrapped gifts in just two knots and can be used time and time again. Pass on to another for them to reuse or pass back to the gift giver for them to gift you again. Based on the Japanese art of Furoshiki, gift wrapping with fabric has been around for centuries. With the rising interest in finding a more eco friendly way of living it has seen a resurgence of interest, as we look to reduce the amount of rubbish we send to landfill. In just two knots fabric can be moulded to fit any shape and is ideal for those awkward gifts that you just can’t wrap neatly with paper. Once you’ve learnt the basic way to tie a gift you can move on to more elaborate wrapping and by adding baubles and satin ribbons (both reusable) more glamour. There’s no end to what you can do. Fabwrap is available in three sizes: Small: great for a Pocket or Pixy Perch, or paper back book Medium: ideal for a Pet or Poly Perch, or a tub of your favourite sweets Large: perfect for the Picnic Perch or those larger items i.e. beauty boxes or clothes Choose your perfect glamour wrap on the Fabwrap page  Jacwicks founder Ruth Jacobs talks to Melanie Cant of Elm Marketing
When you are running a business its always important to connect with a network that's on your wave length and contains other members that help and support each other. Its never been so important as it is now and I'm proud to be a member of the Do Business Network (DBN or Derwentside Business Network). The team there have worked tirelessly to provide help, support and training during lockdown. They continuously engage with their members and find new ways to promote their businesses to the network and beyond. Part of this process involves members Podcasts and I was lucky enough to be asked to speak to Melanie Cant from Elm Marketing, about how and why I set up Jacwicks Designs. Hear how the name Jacwicks came about, how I work with a local charity Just for Women and the way that the 'Finding your Tribe' moment happened. You can listen to my story by clicking on this link (There's also a bit about how I met the legend John Craven and how he reacted to his Perch). It's been a great project to be part of, I've loved telling my story and receiving listeners feedback. Pull up a Perch and a coffee and have a listen, I hope you enjoy it. Happy Perching! Ruth x  September already? Where has the year gone. September always seems to me the start of the slowing down of the year. The hot sunny summer days are behind us and it’s the slow procession into cooler days and chilly nights. Leaves begin to fade and feed the trees for over wintering. It’s also the main season for County Shows and oh how I LOVE a County Show! Unfortunately these are all cancelled this year due to the current situation. Some shows have been produced for over 100 years and only cancelled due to wars ,or animal diseases. It reminds us just how different this year really is. 2019 was the first year for Jacwicks to showcase their range of products and they went down really well. Pocket and Poly Perch’s are perfect for sitting on a hay bale to watch the various shows and animal judging. The shows are always full of dogs of all sizes and the Pet Perch’s are snapped up by happy dog lovers for their favourite pooch. Pixy Perch’s for children are ideal for keeping the little ones in one place for a few minutes and the large Picnic Perch rugs are perfect for the whole family to enjoy. Fingers crossed we can return to the show field again in 2021 for bigger and better celebrations, until then enjoy some images from previous years. Until next time, stay safe and Happy Perching! Ruth x Here at Jacwicks we like to be helpful. With all these new social distancing (SD) rules which seem to change on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis it's not surprising to be a bit confused. Just for fun, I'm going to share ways of measuring safe social distancing when you're out and about without a tape measure. When you're out and about with your trusty Perch and you need to practice SD, remember each perch is a certain size which can be used to measure distance. Take the Pocket Perch this is 40cm wide, if the SD rule is 2m just take the Pocket, mark your starting point flip the Pocket over 5 times and you have 2m. If the SD goes down to 1m that 2.5 flips. The handy quilting marks help with .5 measuring. If you have a PIxy Perch at 30cm wide, the flip rate is 7 for a just over 2m distance. Or 3.5 for a 1m distance. The Poly and Pet Perch’s are 80cm in length,so that’s only a 2.5 flip rate. We had a day on the moors taking photos to illustrate this, (you may have seen the photos on the Jacwicks Facebook page). We were getting on quite nicely with the sheep and lambs, when out of the corner of my eye I could see a large black cow coming towards me. Cows are fairly intelligent and communicate with each other and I think she wanted to see what all the fuss was about to report back to the others. I was half way through the photo shoot but duly retreated, in the hope she would lose interest and mooove on. No such luck, she decided we were so interesting she called all her mates over to see. Photo shoot was quickly abandoned and we left them to their munching on the lush grass. Note to self, always check for wildlife. For some it’s so lovely to be able to see loved ones and friends again in the bubble environment and its times like these it can really bring home what's truly important. My deepest sympathy goes out to those who have lost someone to this and many other dreadful diseases, for you these are the most testing of times. Through dark days I find a walk in the country really does heal the soul and can be an item in the toolkit to better times. In the meantime hug those you can and dream of the day when you will eventually be able to hug those further away. I can't wait until the day I can hug my gorgeous sons again. Until the next time, stay safe and happy perching, Ruth x   I am aware of the rapidly changing situation with regards to Covid-19 and would like to let you know how the business is complying with Government advice.
Here at Jacwicks I am l keeping calm and carrying on business as usual. Apart from the fact that the early year events and shows have been either cancelled, or postponed to next year. All products are handmade in house, there's no contact with the outside environment. For those worried about contaminated parcels, please visit the Royal Mails website for reassurance. Whilst so many major and minor events have been cancelled, on the bright side the National Trust are offering free access to their parklands and gardens. Just ensure you keep a safe distance from those around you. Keep up to date with the latest news from the National trust on their website. As we know things change daily. The Jacwicks website is still open for business with gorgeous new lines coming soon. Keep up to date with the products on our product pages. It's been lovely to see so many acts of kindness that have been happening throughout these difficult times. From looking after vulnerable neighbours, having random conversations with strangers, to just keeping spirits up, there so much positivity out there. Yes, it’s difficult and there’s a great deal of miss information, do all you can to stay safe and try not to get caught up in the hysteria (easier said than done sometimes). When things get too much, I like to take a walk in the country, just in the open air and away from the crowds, you can clear your head and readjust your wellbeing. Whilst we can still enjoy the countryside take a walk, find a special spot, take a seat and take a deep breath, it will do you the world of good. Say safe and happy perching. Ruth x  After a very event filled 2019, what is in store for Jacwicks in 2020?
January is a time to reflect on the past year and take a look at where to concentrate the business this year? A HUGE question! I’ve had some amazing adventures in the past year with a whole host of shows and fairs to exhibit at and brilliant publicity in Country Walking magazine. New products launched and competitions entered. Celebrate these on the Lets Celebrate page of the website, small wins need to be celebrated! Looking at 2020 I am taking Jacwicks on the road again, this time both locally and further afield including an exciting show at Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire. More to be announced soon. It was great to meet the lovely customers at the shows and I look forward to meeting more this year. One thing I did start in 21019 was the Walk a 1000 mile challenge by Country Walking magazine, total for 2019 was 667, so not quite there but over half way, time to sign up for 1000 mile 2020. The unusually mild January has been great for getting out and about so make the most of it and don’t forget to take a moment to enjoy a beautiful view. Happy Perching. |
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