The Great English Outdoors is named after its owner, Athene English, who was a saddlemaker but has been here for 30 years selling bags and belts made from indestructible bridle leather, along with Welsh wool blankets. The shop was a hit with Lauren Bacall, whom I once had the pleasure of walking for a couple of days...
Athene English, owner of the online goods store, The Great English Outdoors, claims to be one of the true admirers of the art and has worked with Russian leather for more than 30 yeasrs. The saddler is unfazed by the renewed interest in it.'I have not 'just' come upon this leather. I have had the pleasure and privilege of working with it for over 30 years, she says. 'However, it is now sadly at an end. I guess people have become fascinated by it'
South China Morning Post, 22 January 2018 By Jeena Sharma
Thick woollen socks made from the wool of rare breed sheep with cushioned heel and toe, £18
The Blue Tit British Wool Striped Socks
Women's cardigan made in Ireland from Donegal Wool£88.75The Great English Outdoors
FOR CAT LOVERSHand made Cat Cushion, £78The Great English Outdoors
This striped teapot has been hand thrown by potter Trudy Ebsworth Espie in her studio in South Wales. Its £48 from The Great English Outdoors
Are you a saver or a spender?
I'm not really a spender; I hate going into shops and I'll sit like an old curmudgeon in the car while my wife nips into the supermarket. But every now and again I will splash out on something I'm excited by. Recently I found a little shop in Hay-on-Wye that sold beautiful handmade tweed jackets and waistcoats made from yak's wool under a Fairtrade system.
I liked the shop and their values so much I promptly spent £600, which is more than I've spent on clothes in years. If it's ethically sourced and people are properly paid, then I'm a sucker.
Woollacott collected the vintage Welsh blankets from The Great English Outdoors,a local shop in Hay- on-Wye
Men's soft cotton flannel collarless shirt £68, The Great English Outdoors
10th Anniversary Issue
The Summer Issue 2016
Shopping Shortlist
13. Revive with bathroom bits and bobs. Toothbrush, £2.95, The Great English Outdoors
15. Wrap up as the sun goes down. Vintage Welsh Blanket, £125, The Great English Outdoors
20. Enjoy our wildlife. British Wildlife notebooks, £6.50 each, The Great English Outdoors
New Welsh Wool Tapestry Blanket, Red/White £285 and Meadow Wool Throw, Butterucp £155, both from The Great English Outdoors
Meadow Wool Throw, Buttercup £155, The Great English Outdoors
Spanish Riding Boots £189 The Great English Outdoors
Shoppping Shortlist
Stay on the Button. Sycamore coaster, £12.50. The Great English Outdoors
My Vintage World ATHENE ENGLISH
The owner of The Great English Outdoors shares her love of individual vintage pieces..
Fringe Benefits The folk at Great English Outdoors know that 'upcycling' is nothing new and have applied a good old-fashioned make-do-and-mend mentality to a range of products made from old Welsh wool blankets and tapestries, including tea cosies, hot-water bottle covers and cushions. These fringed beauties cost £55 each, greatenglish.co.uk
WRAP UP
Since it's January and ice and wind are probably on the agenda, what could be nicer than a beautiful hand-woven woollen blanket from one of my favourite small companies, The Great English Outdoors. It comes in a rather chic black and cream. £155 greatenglish.co.uk
Notsalgic Noel
Welsh Wool Tapestry Blanket £285
The Great English Outdoors
Snuggle Up
Take Cover
Wrap up with the Welsh Wool Blanket £285
Selvedge December/January
Welsh Wool Tapestry Red/White £285
www.greatenglish.co.uk
FT Weekend Gift Guide
Bath and Bed
Horn Baby Brush £38
Making the bed cosy with huggable hottie
Old Welsh Blanket hottie cover H 40cm, £28
Fill a small bowl with suds to deal with spills as they happen Wood Bowl £18
Ease scrubbing with the aid of tought natural bristles Wood Vegetable Brush £8.75
Finnish Blog on Classic Men's Style, Elegance and The Beautiful Life An interview with Athene English of The Great English Outdoors by Ville Raivio
Russian Reindeer Leather £20
Great English Outdoors
THE PLEASURE OF DEEP BLUE
Brewing a cosy cup of tea. Welsh Wool Blanket Tea Cosy, £28
WOODEN LIBRARY STEPS
THE GREAT ENGLISH OUTDOORS
Retrieve your book and then convert the steps to sit and read. Welsh Ash. Price £395 Tel 01497821205 www.greatenglish.co.uk
November - Things I can't live without - wrapping up in Autumn-hued wool Wicklow Coat. £188
Fishing Creel £295, Boots £178, both The Great English Outdoors,...Tweed scarf £38, Slippers £58, both The Great English Outdoors....Jacket £285 The Great English Outdoors
Article by Kitty Corrigan on Way on Hye Website
Vintage Throws, from £125 each; boots £178, all from The Great English Outdoors
Stall Stories
Athene English has made herself right at home, surrounded by beautiful antique Welsh tapestry blankets dangling on clothing hangers from the ceiling of the marquee. The owner of The Great English Outdoors in Hay-on-Wye, she had decamped to the Herefordshire countryside for the day with a selection of her blankets and some rather striking tribal textiles. You may have noticed quite a few of Athene's products in the decorating and shopping features of this magazine, particularly her rustic home accessories. She is also a trained saddler and makes beautiful purses, belts and dog collars......
The Groom's Waistcoat £125
Willow Fishing Creel £295
Meadow Throws
Be bright when its breezy with a hand woven twill herringbone throw £125 www.greatenglish.co.uk
Sleep simply
Let colourful fabrics take centre stage in the bedroom - tongue-and-groove panelling and weathered wood create the perfect backdrop
Red throw, £125, The Great English Outdoors
The Lady Loves...................
Gardening Special by Lena Dunkin
Welsh Slate Plant Labels, £49.50, The Great English Outdoors: 01497 821205. www.greatenglish.co.uk
Seasonal Looks
Brighten the Hallway
Gingerman Leather Bag £190
Walking Stick £48 The Great English Outdoors
Get Creative
Sew Lavender Shoe Sachets
Spanish Leather Riding Boots £178 The Great English Outdoors
Line a chest with geranium paper
Woollen Mittens £38 The Great English Outdoors
Emporium
The finest farm animal breeds are championed on these notecards £8.99 for 20
The City Planter
Boxed set of Welsh Slate Plant Labels £49.50
Horn Bowl £19.90; Horn Beaker £34.50; Horn Quaich £19; all at the The Great English Outdoors
Throws in red, yellow and blue from The Great English Outdoors, £125 each
Blankets from a selection at The Great English Outdoors
This Donegal Blanket is woven in Ireland and costs £155
Alpaca Scarf in Silk and Wool £75
Silk Shirt £150
English Fringed Bag £68
Horn Bracelets from £15
English Field tweed jacket, £285
The most elegant refreshment perfumed towelettes by Alvarez Gomez, £5, GreatEnglish.co.uk
Pitching for Success At the Hay Festival
Over the opening weekend of this year' Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts, CL staged two more inspirational events for women in business...led by CL editor Susy Smith, textile designer Jan Constantine, Athene English of Hay Shop The Great English Outdoors and Fiona Davies, business manager of Women in Rural Enterprise (WiRE), shard their practical advice on how to earn a living from your hobby...Read more about the event at kitchentabletalent.com
Pet Perfect
Calling all fans of all things equestrian. Hay-on-Wye based The Great English Outdoors is know for hand tooled tack. We like this smart grooming kit. The Horse Box £48 includes a brush, soap, horn, curry comb and mints - the favourite treat of every horse
Big Button coasters, £12.50 each
Made from bone china. This pretty mug features an Ordnance Survey map of Hay-on-Wye: £6 from The Great English Outdoors
Coastal Living: Beside the Seaside
Fishing Creel £295
The Original Book Town
A great example is Great English Outdoors; which sells antique Welsh blankets dating back as far as 1890. 'What I love about the Welsh is that they are fiercely patriotic.....'says owner, Athene English as wood crackles in her immaculate shop fire
Boutique
This lamp shade is inlaid with pressed cow parsley picked from hedgerows, £165
Set up a desk with views of your garden......Lamp £165
Food on the Go
Blanket £95, Medium Brown Leather Dog Lead £39, The Great English Outdoors
The Plaid Throw £125, The Great English Outdoors
Simple Pleasures. There is a beautiful simplicity to this lamp, the oak base topped with a shade created from pressed wild flowers........... Lampshade £85; Lampbase & shade £165
Lavender Chickens
These lavender filled chickens are for scenting drawers and cupboards. They're made from Welsh plaid blankets and feature a hand knitted comb and leather beak. Lavender is a natural moth deterrent. Lavender Chicken £16.50
The eiderdown on Marisa's bed is from The Great English Outdoors
Long hand knitted boot socks £75
Welsh blanket with chocolate brownies
Welsh blanket (used as a tablecloth) £375
If like me, you suffer from cold feet and Gerda's toasty toes are more your thing, then what about these Scandinavian felted wool insoles from one of my favourite shops, The Great English Outdoors
Finishing Touches
Favourite item....Horn Letter Opener £18.50
Wild Life on Moor and Fell
The Look: Wool plaids and Welsh weave blankets add a rich, tactile element to the home..............Vintage fringed throws and Welsh blankets, from £90
Stay cosy on bonfire night........Straps £130
Create a rustic hall. Handbag £445. Walking stick £48 each
Cuddle up in front of the fire....Twig Trivel £28
Pick images from nature choose lamps, ceramics and other accessories decorated with deer, hares. Leather Heart Pendant £8; Hare Mug £18.50
Decorate with a scenic pattern...................Leaf Table Lamp £125
Horn Beaker £34.50, Letter Opener £18.50, The Great English Outdoors, www.greatenglish.co.uk