Bringing the outdoors into your home

We all want to make the most of the available space around our homes – but we don’t all like gardening, or even to be outside.

There are plenty of sunny days in the UK, but they don’t always have the temperatures to match. That’s when a conservatory or orangery comes into its own.


Conservatories let you enjoy the sunshine, even on the coldest days, without setting foot outdoors. They have the added benefit of adding living space to your home. A premium quality conservatory can make a substantial extension to your home, increasing your property’s value.

You can use your conservatory to entertain guest when the typical British summer weather lets you down. It can also be a space to grow exotic plants -  Mediterranean olives, cacti, or bougainvillea for example.

This article from House and Garden has a raft of ideas for creating a conservatory.

If you have a conservatory already you will know that it’s also important to maintain the glass and frame to keep it looking its best. An expanse of glass covered in moss and leaves can make your space look dour and unappealing, especially in winter.

Here are a few tips for keeping your conservatory in tip-top order:

• Give the glass a deep clean at least once a year.
• Keep gutters clear of moss, twigs and debris.
• Keep locks and hinges moving freely. Oil them at least once a year.
• Keep your conservatory well ventilated in the summer to avoid overheating and keep it well heated in the winter to avoid problems with condensation, damp and mould building up.
• Vacuum clean blinds regularly. Roof blinds can collect a lot of cobwebs, dead insects and dust. Use a hairdryer to blow out debris from difficult to reach places, then sweep up or dust as normal.
• Inspect all mastic seals regularly. Any damage should be repaired immediately to avoid leakage.

Allison Homes' tips for hosting your own Chinese New Year party

Looking at the weather outside, you might think that at this time of year there's nothing much to celebrate. But you'd be wrong. It seems that we’re becoming more multicultural when it comes to looking for an excuse for a good party. We've had Burns' Night and Mardi Gras. Now it's China's turn.

Chinese New Year begins officially on  Friday this week (16 February). According to the Chinese zodiac, this year is the Year of the Dog. The Spring Festival to usher in the new year lasts until 2 March.

Some cities with significant Chinese communities will be hosting special celebrations. In London this year a variety of cultural events will be held on Sunday 18 February. It’s the largest Chinese New Year celebration held outside Asia, so it’s definitely worth a visit.

If you prefer to stay at home, why not host your own Chinese New Year themed party? Here are some ideas of things that you can do to make your celebrations go with a bang. Literally, in the case of the last idea on the list!

• Clean the house before the party – cleaning symbolises sweeping away accumulated bad luck.
• Prepare boxes of candied fruit or chocolate coins to give to your guests.
• Get lots of your favourite Chinese food in to share with guests and family. Cantonese chicken and fish is particularly good.
• Dress up – the key colour is red. Wear a red jumper, scarf or shoes. This will bring you good luck in the coming year.
• Buy something red for the house – paper cut window grilles, lanterns and dog toys are ideal decorations for the home and garden.
• Serve oranges and tangerines – they represent wealth, good luck and happiness.
• Give a gift of a small amount of money to parting guests – older generations often give gifts of money in red envelopes to the younger generation in Asian cultures.
• Get some Chinese fire crackers to let off – but do consider the neighbours and remember to follow the firework code and be safe.

Fun facts – what’s in a name?

Have you ever had a look at the place names around your local area and wondered what they mean? Well, we have. Knowing a bit about place names can tell you a lot about the area you live in.

Did you know, for example, that place names around South Kesteven and Bourne are Viking in origin?

Places ending in ‘by' are Norse in origin. Lincolnshire was widely settled by the Vikings and villages like Careby, Carlby, Aunby and Thurlby all have Norse origins.

Villages with the word 'Thorpe' in their names – Manthorpe, Wilsthorpe, Othorpe, Grimsthorpe and Scottlethorpe – are also Norse in origin. The word 'by' means farm or village in Old Norse. 'Thorpe' means a secondary settlement. The first part of the place name usually belongs to the person who founded or farmed that settlement.

Bourne, where Allison Homes is based, is also Norse in origin. 'Bourne' is based on the Old Norse word 'brunnr', which means a well or spring. These settlements were established by invading Norse armies from 865-896, during a period known as the Danelaw.

When we name our developments, we look closely at local history and tradition before coming up with a name. Take Oakley Rise for example. It is part of the Oakley Vale development, an ongoing large-scale development on the outskirts of Corby – note the Viking name. The development gets its name from the nearby village of Great Oakley.

Oakley in turn is the name for the narrow strip of open pasture, the oak ley, along the valley within a broad tract of woodland.

We like to reflect the local area in our place names when we can.

Join us in Pinchbeck today!

We’re delighted to be officially opening our new show home at our Pinchbeck Fields development near Spalding today (9 February).

The ribbon will be cut by Allison Homes’ CEO Karl Hick. You are invited to join in the opening celebrations by coming come along to take a look at the house from 3:00 pm this afternoon and share some light refreshments with us.

The show house will give you the opportunity to experience a ‘real life’ version of a new Allison Homes house. It includes features such as family rooms, open plan living areas, luxury dining, bathrooms and spacious bedrooms.

Pinchbeck Fields is a brand-new development of 2, 3, 4 and 5-bedroom houses on the edge of the Lincolnshire village of Pinchbeck, combining the charm of rural living with all the amenities that the bustling market town of Spalding has to offer.

The development is located just to the north of Spalding, close to some of the best schools in Lincolnshire. There are rural trails, traditional pubs and restaurants and tranquil waterways right on the doorstep.

Pinchbeck Fields residents can enjoy the rural lifestyle and the arts, entertainment and shopping facilities of nearby Spalding. There are also excellent transport links to Bourne, Boston, Kings Lynn, Peterborough and Stamford.

Following its official opening today the show home will be open seven days a week between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm.

The perfect time for a romantic day out

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. It’s become really commercialised over the past few years. In the UK alone in 2016 we spent more than £960 million on gifts, food and drink, cards and wrapping. But we still enjoy it.

You might not buy into the rampant commercialism and avoid sending cards and flowers – but it’s the perfect time to enjoy a romantic day out and an intimate meal in your favourite restaurant.

Here are a few ideas courtesy from the team at Allison Homes for days out and dining for you to draw romantic inspiration from.

Kirkby Hall -  Enjoy a romantic visit to this historic house then enjoy a quiet meal for two at the Old White Hart in Lyddington or the Sondes Arms in the village of Rockingham.

Houghton House - Wander around and take in magnificent views. If you enjoy seafood why not try Loch Fyne at Woburn. For traditional dining visit the Black Horse pub in Woburn or the River Room at the Swan Hotel, Bedford with its romantic river views.

Rutland Water – Take a romantic walk around Rutland Water and enjoy the views and the wildlife. There are several very nice dining options including Barnsdale Lodge, Hambleton Hall, The Noel at Whitwell and the Horse and Jockey in Manton.

Stamford – Wander around the narrow streets and lanes of this beautiful Georgian town. Visit independent boutiques and shops. Romantic dining options are abundant. Try the George Hotel, Candlesticks Restaurant or the Crown.

North Norfolk – Breathe in the sea air and have a stroll along Cromer Pier with the oldest end-of-pier theatre in the UK. Once you have worked up an appetite go for dinner at the Gunton Arms – an atmospheric 'inn with rooms' set in a magnificent deer park.

Bon Appetit!

Bored with pancakes – try Mardi Gras this Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day, is next week. But are you bored of the usual pancakes and fancy trying something a bit different?

Why not host a Mardi Gras party? Mardi Gras – Fat Tuesday in French – is the pre-Lent festival when people feast before the Lent fasting and the serious business of Easter.

Perhaps the most famous Mardi Gras celebrations are those held in New Orleans in the United States. From Twelfth Night on 6 January until Ash Wednesday New Orleans is a serious party town.

Famous for its Jazz music, Cajun cooking and French culture, New Orleans’ streets come alive with carnival parades and crowds. Revellers throw strings of inexpensive plastic beads and doubloons to the throngs of people lining the main thoroughfares like Bourbon Street or Canal Street. The whole thing culminates in Mardi Gras day celebrations.

It’s all very American, but like the Super Bowl it’s catching on over this side of ‘The Pond’.

If you fancy it, the Allison Homes' team has tracked down some Mardi Gras tips for you.

Decorate your home in the traditional colours of Mardi Gras – green for faith, gold for power and purple for justice.

Make sure you have a choice of Trad Jazz; New Orleans brass music and Louisiana Zydeco music playing and bedeck your guests in Mardi Gras beads as they arrive.

Make yourself a King Cake - King Cakes are made of a cinnamon filled dough in the shape of a hollow circle. The cake is topped with a delicious glazed topping and then sprinkled with coloured sugar. Hundreds of thousands of King Cakes are eaten in New Orleans during the Carnival season.

Get some masks. Masks have been worn in New Orleans during masked balls for centuries. Masking originated with secretive organizations (carnival crews) and the secret upper class. No one knew who they were. The concept of wearing masks moved to the street where everyone would wear a mask and have a big celebration on the street. What better way to break the ice at your party? Everyone will not know who everyone else is and it is so much fun to discover who is behind the costume. It is also fun to see people get creative with their costumes and masks.

Serve up some hot and spicy Cajun food. The main meal at your Mardi Gras party could be a traditional seafood gumbo – here is a handy recipe.  The other signature dish, apart from anything with Crawfish in it, is Jambalaya.

Mardi Gras drinks are strong and tall. Cocktails include the Hurricane, Mint Julep and Mojito. You could even serve the very British Pimm’s, which is popular in New Orleans in the sizzling summer months.

The Spanish anise liqueur called Ojen is also a traditional Mardi Gras drink

Serve canapes that are based on seafood, especially crab and shrimp, with your drinks.

Have fun!

Reviving your exterior wood - weekend DIY jobs

Although technically we’re still in the grip of winter you will have noticed that the days are getting a little longer and the weekends are a little dryer and brighter. It’s a perfect time to start some of those DIY jobs that you have been putting off. Now is a great time to revive your exterior woodwork in time for spring!

Summer houses and sheds
Inspect your shed for any rotten wood. If you find any holes fill them with an appropriate waterproof wood filler.

Where there is extensive rot it is best to replace the wood. The exterior skin of most sheds and summer houses is made of individual wood slats of one kind or another eg shiplap or sawn larch lap. Identify what type of panels you need then pay a visit to your local DIY supplier. Wickes is good for shiplap for example.

Chop out the old rotten cladding. Examine the frame beneath. It might need attention and replacing too. Replace the old cladding with new and then repaint your shed.

Check the interior. If you find damp check for water ingress. You may also need to repair or replace the roof felting as well.

Furniture
Take a wire brush and rub off any flaky paint and rough wood. Give the surface a further rub with wire wool and sand it carefully. If there are any holes, knots or splinters in the wood fill them with wood filler and sand smooth. Apply a coat of primer, brushing in the same direction as the grain of the wood. Allow to dry then rub with a fine grade sandpaper. Then it’s time to paint your furniture.

Brighten up your garden. Use bright colours to give your garden a new lease of life and turn it into an outdoor living space to entertain in. Stay on trend by using purples and complementary tones in keeping with Pantone’s Colour of the Year, ultraviolet. Create a little oasis of tranquillity in your garden. Ultraviolet has long been associated with calm and meditation – great for anyone looking for refuge from our overstimulated world.

Ronseal has a nice range of garden paint which is available at good DIY stores.

If you want to retain the natural beauty of your wooden furniture, consider using oil-based preservatives. There are various oils available but Danish oil, Teak oil and Linseed oil are the best choices. If the wood is too damaged, use a wood stain to deliver an even finish.

Fences
Examine your fences. There has been quite a bit of windy weather this winter. Replace any missing panels. B&Q has some handy advice on how repair wooden fences

Once you have repaired your fence, give it a liberal coat of preservative. Where you have a large area of fence to paint, spray preservatives are a good choice.

Do the same with any gazebos, pergolas or trellises that you have. Replace any missing or rotten wood and repaint using a non-toxic water-based paint or preservative.

Bird tables
The part of a wooden bird table most likely to be in need of repair will be the base. It’s in contact with the wet ground and prone to rotting through. Here are some images for inspiration 

Ebay has this handy guide on making your own bird table.

Make sure you give the bare wood a good coat of non-toxic paint or wood preservative to protect it and keep it looking good for the coming year.