NEW STOOLS ON THE BLOCK
Here on the Giggy & Bab stand, the limited edition Blackheath Steel celebrated its public début, to much acclaim. Its exposed steel frame is merely cleaned down and then shiny-lacquered to show its true mettle (see what I did there), welds and all, complemented by its coal black top and steps. It's the perfect present for the man who has everything, and its rugged good looks make it ideal for a man cave. The ultimate in industrial chic, it looks fabulous in a kitchen too. As it turned out, I sold more for the latter than the former!

Also getting its first airing at the show was the very Christmassy red Blackheath. Its frame the colour of holly berries, it demands that you climb up it and put that fairy on top of the Christmas tree. In fact Angela of Haslemere bought one for exactly that purpose. (It also goes with the glamorous red glass splashbacks in her kitchen, so "not just for Christmas" then).

See that label hanging on the stool? That was given to me on the first day by the lovely Ruth from House & Garden - marking Giggy & Bab as one of a small curated selection of the magazine's favourite brands and products at the show. Chuffed or what?

FACES OLD AND NEW
Visitors flocked to the stand, and trade was brisk. It is always a delight to meet members of the public, and to see the look of recognition and affection on their faces when they see the stools. Not so much the young 'uns of course - they love them too, but they don't hold the memories they do for the next generation up.

I was touched to get visits from customers who had bought stools at past shows and who came by specially to say how much they loved them and used them all the time. Cynthia loves perching on her mint green Hornsey stool in her kitchen, and has had a special cushion made for it out of William Morris fabric in toning shades of green. Monelle had bought 2 black Hornsey stools but asked for black ferrules instead of white, done. One was for her, the other one for her husband's office and she said he was completely taken with it. Patricia bought a teal Hornsey last year after taking a tumble trying to get to a high top cupboard using a chair with a foot stool on top! When I met her at the Country Living Spring Fair 2018, she still had the splints on her damaged fingers, and her pregnant daughter wisely urged her to get a stool, which she did without hesitation.

A special mention goes to star customer Sarah, who bought four stools. She then kindly emailed me on Boxing Day to say: "I bought 4 of your lovely stools at Spirit of Christmas. I gave 3 of them as presents yesterday and everybody loves them. Just thought you would like to know." Indeed I did like to know, and what a lovely PS to Christmas that was.

LADIES ON STOOLS
Neighbouring standholders were absolutely lovely, and we all became firm friends. They were pressed into service as models, natch, and the stools were pressed into service by them. It's a win-win.

Jacqui of St Agnes Eve initially borrowed a black Birchwood to hang up some scarves on her stand, and then decided she couldn't do without one. I meanwhile decided I couldn't do without one of her gorgeous huge silk scarves, and a happy exchange ensued. Designed by her using her own photos, printed in Evesham and hand-hemmed in Sidcup, the scarves are a homegrown delight.

Rachel of Stoned & Waisted also bought a black Birchwood for her stand, selling beautiful shearling coats and jackets and leather belts. Jacqui and Rachel liked the monochrome elegance of blond wood paired with sleek black frame and ferrules.

Miranda of Zaini Hats hopped obligingly up a hot pink Blackheath on her nearby stand. Her crocheted stripey bobble hats are fab, and I couldn't resist buying one with bands in two shades of red and black.

Alara and Selina are the brains and passion behind LoLA (Lots of Lovely Art) and they produce educational art boxes for children, themed around the work of famous artists. Lovely product, lovely people. Snapped in characteristically happy mood, Alara sits on a mint green Blackheath, while Selina takes the weight off on a yellow one.

Here we are, Stand J34, a lovely spot, and, as luck would have it, surrounded by charming chaps. There was Dylan on Collectiviste, selling gorgeous oyster shell and resin lamps and hand woven cushions from Colombia. Kane was opposite on Ask Mummy & Daddy, plying his moreish confectionery in cute screwtop jars. His milk bottles and rainbow pencils are filling-tinglingly good. The pretty boys on the mixers stand next door were straight out of central casting. Then over the way was Tim of Red Door Posters with his stunning original posters from the last century - perfect for big walls... and wallets.

VISITORS LOVED THEM
The step stools went down really well with show visitors. There were some lovely moments as people who remembered the original step stools shared their happy memories of sitting on them as children. A goodly number of people whose eyes lit up when they saw them, had been looking for one for ages, it's exactly what they wanted, and bought one on the spot. The people who had an old one in the garage covered with paint but still in use, how lovely to see them brought back to life. The man who came up to me on the first day and said "These stools are the best thing here," before melting back into the crowd.

ACE SISTER AND FELLOW EXHIBITORS
My sister Vanessa joined me on the stand and was a star as usual. Here she is with handsome Scottish Simon of Highland Boundary. At 6'7" he is emphatically not my ideal customer, but he does look rather fetching up a stool.

Simon's company Highland Boundary produces the rather special Birch & Elderflower spirit, one of many delicious tipples on sale at the Scottish Spirit Consortium stand, which he manned along with fellow Scot Findlay.

It was part of a cluster of food and drink stands regularly plundered by J & V of G & B. Halva from Sesame Kingdom, waxed truckles from Blacks Cheese, and lemon chilli peanuts from New York Delhi were particular faves.

We exhibitors all pulled together, friendships were formed, experiences swapped and grievances aired, products admired and bought or exchanged. Nessie fell for a Sputnikesque pale grey cooler table from Outside Gang, run by the delightful Graham. He loved the step stools and swapped one for a Blackheath in duck egg. Nice one!

A special mention to Louise and John of Louise Tate Illustration for coming to the rescue. Nessie and I had set up the stand the day before the show opened, but after we left for the day a stool we had mounted on the wall fell off. It bounced and was unharmed, natch, as they are built like tanks. But Louise and John heard the noise and went to investigate, and took down the other two stools in case they too fell down. Dylan told me the next day, and I went and found them to thank them. Good eggs both, and she is a very talented illustrator too.

USEFUL FOR REACHING AND POSING
As usual, the stools came in handy both for sitting and for reaching high places.

Dylan of Collectiviste was pressed into service as a model. Poor man only came over to borrow one to hang something on his stand, but obliged with a manly pose.

And Alex nipped up a mint green Hornsey on the first day to staple up the new Giggy & Bab nameboard as the original one was spelt wrongly (tsk, tsk). Luckily there was a veritable smorgasbord of sturdy step stools for him to choose from.

Spring is well and truly sprung at Giggy & Bab this year, with stools springing up all over the place like daffodils on a grassy bank. As people shake off the winter chill, thoughts turn to spring cleaning and all manner of reaching up activities, from dusting away cobwebs to pruning the roses. Enter a rather fetching and useful step stool.

Easter saw Giggy & Bab dipping its toe into retail, albeit for two days only. A selection of stools were beautifully displayed in the window of Crouch End homeware stalwart, Of Special Interest, run by the irrepressible Belinda. I've long been a fan, and so I was delighted when she offered a pop up shopportunity at her gorgeous shop on Park Road, and the chance to bring the stools before the discerning burghers of London N8.

In early May, Giggy & Bab headed to ExCeL in east London's Docklands for Grand Designs Live, as one of five lucky winners of a Design Discovered bursary. Warm thanks to interiors journalist Barbara Chandler and show organizers Media 10 for the amazing opportunity to appear at this prestigious show. It was a treasure trove of everything you could possibly need to know or buy for a new build or refurb, from advice and talks to state of the art kitchens, from artisans to architects to artworks... to mops.

Trade was brisk on Stand E25 in the Design Arcade. I was ably assisted by my chief saleswoman (honorary) and all-round fantastic sister Vanessa, whose enthusiasm, creativity and hard work made it a breeze. Not to mention her impeccable dress sense, with outfits chosen to match the merch (except on build-up day when she was forced to wear the obligatory hi-vis gilet). The stand looked great, and kids loved our interactive "reaching wall" - designed for them to climb up a stool and get down a tin from the highest shelf they could reach. Good game!

ExCeL's Docklands location brought the stools to a new audience, with visitors from east London and Essex adding to the usual mix. I met many lovely people, from Ikraam in the East End to Dawn and Kevin from Southend to Miriam and Pete in Crouch End.

Fellow standholders were charming, talented and hardworking, and it was a pleasure to spend time with them... and to lend a helping stool when needed. Marcus of The Future Mapping Company availed himself of a Birchwood in pale grey to hang a map on his stand, while Mike nipped up a mint green Blackheath to straighten Lovia's pelmet on Drapery Box. But the stools were not just pressed into service for utilitarian purposes - Mike's granddaughter Sophie is on one just for the pleasure of climbing up and standing on top.

My only regret? I narrowly missed meeting the legend that is Kevin McCloud (gnash, gnash). Ah well, at least I have the entire series of Grand Designs on DVD....

Next! Muswell Hill Creatives summer market was held a few days later, bringing together a clutch of local talent, with products ranging from leather wares to knitwear, from jewellery to ceramics and beyond.

This is the second time Giggy & Bab has had a guest stall there and I am proud to be associated with these talented artisans, whose products are appreciated by the receptive citizens of London N10. They are partial to a step stool and all!

Click on a photo below to enlarge, and click on arrows to scroll through photos.
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Thrilled and honoured to be selected by design journalist Barbara Chandler as one of 5 winners of a Design Discovered bursary, awarded by show organisers Media 10. It’s an amazing opportunity to sell our wares direct to show visitors for 9 whole days.

This is the first year of Design Discovered, which is described as “a celebration of breakthrough design talent.” Giggy & Bab will be in the talented company of co-beneficiaries Aase of House of Hopstock, Sam & Freya of Troo Studio, Sam Lander, and Majeda Clarke. Between them they offer such delights as jungly textiles, beautiful porcelain, weaving, furniture, recycled polystyrene lampshades… and more.

Barbara Chandler is design editor of Homes & Property at the London Evening Standard, and well known and well loved as a champion of creative business and design talent. In her words:

“Hats off to the show organisers Media 10 for supporting new designers in this way. Exhibiting at this hugely popular home show is a great opportunity for these eager fledgling design entrepreneurs, who are already so impressively professional in the way they have perfected their products. It’s also inspirational and informative for others who would like to follow suit – a chance for visitors to share real life design success stories, and to pick up unique and innovative items for their homes.”

“What I love is the diversity of our group, which shows the varied routes ingenious designers are taking at different stages in their life to turn their ideas – dreams even - into product.”

“Juliet Munro of Giggy & Bab is reissuing a classic step-stool design from the last century which she rescued from a market stall. She’s painstakingly sourced British suppliers for the different metal and wood components and brilliantly upgraded the colours and finishes, adding a shiny logo plate as final touch.”

Thank you kindly Barbara, and Media 10.

In other news, a Hornsey stool in teal is beautifully featured in the May issue of Good Homes magazine, on sale now, and full of Spring loveliness. It’s a snip at £3.99 and perfect for curling up on the sofa with a cuppa.

Another thank you goes to stylist Louise Gorrod.

Wind and wuthering weather has blown our plans into disarray, so the Muswell Hill Creatives market will now be held a week today, on Saturday 23 March. Giggy & Bab stools would have stayed put in the high winds, but that’s about it. Bulging gazebos in full sail, flapping tablecloths, crashing signs, precious items blown off tables… a terrible scenario could have ensued.

Gentler conditions will prevail the following week for what promises to be a lovely day out. lt will be a joyous celebration of local creative talent, and I am looking forward to doing a brisk trade in step stools, especially now the spring cleaning season is upon us. The new Birchwood and Blackheath models are expected to take the public by storm. (Ed: don’t mention the word ‘storm’!)

The strapline of The Simple Things is “Taking time to live well” and it is a gentle read celebrating simple pleasures and slow living. In a world gone mad, increasingly we need to reconnect with life-affirming things like nature, creativity, home cooking, gardening, to keep us grounded and sane.

2019 got off to a flying start when Giggy & Bab stools were used to display products from fellow entrepreneurs at the marvellous StartUp 2019 event in January. It was brought to us by excellent small business network group Enterprise Nation, and it was jam-packed with fascinating talks, live interviews with inspirational founders, advice and resources for the aspiring entrepreneur. It was held in the beautiful surroundings of Bush House in Aldwych, once home to the BBC World Service and now part of King’s College London. A wonderfully inspiring and interesting day it was.

The Birchwood and Blackheath join the Hornsey in the Giggy & Bab range of retro step stools. The snaps below were taken recently at our suppliers, where production is ongoing. Please click on individual thumbnails to enlarge.

Birchwood stools are fitted with our standard furniture grade birch plywood, but clear lacquered to show off the beautiful tone of this blond wood. It is available with the pastel and black frames. Seen below in its duck egg and mint green incarnations.

The Blackheath is fitted with black stained plywood, and is available with all ten frame colours as it looks gorgeous on both the brights and the pastels, I’m sure you’ll agree. And of course black.

Click on a photo below to enlarge, and click on arrows to scroll through photos.

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The lovely people at Amazing Productions spotted the Hornsey stool at 100% Design and asked to borrow one. They used it to good effect in the big reveal at the end of Series 3, Episode 2, in the Plumstead home of young couple Tom and Shrez.

You can catch it here on All 4: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/george-clarkes-old-house-new-home/on-demand/67754-006

It’s great telly, and Gorgeous George pulls it out of the bag as usual (spoiler alert!) - making a lustworthy home out of an old wreck…. and in the process showing His Yellowness off to a tee, sporting a frizzy green plant on top.

As it is, the good people at Country Living Christmas 2018 magazine have chosen to put a red Hornsey stool on the Gifts for Cooks double page spread. We’re happy to share the space with this fab goat jug from www.quailceramics.co.uk, and lovely trad basket from www.dibor.co.uk.

The whole magazine is a cracking Christmassy read… ok so it’s only October but no time like the present (excuse the gift-related pun).

While we’re on the subject, seasonal uses for a Hornsey stool include:

• Decorating your Christmas tree
• Extra seat at the Christmas lunch table (especially good for kids)
• A perch for keeping cook company in the kitchen as s/he slaves over a hot stove
• In the living room, steps out make useful shelves for mince pies, prosecco, chocs, port…. Rennies

In other news, Giggy & Bab is proud to be providing stools for speakers on stage at the forthcoming Festival of Female Entrepreneurs in Bristol on 19 October 2018, organised by marvellous small business network Enterprise Nation.

The day-long event boasts an amazing line-up of inspiring entrepreneuses, and promises to be a belter par excellence. Details here.

Those in attendance include a veritable constellation of stellar Emmas. Emma Jones and Emma Greenfield of Enterprise Nation, Sunday Times business journalist Emma Broomfield, and Emma Bridgewater (no introduction necessary)… a woman after my own heart, she refused to outsource manufacturing to low wage economies and has become a champion of British industry.