As the sun beams in through the window this morning, yesterday’s post damning the weather feels a little premature. The jury is certainly out on what we’ll be dealt over the May Bank Holiday weekend though – will we be off to the seaside with a delicious picnic hamper? It’s difficult to say at the moment, but we’ll make sure we let you know all about it on Tuesday morning!

In the meantime, we can pick up where we left off yesterday by examining some more of the peculiar May Day celebrations which will be taking place throughout the country this weekend.

In Whitstable, Kent, Morris dancers will proceed through the town as part of the Jack in the Green festival, revived in 1976. Similar proceedings will occur in Hastings, as they have since 1983.

Padstow will hold its annual ‘Obby ‘Oss festival and in Rochester a Sweeps Festival will be held where the Jack in the Green will be woken at dawn on May the 1st by Morris dancers.

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A glance out of the window suggests that our optimism for a sunny bank holiday earlier this week was probably unfounded. So, rather than continue to extol the virtues of a hamper or picnic basket for the weekend, we thought it would be nice to find a bit more about why May Day is a public holiday. Then we’ll get back to what we do best, which is designing fantastic Christmas hampers!

May Day is a traditional holiday in many cultures which occurs on May the 1st and refers to several public holidays. May Day celebrations take place in many different countries, in differing forms. These include Finland, Ireland, France, Germany, Scotland, Hawaii and the Americas, to name just a few.

In England, traditional May Day rites include Morris Dancing, crowning a May Queen and dancing round the Maypole.

The May Day Bank Holiday, always on the first Monday in May, was traditionally the only one to affect the state school calendar as the Good Friday and Easter Monday bank holidays usually fall within the 2 weeks breaks between the school terms.

As well as celebrations in Oxford, Padstow and throughout the country, in Durham students of the University of Durham gather on Prebends bridge at 5am to see the sunrise and enjoy pagan festivities, folk music, dancing, madrigal singing and a barbecue.

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It’s another day of glorious sunshine in Dorset and we all have our fingers crossed that the good weather will continue over the bank holiday weekend. There are a few pessimists who are convinced that this lovely warm spell can’t last, but we’re determined to look on the bright side and plan for a warm and bright Bank Holiday weekend.

What could be better than a picnic this weekend? It might be a little cold for swimming in the sea (in my view it’s still too cold in July for this sort of carry on), but wherever you are in the UK, there is probably an unspoilt stretch of coastline which is perfect for a picnic. Failing that, the local park, woodland or green space will certainly suffice.

If you need a basket to stuff with goodies, our fitted picnic basket is big enough for the whole family and has all the hardware that you’ll need. If you’re travelling a little lighter then our picnic backpack has ample space for two, a cool area and wine bottle holders. If the weather’s good enough for a barbecue then look no further than our barbecue bucket, or barbecue grill!

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Finding high impact gift items to promote your business can sometimes be very difficult, particularly when trying to find a gift which is suitable for all members of staff and their families.

However, hampers can make the perfect gift for friends, colleagues or clients. Filled with delicious gift foods, often with a bottle of wine or a similar drink, a hamper can be shared throughout an office, or in the home. Caution should be exercised as a ‘one size fits all’ approach could offend members of religions who do not indulge in alcohol for example. The beauty of hampers though is that there is a wide selection of gifts, so alcohol free gifts can be chosen and sent to those individuals who would prefer not to receive a bottle of wine. Equally, larger gifts can be sent to more senior employees if appropriate.

Hampers are suitable for both men and women, recipients of all ages and the baskets can be used as elegant storage solutions around the home once all the food and drink has been devoured.

Virginia Hayward offer a wide selection of hampers and gifts, available throughout the year. To browse the selection, please visit the Hampers website.

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In the last few days, our Chilli Hamper has gone from being a delicious gift for those who like things a little spicy, to a tongue in cheek gift for families who have been stranded abroad and are making their way home in drips and drabs. Fortunately though, our Chilli Hamper poses few problems for aircraft and complication is only caused by fighting over the contents!

Fittingly presented in a bright red gift box, we’ve brought together the fieriest flavours that we could find – chilli chocolate and chilli puffs, as well as a packet of seeds so that you can grow your own and a jar of chopped chillies from English Provender Company.

If you order before 13:30pm, we promise to deliver the next day, without any delays!

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Gift Hamper Supplier and Distributor Virginia Hayward Ltd is delighted to announce that Katrina Newey has joined the company as the Business Development Manager.

Dorset based Virginia Hayward Ltd (VH), supplier of hampers and gifts to John Lewis, Waitrose, Selfridges and Interflora, have appointed Katrina Newey, formerly of Duchy Originals, as Business Development Manager, working closely with the company’s Buying Department. Katrina brings her considerable experience in all aspects of business development and procurement to VH.

The appointment comes following another successful trading year for VH, which has seen the website (relaunched in July 2008) outperform projections for 2009 during the peak Christmas period. The company has further expanded its operations at the Little Down Business Park in order to cope with the ever growing needs of the business.

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Dorset based Virginia Hayward Ltd (VH), supplier of hampers and gifts to John Lewis, Waitrose, Selfridges and Interflora, are working hard to reduce their carbon footprint by expanding what is now known as the ‘Millennium Wood’ with the introduction of 3,300 native British trees.

“The Millennium Wood was not designed as a project to mark the Millennium and was conceived long before the idea of reducing one’s carbon footprint became fashionable” says Director Geoff Hayward who, along with his wife and Director Gin Hayward, initiated the tree planting in 2000, “The timing was coincidental and the ‘moniker’ stuck, but our primary objective was to transform some of our unused land into a wooded area that would be full of native British trees and home to wildlife. We also hoped that in years to come, the wood would be a tranquil place that we could enjoy too.”

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You may be wondering what you’d do with an empty wicker hamper, but once all the food is gone, there are a myriad of uses that the empty vessel can be put to, which is precisely why we now offer a wide range of empty hampers, trays and packaging materials in our Wicker Baskets, Hampers and Trays section.

Large hampers with a fabric lining can quickly be put to good use as a laundry basket or hamper, particularly for children. Simply place near the dirty and adandoned piles of clothing… Hampers can make attractive and unusual storage solutions – you needn’t worry about hiding away those plastic storage tubs any longer, as a hamper can make a very decorative storage solution.

Of course, there’s no reason why you can’t put the hamper to use as it was originally intended. We supply packaging materials alone, or with complete with a hamper, so that you can use your imagination and your intimate knowledge of your recipient to create the perfect hamper for them.

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Receiving a hamper or gift, especially a delicious hamper, is a gesture that speaks louder than words. What could be a better way of showing your appreciation, giving thanks, or communicating your company’s message than to present someone with a beautifully designed and treat filled hamper?

At Virginia Hayward Ltd we are the market leader in providing a wide range of hampers and gifts, both at Christmas and all year round. These can be used for promotional items, sales and employee incentives, customer loyalty schemes and for general gifting.

We offer a free, no obligation service for companies who wish to reward their employees by providing unique voucher codes which will allow employees to claim a generous reduction on any of the gifts in our range. If you are interested in this scheme, please visit our Corporate Discount and Employee Benefits page to find out more.

We have over 25 years experience in the corporate hamper and gifting market and with bundles of imagination and a second to none range of products we can ensure that whatever the purpose of the gift, we can meet your requirements fully.

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We’re all familiar with the feeling that we need to send a gift to a friend, colleague or loved one and it needs to be there tomorrow. Whether it’s to celebrate a birthday, a promotion or simply because you feel like it, not only will you find just the right thing among our selection of hampers and gifts, but if you order before 1.30pm, we can deliver to your recipients door on the next working day.

We’ve organised the site so that you can shop by the Occasion that you’re celebrating, the type of Product that you’d like to send, who your Recipient is or by the Price that you’d like to pay. If there’s too much choice, or you’d like some advice from a member of our team, then don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re always happy to help.

Hampers are always a welcome gift, as there are so many different types to choose from. Browse through our hamper section to find the perfect gift for your celebration.

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