AURA QUE at RHS Tatton Park Flower Show last week...

Last week we were at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show in the Country Living Tent, selling our current AURA QUE products. It was a great opportunity to meet with prospective customers and also get some feedback on our product range, directly from the visitors.  We also managed to have a sneaky peek at all the flower displays and gardens around the show, as well as sample the many great foody products on offer!

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We had stock of our new Travel Range (see below) - including the Travel Dress in drawstring bag, Sleeping Bag liner in drawstring bag and Travel Cotton Bag, all in fun bright paisley and patterned cotton fabrics.  The Travel Dresses especially proved to be popular gift purchases!

Even in the fantastic sunny weather, we still sold many of our VELA Neck scarves in the handknitted banana yarn (see below) for winter!

We also had our new jacquard/leather styles such as the ESTA Satchel shown below in summery bright coloured patterns...

Our JOGI Bag range proved really popular!

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So I am not really a flowery gardener type, it was amazing all the flower displays and gardens, some with inspiring political messages, such as the Quaker 'World without Torture' Garden (see: http://www.wirralchesterquakers.org.uk/q-cat/garden.html) and the 'Sister Sufragette' Garden inspired by 'Vote for Women'.

and to top it all off, who would not be amazed to see the Queens Jubilee and the Houses of Parliament complete with fireworks, depicted in a flower display! (see below)

 

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AURA QUE will be at the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park in Cheshire between 18-22 July 2012!

AURA QUE will be at the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park in Cheshire between 18th July and 22nd July 2012!  We will be at Stand 39 in the Country Living Tent, selling a range of our products from the leather bags, cotton jogi bags, scarves and leather goods!

We are hoping we will have time to look at all the flower and garden displays at the event, and hoping that the English weather holds out too!

Find our more information about the event here:

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Shows-Events/RHS-Show-Tatton-Park/2012

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Motorbike trip out of Kathmandu on Nepali roads featured on BBC's World's Dangerous Roads

Anyone who watched the BBC's 'World's Dangerous Roads' awhile ago, may have seen the winding roads out Kathmandu, amazing stepped hill fields and fantastic views, as well as the scary overtaking on corners and overpacking of the local buses with people spilling out of the doors and on top of the buses!

Last time in Nepal, I went on a small adventure out of the city, renting one of those massive Enfield bikes with a friend and making our way down to Chitwan in the South.  I have been down there many times, especially as that was where I first lived in Nepal for five months in 2003. But it was nice to get out of the city!

As I was on the back of the bike (I would not trust my driving on those roads!!) I got to take in all the sights along the way! Always things that make me laugh, like the goat ontop of the local bus, and the family of four all on one bike (scary!)  as well as the obligatory stops for cups of tea, daal baht and to stretch my numb legs (its a 4 or 5 hr journey down there)!!

The main road in Narayanghat, which is a main town on the way to India, and was 20 minutes away from the village that I stayed in when I lived in Nepal teaching English in 2003.

Unfortunately there are always the scary sights and remnants of horrific traffic accidents on the sides of the roads. Luckily we got to Chitwan safely!

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SUMMER SALE until 31st JULY 2012 - 25% OFF

All leather bags and classic styles have 25% off with code LEATHER25, including the popular TARA Hobo, DANI Handbag and LILA Large Handbag in both all leather and leather with handknitted banana yarn panels.

The sale also includes the classic range of bags including the RUBY Slouch bag and TAB Shopper

Click on 'CLASSIC LEATHER BAGS' option on the side bar on our online boutique to see all products included in the sale. 

There is also free UK delivery. Go to the shop here: http://shop.auraque.com/products

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Making our AURA QUE summer lightweight Bamboo Cotton Jersey Scarves

The AURA QUE jersey bamboo cotton scarves are perfect for summer - really light weight and soft! Available in plain neutral colours as well as various striped options.

These scarves are made on knitting machines in Kathmandu.  The yarn is very fine - 70% Bamboo and 30% Cotton, and knitted on a very fine count to get the summery light feel.  The knitters have to be very careful whilst knitting as the yarn is so delicate until woven up.

For our striped scarf versions, the making process is extensive, as the yarn has to be knitted up in the raw cream colour, then dyed, then unwound and RE-knitted into the striped versions! So there is definately a lot of work in them!

At the small factory where these scarves are made, they produce a lot of knitted cashmere products for overseas design houses, all for export.  Each machine is used by a trained Nepalese worker to make sure the hand-operated machines knit evenly and without faults.

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Ethika boutique in Norwich stocking AURA QUE products this summer!

This season, AURA QUE products can be found at ETHIKA in Norwich, who have opened a new store location in the town centre recently, stocking lots of great ethical products and gifts!

Please check out their facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/ethikaemporium

Open between 10am-5pm from Tues to Sat at 12 Pottergate, Norwich.

 

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365 steps up to Swayambhunath, the Monkey Temple, overlooking Kathmandu

Swayambhunath is a Buddhist religious site on top of a hill overlooking the Kathmandu Valley, which is also called the 'Monkey Temple' because of all the monkeys that live around the north west parts of the temple - becareful of them, they can be vicious at times!!

I know this is a blog for AURA QUE and the producers I work with but Kathmandu is such an interesting and fascinating place to work in, I thought I would blog about some of the fine sights in Nepal, that I have visited many times with friends, visitors or just in passing on the way to work!

Anyone who visits Kathmandu, will see this temple on the hill and should make a visit up all the stairs to take in the religious atmosphere, marvel at the beautiful details and colours, and the views over Kathmandu.  For the Nepalese people, this is where they will make daily offerings, as well as celebrate the most popular festivals at Swayambhunath, which are Lhosar, (Tibetan New Year), Buddha Jayanti, (Buddha’s Birthday) and Gunla, (the sacred month of Lord Buddha).

The complex can be accessed by road at one side or a long staircase of 365 steps leaving up to the main large stupa that overlooks the whole of Kathmandu.  The main stupa has the buddha eyes painted on them, which is an iconic image from Nepal.  Within the complex there is also shops, restaurants, shrines to different Gods, a peace pagoda and a Tibetan Monastery.

The steps are pretty steep up to the main stupa but the sight is amazing at the top - the beautiful large stupa with colourful prayer flags, that is uplighted at night and you can see from miles around on the hill.  You can also see the massive sprawl of Kathmandu as far as the eye can see!! A little bit different from 50 years ago (see the black and white picture I found of Swayambhu in the 1960s!).

Last time I went up to the stupa, the monks were chanting in the Tibetan monastery, so we went inside to have a look - the rooms inside were incredibly beautiful and colourful with lots of intricate painting and decoration details, really fascinating. It felt like a really spiritual place.

The massive Buddhist statues at the South road entrance to Swayambhu are really epic and can be seen from the main road.  These were built in the last ten years by different Buddhist communities, and very beautifully decorated once you look up close.

 

 

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Chimsi retires from work at NLT office after over 25 years.

Chimsi has worked at NLT for a very long time - as she lives in the accomodation provided in the compound next to NLT, she has worked as a cleaner, tea lady and caretaker for the building over the years.  Many a time I have needed to come in early to the factory or deliver some materials on a day off or after hours, she has always been there to bundle me the keys and follow me into the building!

I have blogged about Chimsi before, she is one of many colourful characters at the Nepal Leprosy Trust office and handicraft unit in Kathmandu.  Always curious to see what I am doing, she would sit nearby observing my work, making gruff comments about what I would be wearing or doing, that would make the others laugh, and telling me to eat or drink something, trying to look out for me!

She came to NLT with leprosy at a young age, having cured her from the disease, she was still outcast by her community as sadly can be the way, and moved to NLT compound to live and work.  She met Makuram, who also had leprosy previously and married each other later in life.  Makuram was a prominent and skilled worker at the leather factory for many years which was before my time since he has been retired for many years now.

With recent health problems and small operations, Chimsi has now retired from regular work at NLT as she is in her early 60s. Though I still have see her around the compound and get invited to have a cup of tea with Chimsi and Makuram sometimes, who are now looked after by Chimsi's grand daughter Rita.

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Kathmandu blooming in Spring!

I get asked a lot why I love Kathmandu as a city, as most people travelling through can't wait to get out of the chaos and mess and up into the mountains and rural areas.  Though I love visiting outside of the valley, Kathmandu has a lot of charm amongst the hussle and bustle.

Especially during spring, there are some beautiful snippets of colour with some beautiful blossom and flowers in the city!!

Garden of Dreams is a renovated Rana palace that is a private peaceful garden to slip away from the traffic and noise, to have a coffee and read a book in the tranquil and beautiful gardens! (see two pics above).  Definately worth a visit for any frustrated and frazzled tourist passing through the city!! As well as a bit of respite for locals and expats also!!

http://www.gardenofdreams.org.np/

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