John Bond the Artist

Whilst tracing our family tree, my sister recently discovered that we have a famous great uncle, the artist John Bond is relate to us on our Fathers side of the family. I have been doing a bit of research but havn't managed to make contact with this very talented gentleman from East Anglia, but look forward to doing this in the future. We are all very creative in our family and I would like to believe that this is one of the links to be greatful for. I have been so bold as to share some of his work and captions below, with kindness in my heart, and the desire to know more.

Home » Artists A-Z » John Bond Biography
John Bond

English artist John Bond follows in a fine tradition of artists who know and love the varied and ever changing landscapes of East Anglia, France and the Caribbean. His Atmospheric studies, in oil, of shore or marsh, field, fen or woodland capture the epitome of the scene observed. Sometimes exciting tones reflect the warmth of the sun, sometimes subdued hues evoke winter’s bite or the chill that comes with Autumn. Apparent is an underlying response to the seasons and a respect for country life. John’s use of figures within his work serve to add a narrative, occasionally solitary and still, often working together, they generally claim the focus of the painting. John was born in 1945, studied at the Norwich School Of Art and then The Central School Of Art in London. His original work is much collected thus his occasional one-man exhibitions are invariably sold out.
Popularity 5 Out Of 10
>> John Bond's Work

John Bond

John was born in 1945, studied at the Norwich School of Art and then The Central School of Art in London. His original work is much collected thus his occasional one-man exhibitions are invariably sold out. John's use of figures within his work serves to add a narrative, occasionally solitary and still, often ... More »

John Bond has work inLandscape »Seascape & Marine »

Hag stones and Halloween

Hag stones are a charm of folk magic that are found predominantly in European lore, and they are simply a stone with a hole in it. They are used to keep away hags or witches that may come a-knockin' at night time. If you were to hang one on your bed post you would prevent a hag from giving you a nightmare , and putting one in the stable would stop the hag from stealing your horses for a joyride and returning them in the morning exhausted, which was thought to occur often in older times. (Man, I hate it when they do that). Although hag stones are used to prevent encounters with beings such as witches, the stones are, in witch lore, considered to bring the finder good luck and fortune, and be a sign of favour from the goddess Diana.This conflict -it will ward them off, or bring them delight at finding good fortune - should make you consider if you want this to be your primary line of defence against invading nasties. There are a great many charms to ward against such things, from the simple horseshoe to complicated spells. Protection has never been this easy!! -Please note that I am referring to hags and witches as separate things. They are different things, and many modern witches find the term to be very uncomplimentary (crazily enough).

AND SO TO

HALLOWEEN.......

The Wishing Tree will be hosting a late night shopping evening with the Halloween theme. Helen and myself will be at our best, dressed as Witches, so get those hag stones to the ready. The shop will be open during the usual hours of 9.30 till 300 during the day and will re-open at 6.00pm until 10.00pm. Pumpkins on the pavement and much witchery going on inside. We have a guest Tarot reader, who will be offering taster readings for a small fee, and you can experience an Indian Head Treatment too. We will be offering advice on our range of crystals and serving fruity puch with a witchy kick and some spooky nibbles, so best you come along and cast your spell, we may even have a few special offers too. You never know your luck on a dark night!!!!!

Every customer wearing Halloween Costume will recieve a free gift.

Look forward to seeing you all here,

Give us a call 01508 536008

email iwish@thewishingtree.biz

web http://www.thewishingtree.biz

Absolute Heaven

The Ultimate Ladies Pamper Evening

This event is being held on Tuesday 28th October 2008 7pm until 10.30pm at Dunston Hall near Norwich in the Sunningdale Suite.

The Origional Ultimate Pamper Evening is pure indulgence for ladies who love to shop and be pampered.

The event is hosting over 30 local companies with you and your home in mind such as, John Lewis, The Wishing Tree, U Treatments, The Body Shop and many more. You can view the full list at http://www.whitetulipevents.co.uk/ and see what a great night it is going to be.

Fabulous event, offers and discounts will make spoiling yourself even more rewarding, not to mention the exclusive gift which will be available to all pre-booked ticket holders. Start the evening by enjoying a cocktail and delicious canapes, included in your ticket price. Take advantage of the time and space to relax with friends and enjoy the atmosphere. The Ultimate Pamper Evening is an event not to be missed.

Advanced tickets are just £10. To book please contact Emma or Sarah by emailing enquiries@whitetulipevents.co.uk

We hope to see you there, The Wishing Tree will have some special treats in store for you so come and see us on our stand on the night.

The event is sponsored by

John Lewis

Norwich

and brought to you by White Tulip Events

Do You Twitter

Do you Twitter?

This is something i have just got into, seems to be quite a bit of fun, i had heard about it through a few of my networking friends and thought i would check it out. If you go to the Twitter homepage which you can find by typing in www.twitter.com into your nav bar, you can join in the fun very easily and start to see who else is twittering. My twitter name is wishingtree of course and i twitter on about my shop and website and say hi to people i know. i have 3 followers already and i am following 9 so far. It got to 1 oclock in the morning and i decided to hit the hay, or i could have been looking all night, woops!!!
Try it out, it's fun.
Olivia

SHOPPING - NIGHTMARE OR NOT????

I've just returned from a trip to Tesco's, and while eating my lunch had a few thoughts, which i will share.

Thank the Lord that my children are all at school now and I didn't have the dubious pleasure of taking them to the supermarket with me! My heart went out to all the poor mums in there with the little ones in the trolley seat, grabbing stuff off the shelves and filling the already overloaded barrow with attractively wrapped junk. Aren't the manufacturers utterly brilliant at disguising complete rubbish as every child's dream, and don't you just know that once home it'll more likely be in the bin before bedtime. Those advertising folk have alot to answer for.....

Being a child-free shopper today I'm glad to say I avoided this expensive wastefulness at a time when we can all least afford it. The credit crunch is hitting so many of us, but the children (rightly) have little understaniing of the problems their parents may be facing. With Christmas well on the way now (only 12 weeks to go!) the reality of doing Christmas on a tight budget is hitting us all.

At our shop we're reacting to the current financial situation by trying to stock products that offer true value for money, yet still retaining that 'quirky and unusual' feel that we are so well known for. By shopping at The Wishing Tree in Long Stratton you can be sure that the recipient will be delighted, and probably dying to know where you got it from! Such a change from the bland feel of so many of the high street stores. You also have the peace of mind that we offer a no-quibble exchange policy on everything except earrings. Gift Vouchers are now available too for the truly awkward to buy for!!

By starting your shopping now, it spreads the load and gives you the pleasure of finding the right present without the expense of last minute panic buying. It also gives a wonderful sense of smug satisfaction............!

Whilst in Tesco's this morning I picked up a few Christmas stocking fillers which I will be squirelling away when I get home. If you are thinking of doing the same thing and getting ahead this year we have some very affordable little items just waiting for you.

So, a few ideas for under a fiver...........

Chocolate scented bunny keyring or belt fob for just £1.99,

Ceramic fairies any little girl will adore at £3.25,

Dreamcatchers starting at just £1.50, all sorts of hearts from £1.25,

VIVA Beads Earrings at £4.99,

CatsEye London purses at £4.25, and a wonderful array of crystals from 30p each which come in their own drawstring bag.

So come along to the shop, or visit our stall at one of the many events we will be attending, check it all out online at our website, or book a wishing tree party, where we can bring it all to you. For details of all the ways we can make your wishes come true look at the website, or give us a call on 01508 536008 or email me iwish@thewishingtree.biz

Make this christmas the best one ever

Love and Light

Olivia

VIVA BEADS AT THE WISHING TREE

"Live it Wear it"

Lori, mother of four daughters, and Jill, a single mother of two, came together with courage and belief that they could better thier lives. they held hands, committed to their vision and began building their business one step at a time. From a kitchen table-top company, the two women were determined to keep moving, growing and developing against all odds. Lori and Jill's will to succeed is the driving force behind the Viva Beads brand which symbolises individuality, determination, truth and commitment. To wear Viva Beads, is to understand that each individual has their own journey to follow and dreams to capture.

The Wishing Tree is proud to stock Viva Beads and share this beautiful range with you all. You will find a selection of Viva Beads on our website, and also in our shop in Long Stratton. Particularly lovely new additions to our range is Viva Beads Jumbo Stone Bracelet in the stunning Mojito design and at £16 can be an affordable addition to your jewellery collection. Also the funky and Chunky Square bracelet in Blue Fabric, at only £13 is a must. For the first time we are now holding stocks of earings for that christmas stocking filler idea, check out the Jumbo Stone Black Lace Earings for starters at £6.50.

We have loads more affordable stocking filler ideas both online and in store so get your shopping in early this year and spread the cost of christmas a little bit further. We are also offering christmas shopping home parties now too, so book yours to avoid dissappointment. See our website for more info on home parties and register an interest with no obligation.

Looking forward to seeing you all

Olivia

The Wishing Tree

PARACETAMOL AND ASTHMA IN KIDS

Todays news is buzzing with the statement about the belief ,that we are giving our kids too much medicine containing paracetamol. In doing this we are supposed to be increasing the risk of asthma developing in our dear children.

Do we believe this to be true? Ok, the incidence of asthma in kids is on the increase, but we are also well justified to blame a whole host of other things for our childrens breathing problems. It may also be a good idea to look at the ingredients list on the bottle of infant paracetamol suspension. you will notice sweeteners, colours and flavorings are often there. I know from experience that all of these can contribute to various side effects. Question is how do we know that it is not one or all of these ingredients causing the asthma, i know that the sweetener Aspartaine is a high contender for the blame in our family. So maybe we shouldn't be so quick to blame the humble paracetamol, and ask that the pharmacutical manufacturers to concider making a suspension with natural ingredients to deliver the painkiller to our infants, and leave the flavouring to us parents. I find yoghurt a good way of disguising the taste or a nice fruit smoothie.

To ensure your children are ready for the winter, it is a good idea to boost their immune system with some extra vitamins and minerals. Forever Living Products are available from The Wishing Tree online or in the shop. Try the Kids Multi vitimin in fun shapes, these are chewable and taste great, so little people enjoy the daily dose. It is a good idea to boost your own resistance to the forces of the winter too, try some of the suppliments for adults and drink aloe vera for an all round healing from the inside.

We offer a box of samples to borrow from the shop if you would like to pop in and try out some of the lotions and soap, shampoo, etc. Give us a call on 01508 536008 and ask for info on Aloe or email us iwish@thewishingtree.biz for booklets, leaflets and infomation sheets etc.

Head for the winter in good health

The Wishing Tree can help

Olivia