Give your castle a springtime spruce with this eclectic list of household 'stuff'.
1 A new lawnmower
Got a hover? Pshaw! Real Englishmen lovingly craft their lawns into striped sensations, and to do that you need a proper, red-blooded mower like your grandfather used to command.
Fortunately, Atco has been making proper, red-blooded lawnmowers since 1921 (by appointment to HRH since 1955), so look no further. New for 2012 is the majestic Clipper cylinder range.
The 69kg self-propelled Clipper 16 boasts a steel chassis, a Briggs & Stratton 127cc engine and six razor-sharp blades that can cut at heights from 30mm down to 7mm. From (£900, atco.co.uk)
Essential because: Stripes are in this season.
2 A Greenpan
This Belgian cooking utensil is remarkably — WAIT! Don’t stop reading! Yes, fine, it’s a Belgian frying pan. But it’s also supremely well designed, eco-friendly (hence the “green”) and covered in Thermolon, a patented non-stick coating the makers claim is far less toxic than alternatives. See? Stylish and practical. (From £25, green-pan.co.uk)
Essential because: Twice Michelin-starred gastronome Michel Roux Jr uses them; thus, your stir-fry simply cannot fail.
3 Cuisinart's GR4U Griddler
This strapping four-way “total grilling system” aces the complete range of man food, from indoor BBQ’d steak to the full English. It features top and bottom temperature controls, plus a removable griddle and grill plates, meaning it can easily be thrown in the dishwasher. It also doubles (or is that triples?) as a mean panini press. (£100, cuisinart.co.uk)
Essential because: That rusting BBQ in the shed isn’t getting any more enticing.
4 Aesop Ressurection aromatique handwash
Founded in 1987 by Aussie entrepreneur Dennis Paphitis, grooming brand Aesop has gone from strength to strength over the past few years, with a fifth store recently opened in London and a sixth UK outlet on the way.
It’s all thanks to its great apothecary-style packaging, clean brand identity and addictive botanical products: your essential purchase for spring is this enormous bottle of Resurrection Aromatique handwash, which features anti-bacterial mandarin and rosemary. (£27, aesop.com)
Essential because: It will look flash in your bathroom.
5 Best made company’s first-aid kit
An all-purpose first-aid kit specially designed for woodsmen and loggers. Now, you can’t get much hairier than that when it comes to slapping on a plaster after a particularly savage paper cut, can you?
Of course, if you do plan to come over all Grizzly Adams with nothing more than some sharp sticks, a tent and a camping stove, then you’d do well to pack Best Made Company’s brilliantly designed dust- and moisture-resistant steel box of healing wonders.
Splints, gauzes, bandages, gloves, rescue blanket and antiseptic wipes are all included — as well as a first-aid wall chart for when you get the stuff out and realise you have no idea what you’re doing. ($90, bestmade.com)
Essential because: You’re kidding, right?
