New walking sticks in Spring

We are amazed by the current weather.  First it snowed on Easter Sunday, and now the snow has been settling in April.

 

We thought at first this would be bad news for our business.  At the Somerwood website we specialise in walking sticks, including hiking sticks and trekking poles designed for more serious walkers.  Spring is a time of year when a lot of people think about taking long walks in the country, and sales of hiking sticks rise as a result.

 

 

What we’ve found this year however is that, as the cold weather has continued, our sales of ordinary walking sticks have increased.  We‘re not exactly sure why.  It may be that, as the evenings draw out, many people still want to get out more and need the reassurance they get from having a new walking stick.

 

Still, I think we’d sooner settle for some better weather!

 

Can you have too many Easter Eggs?

If you read our blog last week, you’ll be relieved to learn that in the end we did not try to make Easter decorations out of walking sticks.  We did have a very enjoyable Easter, though, and hope you did too.

 

We seemed to receive more than our fair share of Easter eggs this year.  Perhaps our friends thought we were looking under-nourished and needed some extra chocolate!

 

It would be very nice to be able to take chocolate as a pick-me-up, but regretfully our lifestyle means we need to be strict with ourselves about how much we eat of anything.  We spend a fair bit of our time working on the website, which of course mainly involves sitting down. Still, we also pack the walking sticks that people buy from us via the website and go out to post them, so we do get a little exercise.  Unfortunately, it’s not quite enough exercise to enable us to enjoy a life of chocolate!

Could walking sticks become the new Easter decoration?

In the week before Easter our thoughts have been turning to the possibility of putting up some Easter decorations.  They are a common feature in some European countries, but we in the UK seem a little slow to catch on.

 

Some of the decorations that I’ve seen involve bare branches and twigs.  These are used to display fresh blooms, painted eggs, chocolates or even cuddly toys such as rabbits.

 

It made me wonder if, instead of the bare branches, we could do something with the wooden walking sticks we sell from the website.  After all, some of them are hand carved and some are made from interesting woods such as cornelian cherry, and they would make very attractive decorations in their own right!!

 

Anyway, a Happy Easter from all of us here at Somerwood!

Walking into Spring

With Spring just around the corner, we decided to launch our Spring sale this week.  As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, a lot of people want to be out walking in the fresh air.  So this is a good time of year to stock up on walking essentials.

 

At the Somerwood website we specialise both in ordinary walking sticks and in hiking sticks especially for walkers.  This means we’re in a good position to notice how people become more interested in walking once Spring begins.

 

We’re enthusiastic walkers ourselves and we just can’t wait for the clocks to go forward.  Those light evenings are an excellent time to take a relaxing walk after a hard day working on the website!

Business as usual

Unfortunately Graham is not very well at present – and we’re still not sure what the problem is.  So currently it’s down to me to make sure it’s business as usual!

 

Between us we run Somerwood-Walking-Aids.co.uk.  It’s a website specialising in walking sticks, hiking sticks and rollators.  Fortunately the warehouse where we keep the stock is close by, and everybody there is being very supportive.

 

Get well soon, Graham!

Now we’re starting to enjoy our new home

If you were reading this blog around November of last year, you’ll remember that Leah and I were in the throes of moving.  We suffered all the usual inconveniences and tribulations – including getting our business telephone line re-directed to our new home phone number, a problem that I’m glad to say has been long since resolved.

 

Well, we are now settled into our new home and loving every minute.  We still live close to the warehouse – we run Somerwood-Walking-Aids.co.uk, which specialises in walking and hiking sticks – so despatching orders we receive via the website is as easy as it was before.

 

Right now we’re looking forward to the Spring, and to seeing what plants and flowers will start to grow in the garden.

A bracelet on a walking stick

At our Somerwood website we sell walking sticks and hiking sticks – and also accessories such as straps.  Customers sometimes buy accessories on their own without an accompanying stick – for example if their existing strap has frayed.  And one surprising thing is how often people place orders on the website for ferrules on their own.

 Ferrules fit on the base of the walking stick or hiking stick. Their purpose is to protect the stick from wear and tear, including the effects of the damp and dirt that are picked up when using the stick outside. They are made of rubber so they will not skid and, when they are worn down, they can easily be re-ordered and replaced.

The name “ferrule” has always struck me as a little strange, and the other day I looked up the etymology of the word.  It seems it derives from the Latin word viriola, meaning a bracelet.  Well, I don’t think many of our customers would choose to fix a bracelet to the base of their walking sticks.

Making VAT exemption easy

It’s worth reminding folks with disabilities that they need not pay VAT on products like walking sticks.

At Somerwood we sell walking sticks from our website.  We have devised a simple method of allowing those people who do not have to pay VAT to pay us net.  We have a VAT exemption form on our website that customers can complete online.  Because this captures the customer’s contact details were captured and allows them to state their disability, it is an acceptable document to allow VAT exemption. 

Since we introduced the facility, many customers have taken full advantage of it.

Which hand should I hold my walking stick in?

One of the questions I’m sometimes asked is which hand you should use to hold a walking stick.  This is because at Somerwood we sell walking sticks from our website, and I’m always interested in any queries or feedback from customers.

 

If one leg needs more support than the other, you should hold the stick in the opposite hand.  As you take a step forward with the injured leg, at the same time move the walking stick forward with the opposite hand.  This means that some of the pressure you would otherwise place on the injured leg is now transferred, via your opposite hand, to the walking stick.

 

Almost all the walking sticks we sell on the website, and indeed most sticks available from other retailers, can be used with either hand.    

Defend yourself with a walking stick

We were interested to hear the news recently that pensioners in Norfolk are being taught how to use their walking sticks in self-defence.  It’s not a use that people normally put their walking sticks to, but if it works, why not?

 

At Somerwood we sell walking sticks from our website.  We find most customers are attracted by considerations such as the colour or design, or the ability to be able to fold the stick away when it’s not in use.  But the fact is of course that a fully extended walking stick can make a formidable weapon.

 

And a very versatile weapon, it seems.  At the Norfolk class people don’t just learn how to hit out with their sticks.  They are taught simple strangleholds and arm locks.

 

We’ll have to see if any our website customers start asking which of our walking sticks are the best for self-defence.