Summer

This is the time to take a flower pressing workshop at Charleston, enjoy a houseboat getaway, go behind the scenes at Welbeck, and invest in an antique travel clock...

- EDITED BY JENNY OLDAKER & CAROLINE WHEATER BRETT CHARLES

THE GLOW

Tinkalink candles

Whether you're looking to light up an outdoor soirée without worrying about the breeze, or want to create an indoor twinkle without the wax splatter, these sophisticated fabric-wrapped LED candles give off a warm glow to illuminate summer evenings (and beyond).

Their gently flickering light mimics the effect of a real taper candle, with an enticing selection of contemporary and traditional fabric designs to choose from. £37 for two without batteries, or £42 with. tinkalink.​com

THE ANTIQUE

Travel clocks

If you've already gone back to a paper diary, maybe a travel clock is the next move. In the digital age, there's something charming and reassuring about a dinky travel clock, whether it sits quietly on your bedside table or tucks away into a suitcase so that you can instantly tell the time on holiday, rather than fumbling for your phone in an unfamiliar room. Travel clocks first became a 'thing' in the early decades of the 20th century as travel opportunities by rail and ship expanded. Luxury goods companies such as Cartier, Tiffany and Jaeger-LeCoultre quickly caught on to the trend, producing classic timepieces for their clients. The design trickle-down effect meant that by the 1950s, as the world recovered from being at war, affordable travel alarm clocks were available to everyone. They often came in a dual-purpose leather or leatherette case to protect the clock face and its workings, and to provide a stand. Today, you can find examples at auction from around £150 upwards but, for total assurance that a piece is in good working order, you may prefer to buy from a dealer or antiques shop.