Olive oil: for more than your health

I have a few necklaces by the fabulous Alan Ardiff. He makes clear, delightful pieces, with little birds or moons or daisies that move or twirl; people are always remarking on them, and kids can't resist playing with them, happily waggling a bird or a heart.

Anyhoo, I treasure them. Love the design, love the whole range, love the guy's art work.

So, I was buying some scrumptious olive oil at the Wooden Boat Festival (as you do). And Mr Stallman noticed my necklace; "Like Alan, do you?" I launch into my "Oh I love that man!" waffle. Stallman lets me ramble on, then says: "I do his web site".

Now, apart from the pleasures of the jewellery itself, the website is simply a delight to scroll through. Cue escalation of enthused conversation.

And then Stallman tells me to check the site, because there's three new pieces online, and the first three items of feedback they get about the new range will get a pair of earrings.

How treaty a système is that.

I figure people stalk the site, constantly offering opinions on all kinds of things; the earrings were probably gone days ago. But Stallman seems confident. "Write to him! Tell him you're writing cos you bought olive oil off some guy in West Cork. He'll have to give you them. Sure what else can he do?"

Well, not give them to me. For one.

Anyhoo, the following day I wrote. And the day after that, they wrote back. I was the third :-)

And this morning's post was super treaty.