Now is the time you might be thinking about reading a series which will last you through autumn, rather than a series of beach reads, and Emma on our Guinea Team highly recommends the Electra McDonnell series by Ashley Weaver.

This final book in this series published in the summer, so there will be no waiting for the next in the next instalment.

Set in 1940s London, this series follows Electra and her safe cracking criminal family as they get caught/recruited by an offshoot of the British government to work for them. This crime series has an overarching mystery as well as a slow burn romance.

If you enjoy a cosy crime like Miss Marple or Foyles War this could be the read for you!

Comfort food season has arrived!

Now is the time of year that salads are swapped for soup and the light food of summer is being replaced by something much more hearty and filling.

And nothing is more comforting than an old-fashioned classic - it's a classic for a reason - and after a swift poll at Guinea HQ potato and pies are top of our comfort food list! Which means for us, the winner was a potato topped pie such as Shepherds or Cottage Pie. 

However tradition can always be tweaked, so why not opt for a vegetarian version instead, like this Allotment Cottage Pie by Jamie Oliver. This is a good basic recipe which encourages you to change up the vegetables suggested, whether that is for personal taste, to use up veg so they don't go to waste, or what you have on hand in the freezer.

We will certainly be giving some variation a go!

We cannot get enough of costume dramas, so much so, we are absolutely desperate to see this Costume Couture exhibition at the Fashion + Textile Museum celebrating 60 years of Cosprop.

Featuring costumes from A Room with a View, Out of Africa, Downton Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, and Mrs Harris Goes to Paris. Cosprop is synonymous with award-winning period costume films and television.

Open now and running now until 8th March 2026

Not sure you will be able to make it, there is a fabulous looking book to accompany the exhibition, to buy Click here

Released at the end of September on Netflix, House of Guinness is most certainly on Lottie, from our order fulfilment team, watchlist!

From the creator of Peaky Blinders and from what we've seen from the trailer, looking very similar in tone, style and format, this has all the makings of a very intense watch taking inspiration from Dublin's Guinness empire - though don't expect this to be any way factual! - and much like the drink itself, it could be very dark and may not be to everybody's taste, but if you enjoyed Peaky Blinders this could be right up your alley.

Available to watch on Netflix now.

We are loving our new Knightsbridge design which has been given a boucle twist.

You know what is so fab about a boucle? It has a variety of colours in it, making it incredibly versatile. The Knightsbridge is primarily shades of green but it also features blue, teal, white and gold.

We have opted to style it with timeless shades of navy blue, for cooler weather, and it would be perfect for a smart but casual lunch, a coffee catch up with the girls, or some city shopping and a gallery or two.