Words by Tom Cronk

I love Christmas. It’s called the most wonderful time of the year for a reason. And I hope this love never leaves me.

So, whilst this may feel early to some, what’s the harm in getting ahead of yourself and saving the Amazon Prime panic on December 23rd? We can do better than that.

Here are 10 good things to consider for the ones you love this year, and yes, there is some shameless self-promotion present…

#1. A Good Year Planner.

Classic. Cool. Collectible?

Currently I have 2019, 2020 and 2021, each pinned to the last, on my wall. And I’ll certainly be adding 2022 come January 1st.

Ant Oram has designed these using scans of vintage Letraset and then litho printed on 170gsm 100% recycled stock.

There’s pace to colour code your plans into adventure, life and work. That’s if you plan on leaving the house a little more next year.

#2. A Good Notebook.

Continuing the early stationery theme, these notebooks are fantastic.

I’ve been using mine all year for my ‘best/prettiest’ jottings.

The notepaper in this book is made in Cumbria and the end leaves are made in Britain too, by GF Smith. The cover card is recycled board and is made in Scandinavia. The book is entirely made in Stamford, GB on a machine built in 1948 and the thread is strong natural linen.

It’s a lovely thing with a mix of lined, checked and plain paper and there’s an elasticated closure.

#3. A Good Wallet.

I’ve had my eye on a Billy Tannery wallet or card holder for a number of months now. I’m just waiting on my current one to graciously give up the ghost before I move on… not long now.

You may wonder why I’m so keen on a goat leather wallet? Well, give this article a read, about turning waste into worth, by Billy Tannery founder Jack Millington. You’ll be converted, too.

I’m a sucker for that stamped logo.

#4. A Rubbish Portrait.

Back in early 2020, when we launched SGI, we commissioned Lucie Sheridan to produce a series of portraits of our team and a number of our key contributors.

We all gathered around the laptop at Lucie’s email pinged in. We admired, we giggled “she’s NAILED your nose” etc.

Yep, that’s my portrait. Who knew I was such a Grease mega-fan? I love it.

For a seriously reasonable price, Lucie will capture you, your family, your friends, the dog. She even offers live Zoom sittings.

This one’s a winner.

#5. Some Good Children’s Workwear.

Monty & Co. have been displaying and selling their wonderful children’s workwear at The Good Life Experience and Camp Good Life for years. Their stand is always a hotspot.

Made in Britain, these jackets, trousers, dungarees are the coolest thing your children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces will pull on this Christmas Day.

They’re built to last. So even when they grow out of their favourite clothes, you can send them back to Monty & Co. to resell. You’ll get 50% credit of the initial value, too. Perfect!

#6. A Good Boiler Suit.

If red is her colour then look no further.

These Good Life Society x Spry Workwear boiler suits are a new staple for us.

Made in East Anglia by workwear supremos Yarmouth Oilskins, they feature good weight cotton canvas, they’re built to last and to hold their colour.

It’s a a re-working of a vintage mechanic's overall, cut to flatter and protect as you go about your business.

Not for the shy and retiring types.

#7. A Good Knife.

Allday make seriously good, Japanese-blade knives. They’re beautiful. And they’ll last a lifetime, too.

Each knife features a fantastic recycled plastic handle, as Allday take aim at the hospitality industry’s troubling relationship with plastic.

They release their stock in sell-out batches a few times a year.

You can buy Batch #4, the bread knife, in December.

#8. A Good Pair of Boots.

We only work with brands we love. And Blundstone do, too.

Recently, we had a meeting to discuss what brands we most admire and which we’d like to work with. Blundstone, the storied Australian bootmaker, came out right on top.

That wasn’t a big surprise, almost all of us wear them and a simple look at the Good Life would show that a lot of our guests and performers do the same. So we gave them a call and it turned out that the feeling is mutual; they love what we do.

And so a partnership of shared values was born and these excellent camo boots are now exclusive to us (via The Good Life Society) in the UK.

I used to be a DMs guy, but I’ve not worn anything else since I pulled my pair on.

#9. Some Good Beer.

I would be lying to myself if I didn’t put something beery on this list.

During the opening weeks of lockdown in 2020 I fell deeply in love with craft beer. And yes, I tried to grow a beard, too.

Dear reader, he’s still trying to grow that ‘beard’.

Anyway, beer is my thing. I have apps to track my favourite pours and I even just bought a brewery’s cycling jersey, even though I barely ride my bike. Maybe I’ll frame it?

Anyway, if you have a craft beer lover in your life, you’re spoiled for choice come Christmas time. But let me help you cut through the marketing haze.

Go to The Fuss Club.

They’re my favourites, and you won’t go wrong.

#10. A Good holiday.

And finally, I couldn’t resist.

Glen Dye might just be one of the best places you’ll ever go on holiday. But of course I would say that.

This private estate of around 15,000 acres is wall-to-wall wilderness, forest, moorland and the odd mountain, sat on the banks of the River Dye.

The location is fabled; watched over by the massive granite tor of Clachnaben and at the northern end of the Cairn o Mount mountain pass. This is where the Howe of the Mearns finally gives in to the Highland boundary fault; wild, beautiful and very, very quiet.

These cabins and cottages combine jaw dropping wild locations with perfect comfort and style.

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