Competition: Win Dawes bikes for all the family! (ended 11th August 2014)

Dawes has put together a prize set to make your summer: brand new bikes for two adults and two children. Enter our competition!

The Tour de France’s arrival in the UK is likely to bring more than yellow jerseys to our shores. Cycle fever – kickstarted by the 2012 Olympics and now cemented by the world’s most famous bicycle race coming to Yorkshire – is in full flow. And this month we’re doing our bit for the two-wheel revolution with a brilliant prize.

Homegrown bike company Dawes Cycles has come up with an incredible package to get the whole family out and about on two wheels (Lycra optional). They’ve been making bikes since 1926 and craft each model with carefully tailored components to ensure a smooth ride. Enter this month’s competition for your chance to win four brand-new Dawes bikes (two adult frames and two for children), worth over £1,000.

How to enter

Visit https://www.futurecompetitions.com/BIKES/ by 11th August 2014 for your chance to win four new bikes from Dawes Cycles.

For more about Dawes Cycles and to see their full range of bikes, visit www.dawescycles.com.

the bikes you could win:

1 Duchess (ladies)

1 Ambassador (gents)

1 Lightning (boys)

1 Venus (girls)

The prize can be adjusted to suit your required frame sizes, subject to availability, of course.

Win a personalised OS map and binoculars with Inntravel! (archived)

We’ve teamed up with Inntravel to give one lucky reader the great prize of a pair of Nikon Travelite bins and a customised OS map focused around your area of choice with a personal front cover! The Nikon Travelite VI 8x25 binoculars are just the thing to take on holiday, for a bit of bird-spotting or to stash in a day-sack for long walks. Retailing at £80, these great little bins are waterproof, fog-proof and foldable and a handy addition to any trip. The personalised OS map can be centred around the location of your choice in the UK – a favourite walk perhaps or simply centred on your home – just choose the location for the map; pick a scale and format; and select your own photo for the cover!

Remember the moment – and the place, with Inntravel. Just ‘like’ the Inntravel Facebook page to enter!

WIN a week in a VW camper! (closed 10 June 2014)

Enter our competition to win a holiday in a classic VW campervan. Thanks to O'Connors campers we have a week's stay up for grabs. Choose between a 1960s splitscreen Volkswagen, a 1970s bay window or a California campervan and you could be roaming Cornwall, Devon and Somerset with your family. Kitted out with everything you'll need, these stylish vintage campers will make for a memorable holiday.

Find out more about campervan holidays at O'Connors Campers

Click here to enter. Closing date is 10 June 2014.

The prize includes fully comprehensive insurance for the first driver, a sink, cooker, fridge, camping gas, mains hook up, cooking equipment, crockery, cutlery and an extra outdoor table and chairs.

Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.futuretcs.com for more details.

Win a KitchenAid or Aga mixer, plus sponge cake recipe (closed 8 July 2014)

If you share our love of simple cooking pleasures, like baking a sponge cake or whipping up super-thin crepes, you're in luck! We're giving away two Betty Twyford mixers.  The first prize is a metal KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer worth £429. Easy to clean and use, it's robust and stable and comes in a choice of either Almond Cream or Pistachio Green. The second prize is a black aluminium Aga kMix Stand Mixer, worth £349, which comes with a 4.6-litre bowl and three different mixing heads and has a 500W motor.

To enter the competition for your chance to win a KitchenAid or Aga mixer, head to our competition entry page.

Classic Victoria Sponge Cake

Ingredients:

4 free-range eggs 225g caster sugar, plus a little extra for dusting the finished cake 225g self-raising flour 2 tsp baking powder (this will guarantee your sponge to rise) 225g soft butter at room temperature, plus a little extra to grease the tin

Method:

Place everything into the bowl of your mixer, and mix on a fairly low speed until everything is combined and produces a dropping consistency. Divide the mixture between two lined sandwich tins placed on the middle shelf of your oven and bake for about 25 minutes at 180C/350F/Gas 4. When cool, fill with homemade jam and whipped cream – perfect. You could also sprinkle the top with icing sugar or caster sugar.

Competition: Win a personalised photo album (archived)

WIN! We have teamed up with Inntravel to offer you the chance to win this beautiful handmade leather album, complete with a vintage map cover of your choice of anywhere in Great Britain. The perfect way to remember the moment – and the place!

Win a fabulous personalised photo album courtesy of Inntravel, the Slow Holiday people. Memories of family, friends, and special times and places are far too precious to be kept on a hard drive or stashed in a drawer. Give them the love they deserve - with a beautiful and personal photo album.

Our good friends Inntravel are offering one reader the chance to win a stunning personalised Atlas & I photo album. The album is handmade using only the very finest leather and comes with your own choice of vintage map cover - choose any location in Great Britain. The album has 50 pages and can hold up to 200 standard (6x4 inches) photos and comes in its own gift box. Remember the moment - and the place, with Inntravel.

To enter, head over and Like the Inntravel Facebook page, then fill out your details.

Competition open to UK residents only, aged 18 or over.

Potato print competition: Get creative to win a great prize (closed 30 June 2014)

Make a potato print - or get your children to do one - and you could win an overnight hotel stay, a Red Hen Original (worth £250) and lots of crisps!

Create a potato print (inspired by the profile of Julia Burns of Red Hen Originals in May's issue of The Simple Things), take a picture of it and post it to our Facebook page, making sure you enter your details, too.

The best potato print, judged by Lisa Sykes, editor of The Simple Things, and Julia Burns of Red Hen Originals, will win a beautiful Red Hen Original - see the full collection - plus dinner, bed and breakfast for two people at a Hand Picked Hotel of their choice. You can choose from 20 historic properties throughout the UK and Channel Islands.

The winner will also receive a year's supply of KETTLE Chips hand-cooked crisps, with no added MSG, artificial flavours or colourings. The prize will include new Seasonal Edition Lime & Black Pepper. Like all KETTLE Chips, it was created with real ingredients. And, like the rest of the range, KETTLE Chips Lime & Black Pepper are made from the finest potatoes, hand-cooked in sunflower oil. For exclusive offers, sign up for the newsletter.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Closing date for entries is 30 June. Travel expenses and travel insurance are not included. The prize is as stated. There is no cash alternative. The year's supply of KETTLE Chips consists of 12 cases of 12 x 150g bags in a variety of seasonings, to be supplied in three deliveries throughout the year. The break with Hand Picked Hotels is valid at the winner's choice of all 20 hotels subject to availability, until 30 November 2014. It includes a three-course table d'hote dinner, overnight accommodation in a classic double or twin bedroom and a full traditional breakfast for two people. We reserve the right to print entries in the magazine or post online.

Win a luxury hamper worth £150 (closed)

From large family-friendly properties to romantic boltholes, New Forest Living offers a collection of luxury holiday cottages across the New Forest National Park.

For a taste of what the New Forest has to offer, New Forest Living is giving one lucky new Facebook liker the chance to win this wonderful artisan hamper worth £150, filled to the brim with a unique selection of luxury local New Forest produce... just in time for Easter.

From scrummy locally made chocolate to delectable wine from the local vineyards, there’s something in the hamper to delight everyone in the family this Easter.

The prize includes: 1 bottle dry white wine and 1 bottle rose from Setley Ridge Vineyard; Three Thornback and Peel cotton handkerchiefs from Norris Gifts and Furnishings, Beaulieu; bergamot, lemon and grapefruit soya wax candle and three soaps from New Forest Aromatics; New Forest Honey; Raspberry dark chocolate egg, box of chocolates, Turkish Rose chocolate bar, Milk Nutty chocolate bar from Beaulieu Chocolate Studio; Fig and Olive chutney, Apple and Rosemary Jelly, Red Chilli Sauce, herb-infused olive oil from Spice and Easy. Wild Island raspberry balsamic dressing. Blackcurrant Naked Jam. Six Hampshire duck eggs.

Please note, the competition is open to UK residents only.

To enter, go to the New Forest Living Facebook page, hit Like, and enter your details.

Good luck!

Reader offer: Luxury cottage retreat (closed 30 April 2014)

10% off bookings at beautiful holiday cottage: Cappele Cottage, Snowdonia Standing alone in a peaceful valley, Cappele Cottage near Corwen, Snowdonia effortlessly mixes contemporary style with rustic character. Cappele's idyllic location is perfect for hiking and biking in the Snowdonia Hills or simply relaxing and romancing and enjoying some of the wonderful food that Wales has to offer.

After a day outdoors you can indulge yourself with a long soak in the claw-foot bath looking out onto the rolling valley, then take your pick from one of the two bedrooms, each with their own bathroom and unique style.

This month The Simple Things has teamed up with luxury holiday company Sheepskin to offer 10% off bookings of four nights or more at this cosy, traditional farmhouse with a modern twist.

This offer is available for all bookings made by 30 April 2014. For more information on Sheepskin's holiday cottages call 01865 764087 or visit www.sheepskinlife.com.

Grow indoor herbs PLUS a competition (closed 30 April 2014)

Add colour to your kitchen and flavour to your food…and win some brilliant freebies along the way! Choose a few herbs to grow indoors and you'll be killing two birds with one stone. You'll instantly be able to enliven home-cooked dishes with fresh flavours as well as introducing a bit of colour and interest in your kitchen while you're at it.

Indoor herbs are easy to grow providing you give them plenty of light and water them regularly - though not too much as their roots won't appreciate 'sitting' in water. Read on for our top tips, and win with Carbon Gold.

Choose robust varieties like rosemary, bay, thyme, mint, basil, parsley and hyssop if you're new to growing and buy from a good independent garden nursery. Don't be tempted to pot up supermarket-bought plants because they've been raised in specific conditions (warm temperatures and often grown in water) which make them more delicate and less likely to thrive for longer than the few weeks shelf-life they've been raised for.

Says The Simple Things' Gardening Editor, Cinead McTernan:

'I went for hyssop, which I can add to soups and stews and when the weather warms up a bit, salads. I use thyme in lots of cooking and found a really pretty variety, 'Foxley' from my local garden centre.'

Go for herbs with fairly shallow roots rather than long, tap roots if you're growing in smaller indoor pots, again to give them the best chance of growing healthily. You can use quirky containers and recycle tins, pots, and other vessels but make sure they're big enough to give the plants chance to develop a good root system, and if they don't have a drainage hole (such as a very large teapot), add a few stones to create a layer of drainage.

Fill your container with compost - go for peat-free if you can and try something like Carbon Gold'sGroChar, which is fantastic for retaining moisture in the soil. You won't have to water so often, which is ideal if you're often out and about. Cinead bought two thyme plants, dividing and planting one in the Allison's bread tin using Grochar and leaving the other in its pot.

She says: 'I often discover that the one left in the pot has dried out and I've had issues with browning leaves due to irregular watering (or lack of watering). No such problems with GroChar. Top tip: If you're using GroChar, you might think the soil is dry. Use your finger to test just underneath the top layer of soil and check the moisture levels, watering only when this feels dry.'

Don't be afraid to divide herbs, teasing the roots apart carefully, to end up with two or three plants rather than just one.

Try sowing seeds too - micro herbs are a great idea as they'll be ready to harvest in a matter of weeks and the small leaves are packed with an intense flavour compared with the mature leaves. Again, Carbon Gold have a really good seed sowing compost which I'm going to try. I've chosen 3 varieties from Jekka's Herb Farm - Bull's Blood, Wild Rocket and Red Frills Mustard. Check back in a few weeks to see how my micro seeds get on...

COMPETITION

Add colour to your kitchen and flavour to your food…and win some brilliant freebies along the way!

Give seeds the best start in Carbon Gold’s Seed Compost and add a dash of glamour by planting them in something out of the ordinary – vintage tins, charity shop teapots or even a colourful wellington boot!

Carbon Gold would love to hear about the most quirky container you’d use to house your herbs.

Their favourite idea will win a Home Grower Starter Pack worth £51.95 and five runners up will win a 1kg tube of Soil Improver each.

You have until April 30 2014 to share your most inspired ideas! Here’s how to take part…

1. Simply ‘like’ the Carbon Gold Facebook page

2. Seek out The Simple Things competition poster nestled amongst Carbon Gold’s Facebook pictures

3. Leave a comment underneath the poster, sharing your creative container concepts.

Competition closes 30 April 2014

Win a summer wardrobe from Seasalt! (closed 9 May 2014)

Seasalt

Enter our competition and you could be the lucky winner of a shopping spree at Seasalt clothing

Seasalt clothing is 'designed by the sea for people everywhere' and their design studios overlook the stunning Falmouth Bay in Cornwall. You'll be able to add a splash of Cornish sunshine to your wardrobe with the vibrant spring colours of the Falmouth Floral pattern, or make your outfits shipshape with timeless Breton-style tops and tees. You might also use your voucher to keep out the spring showers with Seafolly jackets modelled on the traditional fisherman's mac or long length raincoats in a variety of colours and patterns.

You can spend your £500 voucher on their website, www.seasaltcornwall.co.uk or by visiting one of Seasalt's 18 shops.  Click here to enter. Closing date 9th May 2014.

Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.futuretcs.com for more details.

Join us for a day in the country

Spend the day learning new skills and enjoying local produce

At this special day, hosted by Yeo Valley exclusively for readers of The Simple Things, you'll be able to learn more about growing organically, watch a butter-making demonstration and receive some expert tuition on arranging flowers.  You'll spend the morning in the tranquil Yeo Valley Organic Garden, meeting the friendly garden team as you pick an array of flowers from the six and a half acres of meadow and planting beds (you'll be using those later!). A two-course homemade lunch follows in the Yeo Valley tea room after which the head chef will be hosting a butter-making session. In the afternoon Somerset florist Bee will help you display the blooms you picked in a flower arranging class. The day ends with what else but tea and freshly baked cake before you head home with your pretty flowers, Yeo Valley goodie bag and a copy of your favourite magazine!

The Yeo Valley Day Out takes place on 21st May 2014 at The Yeo Valley Organic Garden, Holt Farm, Bath Road, Blagdon, North Somerset BS40 7SQ. There are 25 places available for The Simple Things readers and tickets cost £50 per person.

WE HAVE FIVE FREE TICKETS TO GIVE AWAY!  Don't miss out, book your ticket today -  email Jill at events@yeovalley.co.uk call 01761 461425.

Closing date: 11th April 2014. For full competition terms and conditions see www.futuretcs.com

Win a Janome sewing machine! (closed 11 April 2014)

   Sew like a true pro with your own Janome sewing machine (worth £249)

Janome sewing machine

If you dream of whipping up handmade homewares and head-turning tailoring worthy of The Great British Sewing Bee you'll need a little help from a sewing machine. We have THREE beginner-friendly machines to give away courtesy of Janome. The model 525S (worth £249) is the machine of choice on the second series of Sewing Bee, showing now. It's perfect for new stitchers and those with more experience as it handles all types of fabrics well and has a range of stitches and features to cope with general sewing tasks. We have three machines to give away. All three winners plus 12 runners up will also receive a copy of Beginner's Guide to Sewing (worth £9.99).

To enter the competition click here. Competition closes 11th April 2014. Terms and conditions apply.

Win his 'n' hers vintage shoes! (closed 28th February 2014)

agnes & norman

TO CELEBRATE VALENTINE'S DAY we've teamed up with agnes & norman to give away two pairs of beautiful, handmade vintage design shoes - a pair for each of you (or two pairs for you if you like!). Enter our competition below - but first let us tell you a bit about this exciting new vintage shoe brand...

In 1927 Agnes Stafford & Norman Simpson got married. It was snowing so Agnes had to be carried to the church so as not to spoil her shoes. Eight children and 22 grandchildren later, in 2001, one of those granddaughters became a shoe designer, travelling to shoe factories around the world. Several years later in 2008 she launched her own bridal shoe company. Four years on, with the bridal shoe company firmly established, Rachel Simpson returned to her roots to launch her latest venture and in 2013 a brand new and exciting vintage shoe brand was born.

Now agnes & norman want to bring together love birds everywhere and are giving away a pair of his 'n' hers* shoes, perfect for that first date, anniversary dinner or simply walking somewhere hand in hand. One lucky couple could win a pair of shoes each from agnes & norman by clicking here. Competition closes 28th February 2014.

T&Cs * Prize is equivalent to two pairs of shoes from the current online collection. No cash alternative, subject to availability. Prize can be his 'n' hers, hers 'n' hers, or his 'n' his. 

Win! A cycling holiday & luxury travel bags for two worth £3000 (closed 14 February 2014)

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Pack your brand new bags for a six night cycling holiday in Denmark

EXPERENCE DENMARK AT ITS BEST with a six night independent self-guided cycling holiday for two in the Danish Riviera provided by Inntravel (www.inntravel.co.uk). The prize includes return flights from the UK to Copenhagen, transfers, six nights' B&B accommodation (based on two sharing), four dinners, bike hire, luggage transfers and maps and notes. The winners will be able to carry their luggage in comfort and style with two travel bag sets from Lake District-based accessory maker Millican (www.homeofmillican.com). Each bag set includes the Harry the Gladstone Bag, Mark the Field Bag (pictured above, bottom right), Peter the Doctor's Washbag and Andy the Water Bottle. The winner will also receive a one-year subscription to The Simple Things magazine. Enter here by 14th February 2014.

The prize must be taken between 25th May and 30th September 2014 (excluding Bank Holidays) and is subject to availability and normal Booking Conditions. The winner and companion are responsible for all expenses, travel insurance and having a valid passport. The prize is non-transferable, non-exchangeable and not redeemable for cash or any other prize. Entrants must be over 18.

Win! Up to £500 to spend on clothes in White Stuff (closed 17 January 2014)

White Stuff

Revamp your winter wardrobe for 2014 for free!

White Stuff are giving you the chance to win one of three cash prizes so you can treat yourself to a (guilt-free!) new wardrobe for 2014. White Stuff believe in being different, making a difference and making the world a little happier - their 'happiness in every stitch' mantra is in everything they do. The new collection includes fabulous prints (designed in-house), cosy knits and figure-flattering dresses. You'll spot hidden details on every White Stuff piece, from friendship bracelets on labels to secret prints inside a cuff or collar. Enter our competition to win one of four cash prizes to spend in White Stuff and you could soon be on a shopping spree. The winner will receive £500, second prize is £250 and two Runners Up will each receive £125. To enter click here www.futurecomps.co.uk/whitestuff. Closing date 17th January 2014.

Win! A River Cottage Cookery Course of your choice (closed)

River Cottage cookery course

Brush up on your culinary skills with a River Cottage Cookery course

THERE ARE A GREAT selection of  cookery courses on offer this winter at the River Cottage farm, from Wild Food to Game Cookery. Enter our competition by answering one simple question and you'll soon be impressing your guests with a feast to remember.  Enter here.

*Competition winner must book and participate on a course before 14th February 2014. See the River Cottage online cookery course calendar for more information.

See River Cottage Head Chef, Gillon Meller's delicious recipes featured regularly in The Simple Things magazine. Issue 17 on sale now.

Win! Breakfast for six months (closed 13 December 2013)

Dorset Cereals

Enter our competition today to win one of 10 Dorset Cereal breakfast sets including a full set of crockery, copy of The Breakfast Book and the entire range of porridges, granolas and mueslis…

WHEN IT COMES TO PORRIDGE there’s definitely a right way and a wrong way to make it, and at Dorset Cereals they like to do things right. Using proper jumbo oats and creamy barley to create a delicious, chunky porridge, they add nothing but real ingredients, such as honey, raspberries, pumpkin seeds and crumbled gingerbread – it’s how fantastic porridge should be.

And, as such, they’re pretty proud of their new porridge range. Dorset Cereals has teamed up with The Simple Things to give away not only the porridges, but all of their granolas and mueslis, and a copy of their new recipe collection The Breakfast Book – an homage to the greatest meal of the day. With their gloriously crunchy granolas, including the old favourite Honey & Pecan, the decadent Chocolate & Macadamia, the new Berry granola and the wonderfully simple Oat granola, along with their whole range of mueslis, breakfasts will never be the same again.

Ten lucky winners will each receive a set of Dorset Cereals crockery (two mugs and two bowls), a copy of The Breakfast Book and the entire new porridge range, granola range and mueslis (21 different packs).

To find out more about the Dorset Cereals range, and to win other lovely things, head to their website, www.dorsetcereals.co.uk.

How to enter

Enter online by 13th December 2013 for a chance to win one of ten Dorset Cereals breakfast sets worth £100.

Blog giveaway: Win an Elizabeth Eley Upholstery stool (closed)

footstoolblog

Elizabeth Eley has dedicated her time to rescuing, restoring, and bringing unloved and misused chairs back to life ever since she quit the rat race to open Elizabeth Eley Upholstery.  Her chairs are not only beautiful, but each one has a unique story and is built with true craftsmanship to last and outlast its owner. This gorgeous furniture is truly one-of-a-kind so we're delighted to be giving away a special restored footstool to one lucky reader of The Simple Things. Click here to enter now!

To find out more about Elizabeth, her upholstery business and her journey towards a more simple life make sure you pick up a copy of The Simple Things issue 16, out now.

WIN! A Canon EOS 100D Camera with Issue 16 of The Simple Things (closed)

SIM16.comp.indd

To celebrate our new Miscellany features ‘Dogs in Blankets’ and ‘Cats on Mats’, The Simple Things has teamed up with Canon to offer you the chance to win an EOS Digital SLR camera. All you have to do to enter is take a photograph of your pet. Whether you have a horse or a hamster, a cockerel or a catfish, we’re looking for a candid shot that reveals your pet’s character and makes us smile.

canoncomp3

The prize is a camera you’ll never want to leave behind. Canon’s 18-megapixel EOS 100D is perfect for beginners who are interested in photography: it delivers superb photos and video, and features an optical viewfinder and touchscreen controls. It’s small enough to take everywhere and ideal for capturing Fido or Tiddles at their playful best. The winner will also receive the 100D’s standard kit lens, the EF-S 18-55mm.

Click here now to submit your photograph for a chance to win! The winning image will be chosen by The Simple Things editor-in-chief Jane Toft and photographer Andrew Montgomery.

To find out more about Canon cameras, including the EOS 100D, visit www.canon.co.uk/EOS.

Win! A Sawday's treehouse holiday in Normandy (closed 31 October 2013)

comp15_sawdays

GET CLOSE TO NATURE at Perché dans le Perche, a lovely little home within the branches of a centuries-old sweet chestnut tree in South Normandy, France. Courtesy of Sawday’s Canopy & Stars and Brittany Ferries, you could be enjoying life in the trees – taking in beautiful views over the Perch Natural Park and spotting birds flying over 25 acres of wildlife heaven.

The cosy, comfortable treehouse features a master bedroom, living room, kitchen, shower room and downstairs bedroom. There’s electric heating and lighting, hot water, a large shower and two terraces that are perfect for al fresco dining.

To find out more about Sawday's Canopy & Stars holidays, call 01275 395 447 or visit www.canopyandstars.co.uk.

Sailing from the ports of Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth, Brittany Ferries take you direct to Brittany and Normandy. To book a crossing call 0871 244 1400 or visit www.brittanyferries.com.

HOW TO ENTER Click here to enter now before 31st October 2013!

It's your chance to win a four-night holiday for four people to Perché dans le Perche in Normandy plus a return crossing for a car and up to four passengers, with a cabin, on any Brittany Ferries route to France from Portsmouth, Poole or Plymouth.

The stay and crossings must be taken before 30th September 2014 (excluding July, August, and all school and public holidays in the UK and France) and are subject to availability. The prize cannot be claimed against any existing bookings. Car hire, additional travel or accommodation costs and travel insurance are not included.