Godiva City Souvenir Chocolate Boxes

It's London! And it's chocolatey. Just as we know it and love it and eat it.

Recently,  I was invited to John Lewis's Christmas in July event - I've not been to one before and was thoroughly overwhelmed by glitter, kitsch and novelty drinks trying to persuade you that they're radically different from Baileys while tasting exactly the same. It was paradise.

I adore Christmas. I adore it even more than I love John Lewis, probably because my mother loves John Lewis so much that there is very little love left to share out among the rest of our family. I like to think that mum thinks of John Lewis as what Jesus would be like where he a popular middle-class department store rather than the Son of God.

Godiva Souvenir Box New York

But what caught my eye particularly were these utterly ravishing souvenir boxes of chocolates on the Godiva stand: designed by four superbly talented female students at the Belgian graphic design school, La Cambre.

Thailand

I absolutely adore these designs. The London box gets 12 points and would make a really lovely non-Olympic souvenir of all the cool stuff that's happening here this summer. 

Japan

It's also the only one that doesn't cost a million quid to have posted to you - the Godiva website quotes a £10 delivery charge which is frankly insane. Better to ring up one of the shops,  bat your eyelashes down the phone at them and get them to order some in for you. There's a choice of cities and countries, all with the same quirky, fabulous design. 

Paris

Brussels

The boxes cost £16 each and I'd probably just glue them up on the wall when I was done with them. Gorgeous. There are even more to choose from and, from Russia to the USA, they're all stunning.

Royal Wedding souvenir plates for Shelter

I'm unashamedly gripped by Royal Wedding fever - I can't wait to see the dress, the vows, the guests, the tears, and most definitely the flag-waving. Hurray for bank holiday patriotic fever!

The souvenirs though, have been terrible. Up 'til now I honestly haven't seen anything that comes close to my treasured Charles and Di souvenir cross stitch sampler, and that I rescued from a Sue Ryder shop.

Then I saw this wonderful series of plates on House to Home, which Living Etc had commissioned from nine designers to mark the wedding. All profits go to the housing and homelessness charity Shelter, which the couple would be rather pleased by.

A Right Royal Booze-Up by People Will Always Need Plates

Lovely! Such a nice change from that engagement picture writ large over mugs and flutes.

To Love and Companionship by Rob Ryan

These are my two favourites, but have a look through the other seven. I think I might just have found my perfect wedding souvenir.

You can get your hands on them by sending a sealed bid (at least £30) to [email protected] before midnight tomorrow.

Natty Necklace: Souvenir Necklace by Tatty Devine

Being the seasoned traveller that I *ahem* am, I have learned the hard way what a bad idea souvenirs are. Bad Bad Bad. Always with a capital B.

You think at the time that it’s so cute and that it you don’t get it you’ll forget the wonderful time that you had, but it’s just not true. What happens is that they go into a box that you you do forget about, until you do a spring clean. Then you hate yourself, for spending €5 on a fridge magnet.

Having said that, I do actually love this souvenir necklace by English company Tatty Devine. Possibly enough to take it home....It’s acrylic, it’s handmade by an independent company and it’s all self referential and lovely. It’s also £18, but still, it is a souvenir that keeps on giving.

I swear it is.