Going back to school is a pretty grim business, and there are usually a few tears – but here’s something to cheer the little darlings up. On September 23rd Hamleys is running its annual Toy Awards, and is employing the sternest of judges – a panel of 12 discriminating children. There are two places left on the panel and Hamleys is offering to give away two tickets for the job. Each ticket allows return travel for a parent and child, accommodation at Claridges and tickets to Madame Tussauds for both, plus £200 worth of vouchers for the child to spend in Hamleys.

Does your kid know his/her toys? Give them a chance to prove it by sending the name, age and sex of your child along with your own name and contact details to hamleys@resonate.uk.com before 10th September 2007. The winners will be picked at random and contacted by phone/email by 14th September 2007. (T & Cs apply)

Click here to visit Hamleys online

Feel the curve

 Raise the bar on that informal dinner party with these buffet spoons from the Viners cutlery accessories range. Made from quality stainless steel, and with a sparkling mirror finish, these are shaped to curve attractively on the plate. The guests are bound to be impressed – the only thing left to worry about is the quality of your cooking. A set of six buffet spoons costs £10.50.

Click here to view the Viners range

Tower power

 Before you whip out the pesticide in an effort to banish plant damaging insects, remember – there are some bugs beneficial to the general health of your garden. With this in mind, it’s worth snapping up a Ladybird Tower. A natural habitat for ladybirds and other “good” insects, this timber tower is placed in lawns, sheltered flower beds and wooden glades and features a cosy central chamber, filled with natural materials. When you bear in mind that ladybirds can eat up to 500 aphids a day, the £9.95 price tag seems like a mere trifle.

Buy online at http://www.ahsdirect.co.uk/ or call 01797 227 300. 

Study ‘til you sleep

 Falling asleep at your desk has never been so easy as with the StudyBed. One of the best, well thought out and quality pieces I’ve seen in a long time, this large desk is ideal for those pushed for space in a house share or a family home, who wish to study or work late without disruption. Made from solid wood, the StudyBed does not require a wall fixing, and converts quickly and easily to a full size comfortable bed – without moving anything from the surface of the desk, or indeed the bedding. The StudyBeds start at £950 for a single (inc. VAT), £595 (inc. VAT) for a D.I.Y finish, and are available in a choice of sizes, and bespoke finishes.

Call 01494 671116 or visit http://www.studybed.co.uk/

Hit the press

 If the perfect burger has eluded you all summer, Sagaform can provide the missing ingredient. The Hamburger Press works simply by compacting the meat tightly and evenly, helping to avoid homemade burgers that either fall apart on the grill, or which are charred on the outside and raw in the middle. And it costs just £14.95. Your ticket to a flaw- free barbecue – even if it is raining.

Call 020 8646 9655 or visit  http://www.formahouse.co.uk/

Property exchange

 Dip your toe in the property market before selling your home with this savvy new service. http://www.umyup.com/ offers homeowners the chance to share property information securely online, swapping details about respective properties and building lists of potential buyers before deciding to move. UmYup is a free service but, for a small fee of £14.99 (per six months), users can upgrade their account to search for more detailed property information and to communicate with other users. A chance to save an average of £3,000 in estate agent fees whilst finding your dream home in a non-pressured environment.

Click here for more details of this great new service

Shoot out

 Don’t know your weeds from your shrubs? Mystified by the ill-health of your roses? Whether you’re amateur or expert when it comes to your garden, www.shootgardening.co.uk is sure to prove helpful. A £19.99 year’s subscription gives you a year’s access to a vast database of over 4,200 plants, including advice on which suit your own garden’s growing conditions, plus care tips for your plants. Shoot allows you to build your own personal online diary for your garden, and provides access to expert advice and design professionals to help get your garden into shape.

Click here for the Shoot Gardening website

Looking paisley

 Just when you thought paisley print had been well and truly relegated to the hall of homeware sins, Supernice.co.uk goes and brings it right back into fashion with these vibrant Blik Paisley wall/ window stickers. A cost effective way to bring colour and modernity to white washed walls, these come in a box (priced at just £35) with two sixteen inch stickers, six five inch stickers and one eight inch sticker. Colours include Raspberry and Lemon, Kiwi and Sky and more.

Call 0207 6133 890 or visit www.supernice.co.uk

Say cheese

 There aren’t many who’d turn their nose up at a freshly brewed pot of coffee, a cone of freshly made vanilla ice-cream or a platter of melting, creamy French cheeses – and fewer still who’d turn down the chance to save some pennies. Shipping all its goods direct from the manufacturer, Kitchkof.com can offer significantly reduced prices across a range of quality, designer kitchen and coffee appliances. This Viners Presentations 4 Piece Cheese Set is usually priced at £55, but at Kitchkof it’s just £37 leaving you all the more to spend at the cheese monger.

Buy online at www.kitchkof.com

Sofas to go

 An easy way to purchase high quality and affordable seating is through the newly launched Furniture to Go service, available exclusively online at www.marksandspencer.com. The new collection comprises six styles of sofas such as this large Fulham model (from £399) and co-ordinating armchairs in a variety of fabric and leather options – and all available for delivery within 14 days. Customers can request up to six free fabric swatches by calling the customer service line on 0845 7 624624. M&S also delivers seven days a week; and you don’t have to wait around all day for your sofa - customers can choose a morning or afternoon slot for delivery.

Click here to visit Marks & Spencer online

Exclusive clearance bargains

 Following the success of its last clearance sale earlier this year, Insitu is once again opening its doors to Homes & Bargains readers, offering discounts of up to 70 per cent on sofas, tables, chairs, lamps and more. Contemporary lacquered sideboards down from £950 to just £240, coffee tables down from £370 to £80 and leather based and microfibre covered cushioned sofas such as the one pictured down from £3,000 to just £1,000. L-shaped sofas are also available from just £800. Normally closed to the public, the warehouse is exclusively open to readers on the 1st and 2nd September 2007 (11am to 4pm). Just go to Access Storage, 1 Nestles Avenue, Hayes, UB3 4SH. (020 7436 7300)

Click here for the Insitu Design website

Petal fresh

 With August and September one of the most popular times of year to get married, Shropshire Petals really comes into its own. Set amid the rolling hills of Shropshire, it specialises in dried flowers, as well as wheat sheaves, seed heads, flower arrangements and natural petal confetti. Organza bags filled with natural delphinium petals in a choice of purple, pink, white and yellow cost just £1.39, and there are a range of other sizes to choose from. All the petals are hand picked and carefully dried to ensure their colour is kept – a naturally chic way to decorate tables, and an environmentally friendly way to throw confetti.

Call 01952 691 553 or visit www.shropshirepetals.co.uk

Bargain of the week

Natural stone at half price

 Specialists in the manufacture of bespoke granite kitchen worktops, Granite & Marble’s factory in London’s Vauxhall plays host to over 50 different colours of stone from around the world. Routinely 20 to 30 per cent cheaper than its high-street rivals, Granite & Marble imports direct from the quarries, passing on the savings to the public to give them the best possible prices around. And, because Granite & Marble stores such vase amounts of stone - the 1,000 square metre factory houses over 7,000 square metres of materials – it can usually complete orders within just five working days, without the long delay often experienced with competitors. Granite & Marble is offering Homes & Bargains readers the chance to buy any stone across the range for up to a massive 50 per cent less. This brings its Black Granite down to just £180 per linear metre. Just mention this offer when calling or visiting Granite & Marble UK Ltd, 17 Miles Street, SW8 (call 020 7627 2500) or 42a Richmond Road, KT2 (call 020 8408 2294) before 29th August 2007.

Click here for the Granite & Marble website

Discount of the week

Shutter chic

An excellent long term investment for your home, and one that will greatly enhance its overall look, shutters are a firm favourite in my book when it comes to the home. And Colony Shutters offers a first class selection. Custom-making solid timber plantation style shutters to your exact requirements, it offers a choice of materials, colours, louvre sizes and fitting options; and provides a full installation service around London and the Southern Home Counties.  With their clean lines and classic look, the aesthetic appeal of shutters is obvious. But they have a more practical function too, helping to shield your interior living space from the sun in summer, and provide added privacy, without blocking light or air all year round. Prices at Colony Shutters start from £400. But there’s a 15 per cent discount across the range for readers who order more than five square metres. Just call 01276 470 192 mentioning this offer before 30th September 2007. If you call with your window dimensions,

Colony Shutters will give you an estimate over the phone, and if the quote suits your budget it will do an obligation-free site visit. www.internalshutters.co.uk

Your turn to recommend

Here are just some of the tradespeople you have recommended this week:

• J W Penfold and Sons, extensive, family run building, plumbing and electrical company since 1968. Based in Croydon, covering all London, Surrey & Kent. Call 0208 662 9662 or email at: services@jwpenfoldandson.com.
• London Decorating Service, experienced painting and decorating firm offering all interior and exterior services. Based in SE London, covering all London. Call 020 8852 2153.
• Olympic Scaffolding, trustworthy scaffolding service for industrial, commercial and domestic projects. Based in NW London covering all London. Call 020 7467 4407 or visit: www.olympicscaffolding.co.uk.
• T A P Plumbing And Heating, complete installation services, all jobs large or small. Based in SE London, covering London. Call 020 8461 0632

If you’d like to recommend a tradesperson simply email Alison Cork: alison@alisoncork.com