The Spirit of Christmas in Abundance in November
As December draws closer you will be hard pressed to avoid the build up to the festive season if you are in and around London.
The City has played host to a number of events already, including the Country Living Magazine Christmas Fair and Salon du Chocolat. 
Last week we visited the Spirit of Christmas Fair (5th - 10th) to top up our festive spirit and discover some new ideas for Christmas from the vast selection of products on display.
We were captivated early into the day when we stopped by Guy Chenevix-Trench. His Antiques by Design are carefully crafted from antique, reclaimed and old materials to create beautiful and unique interior and exterior pieces. Taking aged galvanised water tanks and industrial machinery, this company re-crafts them into tables of various design and style.
Old windows are converted into decorative mirrors; sporting and musical memorabilia hand crafted into luxury lamps and chandeliers. Upcycling never looked so good.
Many companies were producing wood items but none quite so unique as The Wedding Tree Co. The company aims to provide couples with one off, bespoke and totally personalised wooden wedding props, venue accessories and keepsakes. A unique and passionately run family business seeking to provide couples with distinctive ways to personalise their special day.
The company has now branched out and are making pieces that are suitable for more than just weddings, so have a good selection of present ideas.
The quality and skill that goes into each piece is evident and Richard, the man behind the business, displays an eye for detail and a skill for his trade that shows in every piece made. Even his business card is made of wood.
Mark Stoddart certainly knows how to create furniture that is a sheer work of art. If you cannot find room for a sculpture then he has ingeniously incorporated his art into items of furniture so you get the sculpture but still have a functioning item to use. They don't come cheap but when you are buying furniture of this quality it is more an investment in art; perfect for any collector looking to expand their catalogue and ideal if you want to give someone a unique gift to add to their art collection.
With the trend towards plastic over the last half century it is a breath of fresh air to see the contemporary ironwork on display at Alex Pole. 
If you want to fill the house with flowers that will last for the entire festive season and beyond take a look at Sylvia Hague Faux Flowers. Gone are the days when artificial flowers looked just that. The stunning stand on display at this year's Spirit Fair led us to do a double take because they looked so incredibly real.
The Spirit of Christmas Fair brings you unique ideas alongside everyday Christmas shopping, making it the ideal place to source those special hampers, individual spirit blends and handmade decorations.
If you are looking to move away from the regular trappings on the High Street at Christmas then look out for events like the Spirit of Christmas to make your Festive holidays more magical for 2014. The dates for next year's Fair are 4th - 9th November 2014. The Fair is perfectly tailored for you to uncover extraordinary gifts of style, design and elegance, with an exciting new collection of independent boutiques, all hand-picked by an expert team and approved by House & Garden. For more information visit www.spiritofchristmasfair.co.uk
If you missed this year's Fair but still need to shop then visit the Spirit-Boutique. The Boutique is all about discovering the most wonderful hand picked gifts and accessories for stylish living and they have a passion for sourcing beautiful things which stems from their Fairs.
See more from the Fair with a selection of photographs from our day out - avaiable now on our Flickr page.