In 1986 when I was four years old a group of Shetland ponies were seized from a farm during a animal welfare rescue. Most of the ponies were malnourished and in a very poor condition including a Shetland mare and foal. Sadly due to her condition the mare had to be put to sleep. Her foal however lived and needed a home. My parents were contacted by a lady working on the case and asked if they could provide a safe home for the orphaned foal, he was going to need a lot of care and careful feeding to help him gain strength and get him on the road to recovery. So the scruffy little Shetland foal came to live with us, he was named ‘Hucklebones’ after a pony out one of my fathers favourite childhood storybooks and as he grew so did his character. We found that this small and sometimes seemingly shy little pony was full of determination and had a keen sense for adventure. Not satisfied with the grazing allocated for the other ponies he lived with he would keenly squeeze (or sometimes even roll) under the fence and amble off in the search of greener pastures so to speak! He was often invited to visit us on Christmas day when he would be brought into the lounge for treats in a now familiar family tradition which probably resembles the nativity stable rather than any civilised family gathering!

Twenty six years on he is still with us and happily enjoying life as he has become accustom to. His hilariously grumpy character (we often liken him to Eeyore from Winnie-the-Pooh) which despite his best efforts to keep up is always softened by a big kiss (which he secretly loves) or by an opportunity for adventure. Leave a door or gate ajar for a second and his inquisitive nature is almost bound to get the better of him!

Hucklebones and Ché the border collie peeking through the garden gate at my parents home – January 2012.

Photography by Emma Donnelly.

The Hucklebones sale is now on. Enjoy 50% off all items on the Hucklebones online shop.

As Christmas nears and the excitement and the glowing lights beckon us to embrace the festive spirit, anther less welcome feeling of mild panic spreads through my mind as I realise I have still haven’t even started my Christmas shopping. Finding that special gift can be an ever increasing challenge however, fate has dealt a helping hand in the form of the Lisa Stickley pop up shop on Abbeville Road, Clapham. Here you will find a wide range of bags, laptop cases, ceramics, notebooks, cards and wrapping paper as well as a selection of VERDE skin care and Hucklebones girls clothing and accessories. The perfect one stop shop for finding all the lovely ladies and girls in your life a special something. Mums, sisters, daughters, granddaughters, friends and teachers, there is something for everyone. Pop on over to 29 Abbeville Road, Clapham and take a look. The very friendly shop staff will help you find what you are looking for and don’t be surprised if you come out with something for yourself too.

Lisa Stickley – Pop Up shop – 29 Abbeville Road, Clapham, SW4 9LA.

Opening hours:

Monday – closed

Tuesday – Friday – 10 am – 5 pm

Saturday – 10 am – 6 pm

Sunday – 10 am – 5 pm

Find these styles and accessories on the Hucklebones online shop here.

A perfect early Sunday morning outing for us as a family is Columbia Road Flower Market, followed by the V&A Museum of Childhood. Columbia Road market runs every Sunday of the year. There are fantastic shops surrounding the market such as Elphicks for original prints, Treacle for gorgeous cupcakes and vintage inspired homewares, Jones Dairy for bread and jam and a good rummage around the vintage stall and of course amazing plants and flowers. The atmosphere is busy with lots of hustle and bustle, young families, friends looking for beautiful blooms, young hipsters and plenty of market calls from the sellers on the stalls. Take at least a big reusable shopping bag for your finds, we always leave wishing we had a huge van we could fill with vintage treasures and exotic plants for the garden.

A twenty minute walk from Columbia Road, the V&A Museum of Childhood is an oasis of fun and interest. Puppet shows, craft workshops, interesting installations and a diverse collection of toys, clothing and images from 1600 to the present day. Entrance is free and with workshops and storytelling at the weekends, you can spend a good few hours there. Expect your children to ask to return, regularly!

We often find it difficult to get a balanced family day out with interests for all of us but this is definitely a winner for us.

We hope you enjoy it as much as us.

With the arrival of the AW11 collection came our debut capsule baby range for girls aged 3 – 18 months. Designed with the Hucklebones ethos at heart, each piece from this select range shares the fun, delicate detailing and colour as celebrated in the mainline collection. Taking key elements and styles like the embroidered plum dress which is a perfect teamed with the lovely lambs wool hat. Or for stylish comfort try the One-Piece in tea rose with its gorgeous collar detail teamed with matching trousers and bib all accented with the beautiful seasonal ‘Jenny Wren’ silk print.
Take a look at the Baby collection here.

Available from many of our stockists – see our stockists list here.