AS it's Midsummer this weekend, we thought we'd talk about Christmas puddings. Not as daft as it sounds. In Lewis and Cooper in Northallerton, they've had plum puds on display since Easter and make them all year round.

No sooner have we taken the Christmas decorations down and started the New Year diet, then the team in Northallerton are stirring things up again. Five of them, hard at it, making thousands of plum puds - and making them well. They always come top in our taste tests and in national tests too.

And yes, people buy them all year round.

"A pudding takes a few months to mature so we start selling them first at Easter and as ours have a shelf life of three years it's quite a good idea to buy them early. We sell a lot to overseas visitors who like to take one back with them," says Victoria Howard of Lewis and Cooper.

The store started making the puddings nine years ago. A Yorkshire grocer, Reginald Bush, fed up of additives and preservatives, had gone back to basics and his grandmother's recipe book and made plum puddings her way.

The ingredients are raisins, currants, sultanas, raw sugar, cider, breadcrumbs, eggs, suet, peel, black treacle, wheatflour, almonds, marmalade, wine, Hennessy Cognac and spices. They also come in veggie and gluten-free versions. They are nicely traditional but have a nice tangy modern taste to them too.

When he retired, Mr Bush took his puddings to Lewis and Cooper. In 1994 they sold 7,000. Last year they sold 33,000. This year it could easily be more than 40,000, which is an awful lot of puddings.

"We call them plum puddings rather than Christmas puddings because people eat them all year round. They're also really nice to eat cold, sliced, like a cake. A lot of people eat them like that," says Victoria.

They come in a range of sizes, from little basin shapes to the proper full-blown cannon ball. Many are exported directly to America, but thousands more go all over the world in the famous Lewis and Cooper Christmas hampers, which means there can't be many far-flung corners without a proper plum pud. Others go out as corporate gifts or to other top name stores. So there is one corner of Northallerton where it is always Stir Up Sunday and there's no danger that standards will slip.

"Even though he's long since retired, Mr Bush still pops in to see us. He likes to keep an eye on us, make sure we're still doing things properly," says Victoria.

And as they can sell plum puddings at midsummer, then they must be.

* Lewis and Cooper traditional hand made plum puddings cost from £1.35 to £17.30. Also available in veggie and gluten free versions. Can be sent by mail order. P&p extra.

THERE'S some new twists on some traditional designs at ASDA - stripy wooden deckchair £8.97 and galvanised metal watering cans at £5.47.

Children's sun care from Morrisons include extra sensitive Factor 40 cream for babies and toddlers £2.99 for 100ml. Also a fun Factor 30 spray for children - nice and green so you can see they've been covered. While you're there, Morrisons are also offering free leaflets with some suggestions for travel games. Might help you make it to the airport.

Nice and peaceful for travelling is Feltkids - where they can make their own stories up with felt characters stuck to a storyboard. Themed sets from £9.99.

Meanwhile Early Learning Centre has gone retro for garden games - including sit 'n' bounce (remember space hoppers?) for £5, pogo stick at £15 and even a hula hoop for £3. Hula hoop? Ask your granny.

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