I love the Moomins and my love affair began as a young teenager when I picked up my first Moomin book up at a jumble sale (before the days of boot fairs!) and fell in love with the soft, round and loving creatures. I have to confess my good friend Ben and I used to read them aloud to each other and made up voices for all the characters. Oh innocent days!
The first Moomin novel was published in 1945, The Moomins and The Great Flood. Eight more novels & three more picture books were to follow in the coming years. It was 1950 when the first English Moomin novel was published, Finn Family Moomintroll followed in 1954 by the London’s Evening News launching a Moomin Comic Strip. The last Moomin book was published in 1970.
For the uninitiated they are a family of trolls who are white and roundish, with large snouts that make them resemble hippos. The carefree and adventurous family live in their house in Moominvalley which is a peaceful, harmonious idyllic place to live. They live between the sea and the valley with a river running through the valley. It bursts into life in spring and is covered in snow when the Moomintrolls hibernate for the winter.
Some of the main characters include Moomintroll who is a happy soul who is excited by everything he sees and enjoys collecting shells and rocks and is happiest spending time with his friends. He has a very sensitive and gentle character. Moomintroll loves to daydream and loves Moominmamma and his family.
Moominmamma is loving, attentive and makes everyone feel safe. She finds a silver lining in everything and cares for all who visit Moominhouse. She is always wearing her red apron and carrying her handbag.
Snorkmaiden is a very good friend of Moomintroll. She too is a bit of a daydreamer and is a happy Snork. Snorks have the magical ability to change colour to reflect their mood!
The writing had some real gems in it and Snufkin’s comment on freedom still speaks volumes “One can never be entirely free, if one admires someone else too much.”
You can imagine my excitement when I found some fabulous Moomin licensed products which I love. The Moomin Spring Design Weekend Bag is so quirky and will be a talking point when you turn up at the Hotel Du Vin for your weekend away and why not finish the look with the Moomin Spring Wash Bag!
As a great coffee lover I can feel so virtuous and a touch quirky(!) when I turn up at Starbucks with my Moomin flask and ask them to fill it.
Take a moment to have a look at our Moomin products and maybe it will lead to a nostalgic moment like it did for me.
As the sun streams through the office window today my thoughts began to drift away to warmer days and thoughts of weekends away, being able to sit in the garden, picnics on the beach and of course a lovely summer holiday. In retail you are always having to think ahead and it won’t be long before the site has products which will make you long for those warm spring days and bright summer evenings out in the garden with a glass of wine. 
