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How nature inspired the creator of the stunning Banchory Bangle – and how you can win it

Malcolm Appleby’s childhood love of beautiful woodlands has influenced his stunning jewellery works that help the children of today.

Nature has always been a major source of inspiration for the designer who has been working with Children 1st charity for more than four decades, helping them raise vital funds for families in Scotland.

“I really enjoy being in the woods. When I was a young boy we had wild woodland around us in London and I spent as much time as I could in the woods, which was really lovely,” said Malcolm, creator of the Banchory Bangle, a unique piece created each year for a prize draw in aid of Children 1st.

“I always liked the rural life – which was one of my reasons for coming to Scotland from England.

“I moved here permanently in 1969. Shortly after that. I bought the railway station in Crathes in Banchory and I set up my workshop there.”

Malcolm Appleby has been creating bangles for the Children 1st charity for 44 years.

Malcolm lived in Crathes for 27 years before he moved to Perthshire. And it was during his time in Banchory that Malcolm started working with the Children 1st charity.

“I started engraving what became known as the Banchory Bangle and it’s something I’ve done for 44 years,” said Malcolm.

Banchory Bangle is often inspired by nature

The 2021 bangle design is intended to be a sign of hope after the difficult year children and their families have faced. The stunning piece of jewellery reflects the importance of the natural world for children’s mental health and wellbeing.

Malcolm said: “It’s said so often now – but it wasn’t 40 years ago – that nature has a positive effect on our wellbeing. I think it links very well with the charity too. The natural world is so important, particularly now in the digital world that we live in.”

banchory bangle
There is still time to enter the Banchory Bangle draw.

There are three bangle prizes to be won in the prize draw this year. The first prize is the original 2021 Autumn Ginkgo Leaf Banchory Bangle in 18ct gold together with a sterling silver copy. The second prize is a copy of the bangle made in sterling silver and the third one is a copy in bronze.

Jewellery lovers have until Monday November 22 to enter the draw here. The raffle will be drawn on Sunday November 28 at The Banchory Lodge Hotel.

Since the Banchory Bangle began in 1977, the Children 1st Deeside Committee has raised more than £170K to support children and families across Scotland.

The Committee also collects scrap silver, to support the Banchory Bangle initiative through Taylors of Banchory.

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