24 - Wednesday, August 28,

Helen Grant knew she had
been bitten by the travel bug
after travelling more than
8,000 kms from Kathmandu,
Nepal to London, England on
a 95-day bus tour.

But what she didn't know
then was that she would be ar-
ranging trips for other people
someday.

“| knew I'd end up selling

something but wasn't sure
whether it would be tooth-
brushes or ‘travel,"’ recatls
Helen Grant with a laugh.

Grant is travel manager of
the Falcon Travel office at
1280 Marine Dr. Located in
VanCity North Vancouver
Community Branch, Falcon
Travel is part of the new
Financial Centre there.

As travel manager of the
new North Shore branch of-
fice, Helen Grant like
everyone else in the Falcon

Travel group has come
with a ‘wealth of
experience”.

-Pravious to Falcon Travel,
Grant managed the Park
Royal branch of Eaton's
Travel for five years, which
she said has made her ‘‘very
familiar with serving the North
Shore.” .

In her 11 years’ ex-
perience, Grant has been on
more than 18 cruises to the
Mediterranean, Caribbean
Islands, Mexican Riviera,
Alaska and Hawaai. She has
even travelied down the Mis-

_ sissippi River on a riverboat.

‘ Falcons travel counsellor,
Gillian Aiken, who is original-.:

ly. from England, brings with -

her 18 years of living and
travelling in Asia, the Orient
and the Middle East.” ;

1985 - North Shore News

NEWS photo fan Smith

HELEN GRANT

“She is extremely well
versed In this part of the

. world,"' added Grant.

Grant has also taught travel
and tourism at BCIT and has
instructed ACTA (Alliance of
Canadian Travel Assoc.’
‘School At Sea’ courses for
people already employed in
the industry.

A booklet which she wrote
six years ago, called ‘Wat-
ching The Ships Go By’, has
been ‘instrumental in the
growth of cruise travel and the
popularity of ship inspection
tours locally, Grant told The
News.

“Over 2,500 people this
summer alone has taken the
ship inspection tours which
I've conducted since being
with Falcon Travel,’' said
Grant.

One thing’ that she likes
~ most about her job.is that it s
never routine. ©

in the travel business,’ she
gaid. "There are always a
number of possibilities. And

‘“There is never one answer |

with the changing airfares and
fluctuating hotel rates, you
have to be on top of things.”

What's more, she thinks
that Falcon Travel group is
“one of the most innovative
marketing teams’' for
developing travel packages.
Just this year, they came up
with an air/sea cruise to. Reno
or Las Vegas which they've
sold more than 700 packages.

“The team has an excellent
track record,” Grant said, ad-
ding that ‘our tie-in with Van-
City is a stepping stone to big-
ger things on the North
Shore.”

Sometime in the future,
Falcon will be forming a travel
club, said Grant, and as part
of the Save-On-Foods plaza

she would like to see “more :

cross-merchandising” done.
But what does Grant think
about Falcon Travel’s own.
future on Marine Drive?
“Once. Marine Drive is
completed there's going to be
a real gravitation towards
here,’’ she said.

“ plete collection of rattan,

Stepping across the
threshold of 1480 Marine
Dr. is like entering a world
of exotica.

To. most visitors, The
Ginger Jar is a “relaxing
atmosphere" of beautiful
handwrapped silk flowers
custom designed as cen-
trepieces and wondertully
comfortable settings of
tattan.

And for owner, Clarinda
Kung, that's the warmest
compliment that could be

given.
Like the store, Kung
exudes a personal style

and confidence which
she carries over into her
job as design and color
consultant to her many
clients.

Her floral designs done
in the traditional Japa-
nese form known as
ikebana have, for in-
stance, become a popular
selier in the store.

According to King's
philosophy of design,

_furniture should. stand. the

test of time and be able
to.meld with any decora-
ting style. By that
means not selecting fur-

niture that's faddish, but -

with an. educated eye
choosing

fine.
The Ginger Jar's com-

1041, 1045, 1047 Marine Dr.

she -

‘fine. quality”
pieces such as her rattan’

imported directly from’

South Asia, can be used
in any room of the house.

“It suits everybody's
taste,'' said Kung. ‘‘And it
fits in with any type of
furnishings.”

Besides The Ginger
Jar’s unique accessories
and quality furnishings,
Kung says her business
is based on giving the
very best in customer
service. ‘

“We dont believe in
sales,’ explains Kung.
“instead we give an
honest price, take a iow
mark-up and work on vol-
ume. Good service is a

very important part of our
We deliver for

business. .

Since 1982 on Marine Dr,
Knock Knock has doubled their
store space. They will have two
new shipments in September,
to give you a larger selection
of Pine Furniture, all solid and
nicely refinished. —

free and give a good
guarantee on our pro-
ducts."

if anything goes wrong
with something she's
sold, Kung says The
Ginger Jar will take care
of it, even if it's a year
later.

A merchant on Marine.

Drive for more than 10
years, Kung fikes the pos-
itive changes that's hap-
pening on Marine Drive,
Still considered ‘‘the

.one and only store of its

kind on the North Shore,"
Ginger Jar's owner said
that she was pleased that
the nicer stores were
moving down to Marine
Drive,’ commented Kung.

988-1675