C6 - Wednesday, December 17, 1980 - North Shore News It’s easy to send food parcels to Britain Barbara tells how “Bay ” bill arrived the other day and I grinned like a Cheshire Cat! It does my heart good to see it fully paid-up, especially in December! Along with the statement, was an order form called “Gifts to Great Britain” showing pictures of food gifts that I can have delivered to the British isles. Now, I don’t have a chick or a child in Britain warranting undisciplined gift-giving but the leaflet picked at my curiosity. Apples — from B.C. or Ontario. Hunks of cheese. Hampers of tin cans — Wall's Steak and Kidney Pud, something called “Schop”, tinned “Hot Dogs” - & lots of vegies — peas, lit‘te potatoes, carrots, fruit ‘mostly Australian) and more fancy savories than I'd use in a month of Fridays. I am the best of “last minuters” — just ask my editor. Anything I can put off until tomorrow will be well placed. Perhaps it’s a feeling of total optimism — for me, tomorrow always comes, complete with all that junk that might have been done yesterday. If I were needing to send a Christmas gift to England, you might be sure that it would arrive in time for Easter. On this cheery note, I phoned The Bay. They gave me the phone number of the suppliers here — the outfit that looks after your overseas orders. First of all, it’s important to know that it doesn't matter at ali what major chain store you use to place your order! The same pee trayel- wise by Ba rbara McCreadie supplier will process the goods. The prices will be on par and only the individual packaging might be dif- ferent. To explain further, buyers from each chain prepare lists of foods that they will think will appeal to their customers. The supplier, “K.V.S.” has eight acres of warehouse in Britain. Orders processed here, and in Australia, are acknowledged by an im- mediate card to the recipient (only in GB) and delivered from the central warehouse. Some of the products on the list are unavailable through ordinary stores in Britain. 1 was assured that the prices were compatible with what, you might pay if you shotdd fill the order yourself. The big saving comes in postage — you'd spend one helluva lot if you had to start mailing cartons of foodstuffs across the ocean. This company does it by bulk, therefore saving quite a bit. The thing that caught my eye was the ease in which you can ship a parcel to Britain. One telephone call! The cost of living over there has gone out a sight lately ‘and food gifts may be ap- preciated. I wondered at selection of the various products — aside from apples, very little was of Canadian origin. The reply was quite simple. British people aren't used to Canadian products. the They are familiar with Australian fruits and European fish. Where, oh where, were the tins of marvellous Canadian Inviting WARM,BROWN RATTAN with brass accents... CHEVAL MIRROR *22Q0 ARCHES from *169 NITE TABLE *159 More than just furniture! CHEST OF DRAWERS. from *325 Place 1401 Hornby St., Van. rN Patio cha tige watln..-atte® 669-2145 ROLEdive af psa | é salmon? Easy! They cost too much. Anyway, if neglected sending you've “Dear Aunt Hattie” her gift, you might think about this service. Don’t wait any longer than December 10 if you want her to have the box before Xmas but if all else fails, she should at least get the card telling her that her dinner is on its way. For your own peace of mind, write Aunt Hattie and tell her what you've done. If some snafu occurs, you'll be able to track it done. The company has been in business since 1946 so I wouldn't expect too many mistakes. DEAR BARBARA: [m a travel agent and lately I've had a number of customers who mistrust our agency advice and arrive with a sheaf of your columns, demanding the same sort of advice that you give. I'm not knocking the advice that you are handing out but it seems to me that it's putting us at a real disadvantage. Do you realize how much of our time is spent with people who are only “shopping around”? We can spend hours arranging bookings only to have them cancelled by some flighty idiot who has changed his mind. ANSWER: Peopic trust me because I've got nothing to sell. I only write columns, using my own experience and a whole lot of people within each industry (government, airlines, agents and operators) to give me the unvarnished truth. I get my medical advice from local Health Units and doctors. Need a rundown on an airline or 2 hotel chain? | head for the top gad don't stop until I get the full story. How may travel agents can afford to do the same? If 1 had to criticize the travel agencies, 1 would do it in one simple phrase: TOO MANY INEXPERIENCED PEOPLE. If agencies charged for their services — and guaranteed them — then the travel business would move from a job to a profession. Meanwhile, I'll keep on telling stories about mp-offs and cockroaches. People are obviously listening. passport ph otos while you wait North Shore Darkroom 1527 Lonsdale 988-9813 1560 Marine Dr... 926-0421 = 2 WEEK PACKAGES — WAIKIKI $599 (based on double occupancy) 14 NIGHTS, AIR & HOTEL MEXICO $759 (based on double occupancy) 7 NIGHTS MAZATLAN, AIR & HOTEL 7 NIGHTS PUERTO VALLARTA PALM SPRINGS $559 (based on double occupancy) 14 NIGHTS, AIR & HOTEL CUBA $909 (based on double occupancy) 14 NIGHTS, AIR & HOTEL & MEALS Lae j 10507 K. Gee. Hwy. " 980-0321 WAIKIKI Ait Only WAIKIKI *489 8 Days. 7 Nights. Av & Hote! WAIKIKI *989 U ays. 14 Nights, Air & Hotel LAS VEGAS 199 5 Daye, 4 Nights, Aw & pote! RENO *169 5 Days, 4 Nights, Av & Hote! 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