Where to Find Marks & Spencer And The History of Your Shops and Brands

 

The Origin of Marks

 The name Marks means son of Mark. Michael Marks was Jewish, as were many people in what was known as the rag trade. He had started a successful little business selling clothes in the market in Leeds, England. Later he wanted to expand. 

Meeting Spencer

He approached somebody who supplied him with goods.Would they like to invest some money and have a half share in the expanding company and profits? The man he approached, said no, but my accountant, Spencer, might be interested. Spencer was interested. 

Spencer was not Jewish. He was a Christian. How do I know and how can you check? Spencer and his wife are buried in a church cemetery.

St Michael

St Michael was the brand name Marks chose to honour and recall  and commemorate the name of his beloved late father Michael. I always wondered why a 'Jewish' company would have a brand which sounded christian. Now I have the answer. The compnay\s owners, like their customers were a mixture of religions. They all knew the English word saint. 

Marks and Spencer set out to be saintly, reliable. Classic clothes. Long-lasting. Quality control. Straight, firm seams. Spare buttons. Firmly inserted zips. 

The company expanded over the years. Now they are in Singapore, all over the world.

You can find their shops in major malls. And online. 

If you want to explore history, as well as see modern shops, plaques recalling them and their start are in Leeds, England.

I went to Marks & Spencer in London earlier this year and bought ladies underwear, sets of

Marks & Spencer brands

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Marks_%26_Spencer_brands

Useful Websites

Marks

https://www.marksandspencer.com/

wiki marks

Please share links to your favourite blog posts.

Packing for quarantine and converting clothes Dress 259 Pink man's shirt converted into a woman's jacket

 

I think about my packing to travel and come back into quarantine at least a month in advance. I notice which clothes try out overnight. If you are quarantined in a hotel bedroom, you don't want a week's clothes hanging drying in the batroom. You want clothes, underclothes, which dry overnight.

If you can, leave a bag or suitcase with a coffee maker and spare clothes in the country where you will be quarantined if you are going to be landing back in your home country, but going straight to the quarantine hotel with no time to collect clothes, for the right season and weather. You also might be tired of your holiday clothes and want a change.

If you are ultra paranoid about losing your suitcase and clothes, you might want to take clothes which were not new which you can afford to lose. 

Here's how I converted a pink shirt thrown out by my husband into a jacket suitable for a woman.

How I did it.

The sleeves were too long, the buttons did up the wrong way and the collar was too stiff. The material was fine. The garment had several lovely buttons. The colour was great, girly pink.

I turned the cuffs inside out, and folded them up the inside of the sleeve, not once but twice.

I folded the buttons down the front to the inside, and the buttonholes on the other side. How to keep this in place? Ironing?

No. Quicker than that. I used a duck clip. I possess two of them, so one at the top and one further down. The clip holds the jacket in place and conceals the buttons and buttonholes.

Lastly the neck. I could cut it off to make a mandarin collar. However, I was in a hurry. So I just turned the collar to the inside. I had a new outfit for our next family meal and photo.

The label is Limited Collection, which is Marks & Spencer.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Marks_%26_Spencer_brands

About the Author

About the Author

Angela Lansbury, is a semi-retired travel writer still researching bucket list countries and seeking out the special, unusual, people, places,  landmarks, hotels, museums and trails, fabulous foods, recipes, clothes and online souvenir shopping.

Angela Lansbury is a member of Toastmasters International.

About the Author Angela Lansbury

The Author - Quick Quotations

Angela Lansbury B A Hons  is the author of ten books by regular publishers plus another ten self-published books. 

About Angela The Speaker & Trainer

Angela Lansbury is a teacher of English and other languages to Toastmasters clubs and businesses.

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Vice President  Public Relations, Immediate Past President. VPPR

Former Area Director S3. Club Coach for Nee Soon South Toastmasters Club.

Also Member of: TCA Toastmasters Club; Singapore Online Dynamic; Harrovians UK

BHA

Past meetings have included Garen Tee on using story telling in business, on 

bha.learncool.sg/meet/bha . 

Recent meetings of BHA included an educational session on using Powerpoint for posters.

Next BHA meetings, always first Wednesday evening, 7 pm Singapore time. Next meeting is  the third Saturday afternoon, June 19th 2pm Singapore time.  Inauguration of the new committee was by the incoming Director of S, plus a lively speech on teamwork.

Next meetings will be on these dates (unless a national holiday in Singapore or worldwide)

Themes and word of the day are tentative

2021

JULY - JUBILANT JULY

Theme/WOD Jubilant

WORKSHOPS & EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS (based on level one of Pathways)

1 Your first speech or role EASY ENGLISH LANGUAGE (Articles A and The, Plurals, Tenses, Pronunciation, Singlish)

2 CHOOSE YOUR PATH

Wed July 7th 

Saturday 17th

July 4rh American Independence Day.

2021 AUGUST - AWESOME AUGUST

1 Pathway Level 1 Introductory Speeches

2 Evaluations

Wed 4th

Sat 21

2021 SEPT - SUPER SEPTEMBER

Wed 1st

Sat 18th SPEECH CONTESTS

Humorous Speech Contest

Table Topics Contest

2021 OCT - ODD OCTOBER

Wed 6th

Sat 16th

2021 NOV - NOVELTY NOVEMBER

Wed 3rd

Sat 20th Wed

Diwali Hindu Festival of lights Nov 4th.

Nov 25th American Thanksgiving.

Hanukah starts 28 Dec 8 days until Dec 6. Jewish Festival of lights, celebrated by Jesus.

2021 DEC - DARLING DECEMBER

Wed  1st (Hanukah if not previous month. Festival foods.)

Sat 18th

Speech on 

JAN 2022 - JOYFUL JANUARY

Wed Jan 5th New beginning - forget the past

Sat 15 Long-term plans = for the future/Chinese New Year (CNY for short)

2022 FEB FUN FEBRUARY

Theme Love and romance - Chinese New Year

Feb 1st and 2nd are holidays - do we move this Feb 2nd meeting date?)

Wed 2nd (Valentine's Day Mon Feb 14)

Sat 19th

2022 MAR - MARVELLOUS MARCH

Theme

Wed 2nd

Sat 19

March 1st is Christian Pancake day. 

2022 APR - APRIL'S AIMS

Wed 6th

Sat 16th

Muslim Ramadan 1-30 April.

Jewish Passover (Seder meal=Last supper) April

 16

2022 MAY - MODERNISING MAY

Wed 4th

Sat 21

2022 JUN - JUBILANT JUNE

Wed 1st

Sat 18th

Jul 6, Jul 16, Aug 3, Aug 20, Sept 7, Sept 17, Oct 5, Oct 15, Nov 2, Nov 19, Dec 7, Dec 17.

Angela The Blogger 

Angela has several blogs speeches, comedy and song writing and organizing, writing intermittently, but writes almost daily on these three:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

See many varied posts such as the post on sculptor Tom Harvey.

Please share links to your favourite posts. 

Lovely lights at Edgware's Broadwalk Shopping Mall

Problem
Where to park in Edgware? It's free on Sunday but quite pricey in the week. You have to decide whether to park in the supermarket's car park or the long stay car park. We were travelling into town and opted for the long stay and assumed we might be longer than expected. We were stuck in traffic jams at the cross roads, and feared that we would not find a space.

Answer
We successfully parked at Edgware car park behind the bus and train station and the Broadwalk Shopping centre for over four hours (cost £4).

Story
I lived in Edgware as a child, with fond memories of eating cannelloni in Dino's every Saturday lunch time with my mother. Alas Dino's has now gone. Edgware now has Nando's and several other restaurants.
In the centre of the car park was an illuminated Xmas tree. Only later, after pausing to take a photograph, did I realise that it changed colour. First I thought it was blue, which looked odd. I assumed it was either Israeli colours, or politically correct.

However, when we returned later in the day, the tree had turned rad.

We drove around the car park and saw it again at another angle. Was it really the same tree? It was white.

Having paid for long-term parking, in order to have lunch in central London, we had time to go shopping on the way back. We then discovered that with the winter lights, the shopping centre is very attractive.

The lights within the shopping mall also change colour, red, magenta, green blue, white, and multi-coloured. Angels in white are at the corner of the central area which has a Costa in the middle.

The shopping mall has a handy mix of shops, ranging from Poundland to Marks and Spencer, Smiths, and Boots. Sainsbury's is at the back.

Tip
1 Poundland has two queues for payment. The one on the left is for self-service checkout.
2 Check for the current free car parking hours - parking used to be free on Sundays.
3 Remember to validate your car park ticket at the machine before driving out. You cannot pay at the exit point. The barrier lifts when you insert a ticket which has been validated.
4 B & K restaurant, my favourite place in Edgware, is closed on Monday. Check their opening times (which varying seasonally according to holidays).
B and K Salt Beef Bar, 11 Lanson House, Whitchurch Ln, Edgware, London HA8 6NL
Phone:020 8952 8204

Action
For opening times, see their website:
www.thebroadwalkcentre.co.uk/

The pictures in this post are of the inside and from the car park at the back.
My photo in a previous post shows a Christmas tree at the front of the mall.
All photos by Angela Lansbury, copyright 2016.
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Christmas lights means Xmas shopping, even Xmas stockings for dogs

Cards, presents and souvenirs - whether you are at home or abroad, it's good to have a few extra presents ready. You go overseas for Christmas and there's a last minute invitation. You invite family to a Christmas party and they bring an extra guest.

Suddenly it's the last date for posting presents and cards. Be prepared.

Lights are on already in Oxford Street, London. Too early for some.But Christmas shops are open all year in some parts of the world such as the USA.

Here's what I've seen in Harrow, NW London.

Cheapest presents and party ware, gift wrap, and Santa hats:

Poundland
You name it, they've got it. Budget crackers. Hats. Even a push-on back cover for the iPhone 6 in red, green or purple.

Paper plates, napkins, paper cups, table decorations, red hats. Snowflake pattern suitable for any religion or none.

Reindeer antlers, Red hats, black hats from Poundland in Harrow.

Marks and Spencer
Chocolates and food for Xmas for home, parties and gifts.
An idea from their window display, gingerbread biscuits cut in the shape of Xmas trees. Branches all over the world, including Singapore.

Marks and Spencer in Harrow.

BOOTS the Chemist
The baubles hanging in Boots reminded me of the red and green accessories, scarves and ear-rings they were selling. Red scarves and Santa ear-rings.

Boots in Watford.

CLINTONS
Great pop up Xmas cards.

Clintons in Harrow.

WAITROSE Supermarket, South Harrow
Half price crackers, mince pies and biscuit tins until Nov 10th. The display by the entry door shows the current offers. See the free Waitrose  Weekend magazine free in store for the latest offers as well as recipes, interviews, gardening tips, and lots more.

Tesco had Santa socks even in the smaller Tesco Express in Hatch End.

Christmas stockings for dogs and cats? Yes.

Christmas stocking for your cat from Waitrose.

Christmas stocking for your dog from Waitrose.

What else can you buy on the internet? Christmas theme tee-shirts and sweaters.

All kinds of cookware.


Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author, speaker.