Getting Crafty!

Hi again.

Well we have had a busy summer, we have almost built the front to our Christmas Grotto and we are well underway with our firework department. This year I am pleased to say that we have our largest ever selection of fireworks where they will be displayed for all to see on a television. We are also getting ready for Halloween where we have a very impressive display for all to see and great competitive prices and choice available. We also have our brand new range of Windsor and Newton artists products available in store due to popular demand with all our lovely customers. Come and see our very impressive products.

Dave and Vanessa have been away on a buying trip to Holland and sent us back a picture:

A Nice Pair of...

                  ...Dave is the one on the right wearing the hat!

They were supposed to be working!!?

Well what do you think of all the riots and looters. We had a tip off that they were going to mob Hastings so we cleared the shop windows and filled them with security guards with baseball bats. You should have seen their faces they didn’t want to play. They didn’t need to be wearing hoodies when they looked in our windows one quick glance and they were off! We didn’t need to worry as the police did a fabulous job and kept them moving, so well done Old Bill. I heard a couple got put in prison for four years they should do the same as China. They don’t get fed until their families come and pay. It certainly isn’t like a holiday camp over there. I remember a few years ago three English guys went skint and stuffed a Chinese firm for a few quid and four years later they stupidly returned to buy again and got recognised and put in jail (not a nice place) and were not released until their families sold their homes and paid the debt. If you get shot in prison the first thing they send you the bill for is the bullet!

Don’t forget we have a free demo day in Craft on the 1^st of October from 10.30 till 3.30. Gaynor , Mandy and Ann will be demonstrating our new products and giving you the chance to shop for those hard to find materials and learn new things obtaining professional advice  remember  it is  a great day, free parking  with  free advice from Gaynor and her team.  Gaynor’s team have also offered their brilliant services to demonstrate at the 65^th birthday celebrations at Help The Aged store in Eastbourne town  from 10.30am till 3.30pm on Thursday the 13th of October. Esk helping the community again.

Don’t forget any of your Football Clubs and Sports Clubs if you are trying to raise money for new kits or funds  you are welcome to a day bag packing . Phone Linda or Scott on 01323 435500  to book a place.

Frites and Frights

Hi Again

I am having a break in France which is good as it gives me idea’s to improve the business and make it interesting.  One night in France we went to a street market and put out long benches and French and English people all mixed together with music and street entertainers. A bowl of mussels and chips for  8 euros and a bottle of wine  for 6 euros. It was a lovely family night with no yobs ruining things. Let me know your thoughts on us having a Thursday Moule and Frites night at the Craft and Gardeners Club.

 We are on the drawing board for our Halloween . We will be stocking approximately 160 items at great prices with a large range of £1.00 lines. You will love it!  Our store manager Scott Ellis is getting  measured for his mask and bat man outfit as we speak. Harry Potter has got nothing on us. The products will be on the website soon for you to view so let us know your thoughts we will have one of the best ranges in town. Don’t forget our large selection of Fireworks on sale all year round and our new Party and Tableware section  and our great selection of books which are updated regularly. 

We also have a vast range of Artists' products coming in soon  to run alongside our busy Craft Department. We will be stocking many lines from Winsor and Newton, all great quality for all you budding artist’s out there. We will catering for people on all levels. 

Have you noticed our advert for our range of Bordeux Furniture it is so good we have even been selling it to our French customers. Bloody Amazing. If you haven’t  seen it yet pop and see, its great value for money.

I feel like all my Christmases have come at once as the roadworks have stopped and the road is now open …. so no more delays in getting here and no more watching the work men leaning on their shovels, I mean digging up the road. Thank you for your patience.

Come and visit us, don’t forget we have a huge free car park, where you can even get your car cleaned at the same time.

Once again I would like to thank everyone who has emailed me and I am very grateful for all your interest and support.

Thanks Again

Bob

Whether the Weather...?

Hello All,                  


Well what’s happened to the weather? It’s shocking -we don’t know whether to stock flip flops or wellies!

I tell you what we are selling in  large volumes  - BOOKS - and  just in time for the summer holidays. At the back of our  Eastbourne store we have a large selection of paperbacks  priced at £1.99. There is also a great selection of authors such as Linda La Plante, Maeve Binchy, Susan Lewis, Lesley Pearce . We also have a large selection of children’s  and cookery books all at very competitive prices.

Don’t forget we stock the biggest party range for miles, to suit all your summer party and bbg needs.  We have a great range of grass skirts  and Hawaiian products  too and we’re are  licensed to sell fireworks all year round.

 Ozzie should be smiling at last, now he has stopped giving away free teas and coffees. To look at his face anybody would think we had asked him to give £10 notes away with each free drink. Poor chap!  If you visit our store I bet you can’t make him smile.

Last week we sponsored a Human Table Football Fest with Beachy Head Rotary Club, which was held on the seafront’s Western Lawns. The wind was so strong it blew one tent away and broke the pole on the main marquee. The only good thing  was my wife Marie was going to do face painting. She practised on past president Ray Groves.- what an improvement!

Before I go I must thank all you lovely people who have emailed me. It is lovely to receive your comments and support.

On a sadder note we brought some trees to plant on the boundary which looked very nice.  On Sunday night some yobs broke them. I can only assume they got pleasure out of it. (bring back the stock’s, that’s what I say!)  I do wonder what’s happening to the world sometimes …….

Regards

Bob

Getting Crafty!

Hi  it’s me again.

We have had our staff out on the streets of Brighton giving out brochures and promoting ESK. I sent my wife Marie along to keep the staff out of the pub and out of the bookies!  They like a bit of Bet Fred! Especially our own Handy Chair from Hollington.  She can also run fast which is good because they got moved on a few times! They got a very good response from the people who had heard of us and that knew about ESK.

The lads at the car wash have been very busy and have done really well with the discount coupons and Ozzie’s chin is even longer because of all the free teas and coffee’s. We can no longer call him the “Grinning Turk” but he is still selling his lovely cakes and freshly cooked meals.

Let’s talk about Craft. We are putting a new Artist section in consisting of paint brushes,oils, water colours, acrylics and canvasses. You let us know what you require. Just email info@esk.co.uk 

Continuing with Craft we have been full up on our Thursday club night but we still have spaces on Tuesdays and Wednesdays 10.30 – 12.30. Please book , you will be made very welcome. Our next demonstration day is Saturday the 23^rd of July. Our demonstrators are Gaynor White, Ann Hyde and Mandy Russell. There are lots of new product and remember it’s absolutely Free of Charge. 10.00 -3.30. 

Please come along and bring your friends.

On a sadder note it is very sad to see the amount of shoplifting going on. The trouble is it’s what pushes the prices up, we all pay more, we catch them red handed and we ALWAYS call the police and have them arrested. The crown prosecution drop the case …..they wouldn't  if it was their own money. However it does not stop us giving them a red face. 

Serves em right!

Going for GOLD!!

Hi back again,

Didn’t little big head do well (only joking)? I am, of course, talking about our Famous Green Fingered Fred. Our resident garden guru was exhibiting at the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show last month (May). He spent most of the time having his photo taken with the likes of Ringo Starr (bet he told him how to play the drums), Nigel Havers, Gloria Hunniford, and various other assorted big-wigs.

But what an achievement for him and his team to pick up a GOLD MEDAL at Chelsea, unbelievable.

Talking about gold! A friend of mine was mayor of Bexhill-on-sea, had a wonderful year, did a wonderful job  he had to hand his chain of office back I hope they counted the links, sorry Jim or should I say Councillor Carrol.

In my job I have to plan a long way ahead. At the moment I am working on our Halloween products because this year we are going to have the best Halloween display in the Eastbourne area. We have so many ugly people working here we must use their looks and mine to promote Halloween (I hope they still work here after reading this). We're also planning on building a huge Xmas grotto with a live father Xmas. I would like to hear your comments please. E-mail me at info@esk.co.uk.

Exciting Times!

Hello again


We have just got back from China, absolutely Cream Crackered I must be getting to old for this job if you have a nice steady job don’t try and nick mine. The prices are going through the roof. The shipping is getting expensive the hotels are getting very expensive (they double the hotel rates & exhibition times) if you want western food you have pay, we are up for breakfast at 7am have breakfast catch the boat just after 8am start work at 9am and walk, walk and walk talking looking for new ideas you find products then find they are not suitable for UK market.


You might negotiate for a hours and then find thy have made a mistake with the price that is why I pay for my kids to learn Mandarin most of the Chinese are nice vulnerable people but they do you no favours in business. We catch boat home to the hotel about 6pm have Shower go out to restaurant (very casual)then we meet fellow traders from all over the world socialise(no favours) we are very lucky Michele our agent has been going to china over 30 years and looks after our interest when we are not there , can
you believe( a cockney bubble and squeak) looking after us it was good to come back to busy store Fred has made our garden club so busy he really is a star(famous Fred) if you come to our garden club slip him a tip because he need a new suit for Chelsea Flower Show where he is showing his new gold leaf Clematis 9what a star) the Queen, Alan Tichmarsh, Peter Seabrook might as will stay at home that all for now see you soon. 


I must tell you we have a Lady called Luscious-Lucy who is in 70-s has semi retired jus does 3 mornings a week she has been with us 16 years we rescued her she was the pole dancer but she did not like the heights she just drive her husband “boot leg George” mad rest in peace as a special privilege we still let her keep her dirty books under the till.


Bob

The Story Continues

Hi there, back again. Hope you enjoyed the first introduction. It was good to see so many people at our last gargeners club day!

I haven’t seen the store so busy since we opened twenty years ago, we were mobbed! The car park was full to capacity, we had so many compliments and even Ozzie in the restaurant was smiling, which he doesn’t do very often.

Don’t forget our gardening club every Thursday 5.30 - 8.00pm. ‘Green Fingered Fred the Gardening Guru’ and his team of helpers and celebrities are on hand to give help and advice. Our next “open Day’ is on 11th June so make sure you put it in your diary.

Our Craft Club day went exceptionally well. By popular demand we have classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10.30am - 12.30pm. We also have a ‘Card Feast Day’ call Gaynor for details on 01323 435537. Gaynor will be demonstrating all our new products every Bank Holiday Weekend so don’t miss them. All those years ago when I was selling Christmas paper on street corners, all I used to worry about was getting my collar felt and getting moved on by “old bill’. How times have changed.

Off to China soon to try to source new lines and bargains for you all. When I first started travelling to China 20 years ago the food consisted of chicken claws, beetles and locusts. We couldn’t get western food on the street, although we managed to find a McDonalds. I ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. By the time I returned to England I thought I could never face another Big Mac ever again!

My general manager, Dave, has been going to China with me for the last 15 years. He’s 6ft 5ins and really stands out from the crowd, the locals are amazed at his height. I never lose him in a crowd - his shiny bald head stands out like a beacon.

We now have a brilliant carwash and valleting service at the Eastbourne store which will leave your car sparkling, clean and tidy. Best in the area!

I look forward to seeing lots of new faces. Please come and ask to speak to Bob - I’m never too busy for a friendly chat. Good luck to all my dear friends.

Bob.