Whether it's a Thank You to your star Teachers, who go over and above for the children, or perhaps a colleague, who is moving onto a new job? Or maybe thanks for being a special friend? It's often 'all change' at the end of the academic year and there are plenty of opportunities to say Thank You.
We have a thank you of our own to say, we have really enjoyed receiving all the Thank You Cards & letters from the parents and children we supported again this year through giving donations for all the school fairs - it feels good giving something back to the community who support us! Thank You!
We have loads of great ideas, big and small to say Thanks......and if you'd like to do a collection then don't forget we can put any amount on a gift card, we have some gorgeous fashion & jewellery why not let the thank-ee choose something really personal for themselves ? A Map Gift Shop Voucher has added 'shop local value'.
Who do you love? Time Out London have launched the TimeOut Love London awards 2018 and we have been nominated! As winners in 2014, 2015, and 2016, (there was no award in 2017) we feel we have a corner to fight!
But with fabulous new shops & businesses moving into Junction Road all the time The Toy Project, The Battenburg Badger and Lost Boys Pizzas and CruDough on the new Navigator Square, we'd like to put Archway N19 on the map (scuse pun).
We’re talking restaurants, bars, shops, parks… wherever it is that you get your kicks. Shout about them! Spread the word and share the love! The aim of this is for you to spotlight your favourite local. We want you to help those deserving places get a bit more cash in their till!
You can nominate and vote when you sign in here search for Map Gift Shop and get voting.
January is a time for sorting stuff out right? We've been sourcing new products that will undoubtedly help focus priorities. Here's a quick round up of early product launches.
The perfect city rucksack?...look no further, we have found it! Lightweight, protective and protected, comfortable, stylish and available in 6 cool colours - a way to carry your stuff simply. Introducing the Bantry C Bag by Roka London.
Do you have loads of great photos just waiting to be framed up and enjoyed? One of my January resolutions is to get proactive and enjoy our fab family photos! We have 2 new ranges of frames 'Prism' and 'Edge' which are stylish, well priced and great quality. Great wedding gifts too......it's time to get your family framed!
We couldn't resist the 'Skyline Multi Hook' use as a coat hanger or enjoy the simple skyline statement.
1. Bantry Bag C in Mustard £58.95
2. Bantry Bag C in Hot Pink £58.95
3. Bantry Bag C in Graphite £58.95
4. Prism 10 x 8 Photo Frame £26.95
5. Prism 4 x4 Photo Frame £10.95
6. Edge Multi Frame in Natural Wood £53.95
7. Bantry Bag C in Black £58.95
8. Skyline Wall Multi Hook £26.50
We are enormously proud of our Collection of Decorations this year. We have worked really hard to surpass ourselves and bring you the most special decorations internationally available.
We have six sensational seasonal themes. Tropical, Regal London, Woodland, Fantasy, Culture Clash and Classic see the full list of decorations here.
Tropical - Pimp up your Alpine with Parrots, Cactus and Flamingo!
Regal London - Decorations worthy of a King or Queen. Impressive and bejewelled Embroidered London Landmarks and Emblems alongside our traditional Glass London Decorations.
Woodland - Fun, Felted and Bristle Creatures, sporting stylish outfits and accessories.
Fantasy - Enter the magical and dreamy world of Mermaids, Mermen, Unicorns & Rainbows......
Culture Clash - Embracing celebration of all cultures.
Classic - Christmas for traditionalists.
We all know Ian is a cool and chilled out guy but now he's gone all Zen on us! That is the Zero Emissions Network, and we are Archway's latest member.
One of the downsides of living and working in a thriving area like Archway is that the air quality here is some of the worst in London (which, unsurprisingly, has some of the worst in the UK). Some of the causes are obvious, busy roads used by lorries, cars, buses and taxis, but some are surprising too - bet you didn't know that residential boilers are a major contributor to the problem. Before you dismiss this is merely a nuisance, extra dirt to clean away or unpleasant smells, think about this: the Royal College of Physicians calculates that poor air quality causes 10,000 early deaths a year in London. Poor air exacerbates cardio vascular and cardio pulmonary diseases and it is especially bad for children. If all this wasn't depressing enough, the cost of poor air health impacts across the UK are calculated at £15 - £20 billion. (£20 billion is over 15% of the current NHS budget.)
So what can we do? We have signed up to Archway Zen. We only employ local people who can walk to work or use public transport. No one from Map Gift Shop drives to the area bringing in pollution. We have carried out an energy efficiency audit of the shop, and implemented all the energy saving measures. Finally we have installed some pollution eating plants and cycle locking planters. Which not only are fragrant and look great but have a practical and we think aesthetic value too!
Helping to make Archway a healthier place to live and work.
We have done it again, for the third year running we are London N19's favourite shop! Many congratulations to all the other winners you can see a full list here, but most importantly a really sincere and heartfelt thank you to every single one of our friends and customers who have voted for us again. We really are feeling your love!
In the spirit of sharing the love - Ian and I asked Nadia and Luke from our brilliant sales team to attend the Time Out Love London Event and collect the award on our behalf!
Until next year, thanks for spreading the love!
I know I keep banging on about it, but we really ARE a talented bunch here at Map Gift Shop! We are enormously proud to announce that 3 of our team have made it into the Top Five Shows to see this week, a guide to the London shows you need to see right now! Sophie's production company Tit4Twat are in their final week of Losers (Rosemary Branch Theatre)
The only show to provide the audience the simple power to vote with electonic power sets.....The idea is that the so-called Losers (Arthur, Rachel, Sophie and Tommy) are four wannabe TV stars but wait..... TV doesn’t actually want them. In fact, they’ve been rejected by Brat Camp, Bake Off and even 24 Hours In A&E. So instead of trying to make themselves fit the existing shows, they’ve made a show to fit them & the audience provide the drama by voting for the contestants after each round. Totally brilliant and engaging theatre!
Losers runs at the Rosemary Branch Theatre from 2 – 14 August 2016 you can book tickets here.
And if that's not enough excitement, both Nadia and Declan are acting in Screens playing Brother and Sister Al and Ayse at Theate503 Battersea.
Emine is more interested in a dead cat than her kids...Al is lost in Grindr, discovering that having a love life is incompatible with his incessant need to mollycoddle his ungrateful, acid-tongued sister Ayşe – a fierce and intelligent young woman, who is drowning in the mire of social media.
Screens focuses on a Turkish-Cypriot family, it is a witty yet dramatic play using the lesser-discussed conflict in Cyprus as a backdrop to tackle the stigma-infused topics of homophobia, discrimination, violence and loss of self amongst refugees from various partitioned communities: Jewish, Palestinian, Indian, Pakistani, Catholic, Protestant, Sunnis, Shia. Set against a hyper-modern online framework based on fleeting moments of connection, the play captures the zeitgeist of split personality, the forced weight of tangential interactions and the consequential fluidity of identity – online, for real, and most importantly those that are defined by inheritance.
Read more from Declan Perring who plays Al here book online here
Playwright Stephen Laughton, whose show RUN enjoyed an acclaimed season at The Vaults earlier this year, returns with a new play. This time his gaze falls on the new generation of immigrants, the conflict in Cyprus and short-lived moments of connection in the modern world. You can buy tickets here.
Get a little hot under the collar with this luxuriously rich creamy chocolate range, each one is subtly different, some are spiced with a tongue-tingling pinch of Chilli others seductive and velvety smooth! - Unwrap and devour them!
London for Lovers is a book which navigates the changing face of the Capital, with all of its secrets and surprises, mapping out dates full of originality, spontaneity, and adventure, allowing you to concentrate on the main event – each other. Perfect for first dates and soul mates, long term Londoners or just visiting, this book freewheels through London to find you a few hours that could change everything, a bargain at £12.99!
If you'd like to go the extra mile how about an I Love archway Badge for £1.50 to go with it? A London Underground Soap scented of cucumber sandwiches for an additional £8.50, or blow the budget with this "Streets of London" Dressing Gown for £61!
This is perfect for hopeless Romantics, Why I love you allows you to write your own love story in your own words! With prompts and questions, and places for photos and notes. An inspired gift your loved one will remember!
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