There was Jacobs too.
And various local specialist shops like Campkins
Picking from those photographic dealers I have previously bought kit from that are still in business and have websites. I will grant you that except in the largest cities there is usually only one other.
They probably - genuinely - don't care.
Having worked in business, you learn there are customers, and there are customers. The perfect customer is one that spends a shed load of cash, with very little effort on your part. The nightmare customer is one that spends f*ck all (or less) whilst tying you up in endless amounts of work. A very important part of *staying* in business is to develop a radar to try and distinguish the two, with no concessions to political correctness.
It was an invaluable lesson. I first noticed it when my boss would occasionally give uncharacteristically steep quotes for work. When I asked he just said "they'll be more trouble than they're worth". Since he stayed in business 40 years, he must have been fairly right.
I got my DSLR from a Jessops shop at a decent price.
Difficult to try the cameras out first.
I wouldn't in an old-fashioned store. In Curry's or PCWorld I feel more like "f*ck 'em".
While online is the way of the future, there's still something to be said for being able to fondle the gear and ask questions of knowledgeable staff. If Jessops had had any sense, they'd have reduced their store presence to perhaps half a dozen stores scattered throughout the country. These stores would have the primary purpose of encouraging customers to examine the gear and then go home to order online - or tell the klod the could order there and it'll be delivered to you at home (i.e. carry no stock).
If I want some specific item I don't mind going some distance to examine an example. That's how we got our Beko FF - went to Curry's, looked around, realised that a 700mm wide one is *much* better, and ordered through Boots-online.
Bicycles are ideal for maintaining general cardiovascular fitness without any possibility of doing long term shock damage to knee and ankle joints as is possible with running on a treadmill even when wearing special shock absorbing £250 trainers.
Only for people who can't afford waterproof clothing.
Which probably accounts for popularity of gyms among the Inuits.
Whether such "reasonable" fees are sustainable given the amount they must spend in equipping, heating, and lighting the place is questionable. They probably have low introductory fees so as to get the chance to demoralise potential punters sufficiently into getting them to sign up for long term contracts.
michael adams
...
that's why you read reviews.
Not always good enough. Things like cameras, lenses and binoculars you need to try in the flesh to decide if the handling and balance is any good for you. Doesn't matter how well the reviewer liked it if you cannot hold it comfortably, press important buttons or keep it steady.
I could fault a fair number of otherwise well reviewed mobile phones for requiring fingers the size of match sticks to operate them. Keen users seem to use their fingernails on them from what I have seen.
knr$t94$ snipped-for-privacy@news.albasani.net...
Don`t see VAT as a substitute for Corporation Tax at all, if your VAT registered its a cost but largely offset against reclaiming VAT paid,non VAT registered end customers and smaller companies just have to wear the extra, currently, 20%.
It also only functions as a tax on turnover not profit, continue to pay VAT wether making a profit or not, lot of companies go to wall with HMRC as biggest creditor.
Same logic to lets abolish road tax and put it on fuel, it intially sounds like an idea but doesn`t actually bear more than 2 seconds examination.
Main problem with the online `revolution` , it`s mail order without the printed catalogues, is delivery at a time convenient to the customer, yet to encounter Amazon lockers but guessing somene is going to become very rich with a similar scheme, pick up is often easier than delivery for customer.
Cheers Adam
But do very little for arm strength and are not good if you need to maintain flexibility.
Poppycock.
My gym offerred no introductory discounts and only did 1 month contracts.
When I fly into Italy I am usually pleasantly surprised by passport control. The staff are clean, not smelly, they wear immaculate (Armani) uniforms. They are extremely efficient, two to four desks can process a 747 in a fraction of the time it takes UKBA to process a 737. And they do stop (some) illegal entrants. I see people pulled over for questioning on a regular basis.
Oh and they smile, welcome the visitor to their country and usually have time to wish everyone "Good Day".
When I get back to the UK the queues are endless, the staff look like they were dragged through a hedge backwards, the uniforms look like sacks and the BO is overpowering. Their people skills are about on a par with those of rail staff.
They sell weights for that in Tesco, which you can use while sat on your sofa watching the telly.
Flexibility is maintained by stretching. If you need to pay someone to show you how to stretch, and to remind you each week in case you've forgotten how to stretch, then inadequate physical fitness is probably among the least of your problems.
michael adams
...
I have never come across a camera where these were overriding issues.
And if they are, the reviewers are not slow to point that out.,
They are, however, paragons compared to INS staff.
Both were based in Leicester. Jacobs was family owned until the end, the Jessops family sold out a few years ago, when they started opening new stores. When Jessops only had one branch they were one of the few photo retailers to offer discounts before VAT was introduced. On Saturdays there would be queues out the door of people waiting to get in. They produced a regular price list, approx A3 size, with everything they stocked listed in the smallest readable type.
yes I remmeber those and some were at odd angles to save space on the page. I used to buy bulk film from them 20 to 40 rolls of CT18 or 21 soem kodachrome slide and some fuji 800 IIRC.
Which is also nothing to do with cycling.
Don't be silly. There's more to a gym than the staff. Perhaps you should visit one and find out.
In some cultures it is normal to haggle.
I must remember to pretend that I'm gay then, when I invite a tradesman around for a quote ;-)
The Passport Office were quite happy to accept a photo of me wearing glasses when I renewed my passport a few months ago.
In my case (and probably anyone else with complex lenses), not if I want to be able to see where I am going. Mine only come off when I am in bed.
Colin Bignell
Oddly that is where they started (mail order, few stores, well just one initially)
tim
My passport isn't that new, but it shows me wearing glasses.
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