Gift Vouchers - the perfect present?

Throughout the year we are all faced with the never ending problem of what to buy our friends and loved ones on those special occasions, and with so many times to celebrate and mark with presents, ranging from birthdays, Christmas, weddings and anniversaries many of us will struggle to find that perfect gift.  The answer for many is often the good ol’ faithful gift voucher.  So what’s the history behind this present saviour?

The first voucher to be issued was The Book Token in 1932.  In 1936, Boots Gift Tokens were launched, which were later re-named Boots Gift Vouchers. 

It was in the early 1960s that consumer incentive schemes began with the introduction of Green Shield Stamps and many collectors faithfully collected the familiar stamps to stick in their books and then “spend” their value in the Green Shield Stamp catalogue shops. These shops were later to be re-branded as Argos.

In 1972 the Bonus Bond gift voucher was the first ‘multi retailer’ gift voucher and a couple of years later, Bemrose Booth produced Littlewoods Vouchers and were later to issue Luncheon Vouchers in the early ‘80s which became a popular employee benefit and were redeemed at a rate of 200 million per year at the height of their use.

By then the majority of high street retailers had a gift voucher scheme and High Street Vouchers were launched: multi-redemption vouchers targeted towards Christmas savings.  Customers could redeem these at Woolworths, Dixons, John Collier, Dewhurst and Cordon Blue.  The scheme continues today and has been rebranded as Love2Shop and involves over 75 retailers and 19,000 stores nationwide.  The brand also expands to Love2Play and Love2Travel covering the experience and travel markets.  The latter are excellent examples of how the humble gift voucher has entered the B2B market too.

Beginning as the giving of a piece of paper or card in lieu of a present, modern day vouchers now come either as plastic cards the recipient can spend or top up, or e-vouchers, where the recipient is sent an email advising them of their spend power in the outlet(s) concerned.

This blogger remembers receiving her  - paper of course – Boots Vouchers as a child and being delighted that I could “spend” them on anything and then struggling to spend the exact amount, as it was in the days before change was given against cards and the “top-up” option was unheard of!  Armed with my Charley perfume, I left a happy girl!  Now my own children appear to receive nothing but vouchers on special occasions and they love them!

Vouchers and loyalty card have revolutionised the way we buys presents today – some would say they have taken all the thought out of present buy – but it is one way to ensure the recipient gets exactly what they want.

Our experience shows, that people want thoughtful gifts that are meaningful to them and for many busy folk, time is a precious commodity.  We can help you give the gift of some time back to your busy loved ones with an Iron Maids voucher – who wouldn’t want their washing and ironing done for them!  This has also proven to be a popular gift for new mums.

Contact us on 01622 870111, 01233 779009 or via iron-maids.co.uk

Spring is in the Air

The phenological definition of spring relates to indicators - the blossoming of a range of plant species, the activities of animals or the special smell of soil that has reached the temperature for micro flora to flourish.  It therefore varies according to the climate and according to the specific weather of a particular year.

Meteorologists generally define four seasons in many monthly areas as spring, summer, autumn and winter.  These are usually specified by the values of their average temperatures on a monthly basis, with each season lasting three months.  The three warmest months are referred to as summer, the three coldest months are known as winter and the remaining gaps are spring and autumn.

Spring, when defined in this manner, can start on different dates in different countries.  In terms of complete months, in most North Temperate Zone countries, spring months are March, April and May (although differences exist from country to country); summer is June, July, August; autumn is September, October, November; winter is December, January and February. The vast majority of Southern Temperate Zone countries will have opposing seasons with spring in September, October and November.

In the USA and some other regions in the Northern Hemisphere, the astronomical vernal equinox (currently around 20 or 21 March) is often taken to mark the first day of spring, and the summer solstice is sometimes taken as the first day of summer.  In another US tradition, 2 February - Candlemas - can be regarded as the start of spring if it is mild.  In South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, spring begins on 1st September and has no relation to the vernal equinox.  In Ireland spring traditionally starts on 1st February - St Brigid's Day.

In South America, the Tupi-Guarani calendar from the former inhabitants of what is presently Brazil, Northern Argentina and Paraguay, counted 365 days plus a fourth part of a day, needing no extra day every four years. The beginning of the solar year was marked by the rising of the Constellation in the horizon, which occurs between June 5^th and June 11th in this part of the world.  For these native people, the four seasons were clearly identified by the solstices and equinoxes.  The trajectory of the Sun throughout the year was divided into "The New Age" and "The Old Age".  Ara Pyau was spring and summer, and Ara Yma was autumn and winter.  This calendar, which had no graphed or written form, marked activities such as hunting, fishing, planting, harvesting and religious rituals.

Enjoy the warmer weather and let us take the stress out of washing and ironing for you - make the most of Iron Maids FREE collection and delivery service by contacting us on 01622 870111, 01233 779009 or via www.iron-maids.co.uk

Mothers Day

Now the clocks have gone forward and the sun is beginning to emerge out of the damp cloudy skies, it must mean that Spring is finally here! And of course the first date in the diary for this period is Mothering Sunday or Mothers day as it is more commonly called. Have you ever wondered what the history of Mothers day is?

Mothering Sunday is always the fourth Sunday of Lent, however as the dates vary as to when Easter and Lent fall, the actual Sunday chosen to celebrate it does tend to  vary.  Most Sundays in the year, churchgoers would worship at their nearest parish or "daughter church”. In olden times it was considered important for people to return to their home or "mother" church at least once a year. So each year in the middle of Lent, everyone would visit their "mother" church.

The return to the "mother" church became an occasion for family reunions, when children who were working away from home returned. The majority of historians think that it was this return to the "Mother" church which led to the tradition of children, particularly those working as domestic servants, or as apprentices, being given the day off to visit their mother and family. This special day has now become a time when people give thanks to their mothers and offers an opportunity to express both love and thanks for the work that they do. So why not show your mother how much you love and appreciate her by letting us provide a professional service for her or give her a gift voucher to use when she needs it most!

Why not check out our services on our website http://www.iron-maids.co.uk/. or give us a call on 01622 870111 or 01233 779009. Booking is now even easier as our online facility is now up and running, www.iron-maids.co.uk/book