Having been victims of the “pingdemic” earlier in the summer, we decided not to risk any specific travel plans, and so for the Underwood summer holiday this year we elected to go to the “Big Smoke” for a few days and take our two boys, Elliott (9) and Owen (7) to see the sights of London. One event being the obligatory trip to Hamleys. I can remember being taken there once at a similar age by my parents and feeling totally overwhelmed by the size and volume of the toys on display and not knowing what to buy. Fast Forward 35 years and things were similar…. but different. Budgets were set (with a haggle margin built-in) and excitement was built up. The number of toys on display didn’t disappoint, but the prices certainly did! It turned out our budget hadn’t considered the “Hamley’s factor” and wasn’t enough for anything with a microchip or the word “Lego” on it. I looked around to see many parents in a similar predicament of whether to sour the day by sticking to their guns or succumb to the pressure and suck it up. I considered my options – up the budget or have a nice bottle of wine with dinner and did what any kind and sensible parent would do. It was a nice red and went perfectly with my steak!
Actually, I did what wasn’t possible 35 years ago and showed the boys what they could buy with their cash via a popular online market place. I should point out that this is not a step I would have taken had we been anywhere else – we’re very pro shopping local and in store normally, but I felt less guilty given Hamleys international ownership. We found the same toys for half the price and once ordered, they were delivered the following day – we didn’t even need to cart them back on the train and the wine was still in play! Granted, I appreciate the magic of the moment was lost a bit but there were two happy faces the next day with more formed plastic for their buck. There’s a lot to be said for home delivery!
While we don’t offer pet delivery, we do provide a home visit service - although due to the risks and restrictions associated with Covid-19 we have only been offering essential visits for the past 18 months. I am very pleased to say that we have now resumed our full home visit service – including the discount home visits.
Many pets find a trip to the veterinary practice, or merely a trip in the car, very stressful. By the time these pets reach the consulting room, heart rates have raised, blood pressure has gone up, bowels and bladders have been emptied, claws are out and tempers are frayed – it’s an overall negative experience for all involved and also not a representative examination of the pet in question. Examining these patients in the comfort and security of their own environment is a far more attractive proposition. There are also many owners who would prefer home visits either because they find transporting their pet difficult, or they would prefer the convenience of a home visit.
We offer discount visits on most Wednesdays for the price of £45 within a 15 mile radius of our Henfield practice and conduct a range of services from booster vaccinations to blood tests. To find out more, see our website or contact us directly where one of our team will be happy to give you more information or book a visit. That’s all from me – time for a glass of red wine and a game of “nerf tag”!
