David's AW News: Christmas Greetings!

 Merry Christmas and Greetings from Trnava, Slovakia

Yes it's Christmas-time! Hope you are having a wonderful time of year and Christmas spirit is flowing.

In the UK and Slovakia this is our final day of work. In Spain they have it slightly different.. so are still working.

Last week I was in AW HQ in Sheffield, and telling you about some surprises and secrets.. if you missed it you can catch up here.

On Saturday we had an amazing AW Christmas party with the best singer and much fun was had by all.. we had speeches and danced into the night.

On my last day at AW HQ.. we had a bit of extreme weather.. strong winds and rushing clouds.. then the sky cleared and a beautiful rainbow.. this is the view from the office.

It made me think.. it's 2025 soon and that feels promising. A rainbow is the symbol of a better future. Hope and new beginnings. So sending you best wishes and the hope of better times ahead.

Yesterday morning, Philip (Katka's husband) kindly drove Katka and I to Manchester airport, where we took the Ryanair flight to Bratislava, Slovakia. Early in the morning we watched the sun rise over the Derbyshire hills as we passed through the pretty and very festive village of Castleton (many years ago there was a tiny AW gift shop there) and then through the beautiful Winnats Pass and down to the airport.  The flight was pleasant enough and we soon arrived in Bratislava. There was a car waiting for us at the airport, and within half an hour we checked into the hotel in Trnava, the pretty town which is home to AW-Gifts. Tomas was already in Slovakia - and met us at the hotel, since it was almost evening time we ventured out to visit the Christmas market and consume some mulled wine. Now it really feels like Christmas.

In Spain it's not snowing but.. Toni and the team are not only celebrating Christmas, but also this week the official 5th Birthday of AW-Artisan in Spain.. I can't believe five years since we opened the new Spanish distribution centre.. Congratulations guys!

Spain with AI added snow. 

In AW-Aromatics - it's also not snowing yet..

But they made a Christmas card for you!

This is the team at our HQ - Christmas tree card made by Martina & Sandra, our talented and creative designer.

Here in Slovakia, now in the AWGifts office. It's great to see the team - Erika and co have done an incredible job this year. We just had a tour of the huge warehouse and beautiful offices.

I'm so impressed, everything is organised with eastern european efficiency.. they are serious and professional to a degree you wouldn't believe..

BUT.. tonight is the Slovak Christmas Party.. and I'm hoping they can loosen up a little and have some fun. After a year of hard work and dedication they all deserve some festive fun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So I know you are busy.. and I hope the Christmas trade has been good for you.

Wishing you, your staff, your families all the best from everyone at AW! 

The AW teams in India, China and Indonesia all send Greetings and thanks.

I would just like to say thank you so much for your support, we really do appreciate your business.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have an amazing Christmas.. all the very best.

See you in the new year.

David, Tomas & Katka



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

David's AW News: Taking on the Mafia

Image
Greetings from Kathmandu, Nepal, where I am taking on the mafia. Last week was crazy, we kicked off with our 29th Birthday celebrations.. AW is 29 years old. 29 years since I sold my first bottle of Lavender Oil on a Sheffield Street market. Since then it's been beyond busy in all our warehouses, the elfs are struggling to keep up - but we will find a way. Anyway I'm on the way home for Christmas (Erm the long way).. On Wednesday I said goodbye to Ringo and Bondhan as they dropped me off at Denpasar airport, I took a Malaysian airways flight to Kuala Lumpur arriving late evening, slept in the most comfortable bed you can imagine at the Sama-Sama airport hotel (short walk and a buggy ride), and early morning checked in for the flight to Kathmandu. Just about the smoothest, trouble free, friendly people, nice food.. best experience ever. Sometimes I love traveling in Asia.   Even as we approached the airport it seemed like the wings were almost touching the magical mountain...
Read more

David's AW News: A Personal Message for 2025

Image
Greetings and a Very Happy New Year from a bright sunny Spain. All the other wholesalers are sending you bright and breezy new year messages... but at AW Artisan let's just for a second face reality. Well here we are, it's 2025. Is that really already a quarter of the way through this century?  You know it seems the world is full of problems, bad news and depressing things seem to surround us. Who the heck knows what the year ahead will bring? For sure though we are all going to face business challenges especially as the increase in National insurance and ever increasing costs bite.  Pesky companies like Temu and Shein continue to steal trade from under our noses. Compliance and regulations complicate and cause unnecessary drag..  Sometimes in Business it just seems like hard work.  Sorry to depress you.   Friends, one thing is true and remains true. If you don't face the future with Bright Optimism and Positive thinking then you have already failed. ...
Read more

David's AW News: Secrets & Surprises!

Image
Greetings from Sheffield, UK.. :) it's almost Christmas! Yes it's true I am actually back at the mothership.. at AW Aromatics and AW HQ.. Home for Christmas... and found some big surprises. Last week I was making a flying visit to Spain just in time for the AW-Artisan Christmas party, which was lovely and very emotional, if you missed it you can catch up here. On Wednesday evening I returned my hire car to Malagacar.com (best car hire by far) and checked in for my EasyJet flight to Manchester. The flight was almost empty.. and left early arriving 30 minutes ahead of schedule in Manchester. Whilst the staff were friendly and kind, the seats are basic and the experience is third world.. actually any Indian or Asian budget airline is much better. Then I arrive at Manchester airport, it's such a bad impression for first time visitors.. (apart from Kathmandu) any Asian airport is class. Manchester on arrival feels distinctly 3rd world. It makes me feel something is wrong...
Read more