David's AW News: 9 Years in Slovakia... and Wedding Bells Too

Greetings from Spain...

Well, I am still here.

The Spanish summer is slowly turning up the thermostat and while parts of the UK seem to have reverted to their traditional "four seasons in one afternoon" weather pattern, here in Andalucía it is definitely feeling more like summer every day.

Last week I was telling you about the Jacaranda trees of southern Spain, whose spectacular purple blooms transform whole streets into rivers of colour for just a few short weeks. If you missed it, you can catch up here.

Unfortunately there is still no news on my TIE residency card. No card. No appointment. No useful information. The Spanish bureaucracy machine continues to operate at its own mysterious pace. As regular readers know, this saga has already provided enough material for a small novel, and I suspect there may yet be another chapter or two to come. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, life across the AW family rolls on.

This week is a very special one in Slovakia as Peter and Tamara are getting married. Peter works closely with our Bali team and, judging by the messages flying around, the excitement levels in Indonesia are every bit as high as they are in Europe. Weddings have a wonderful way of bringing people together, even when they are separated by thousands of miles and several time zones.

Congratulations Peter and Tamara from all of us. We wish you both every happiness for the future.

Talking of celebrations, this week also marks nine years since the first day of trading for our Slovakian operation.

Nine years!

The first day was a little basic :)

What started as a small adventure has grown into one of the most important parts of our group. The team there have built something truly impressive through hard work, determination and a lot of belief along the way.

Happy Birthday AWGifts. You have come a very long way and we are all incredibly proud of what you have achieved.

Those early days.

Back in Sheffield, today is a slightly emotional day as we say goodbye to Kane from the warehouse team.

The good news is he is leaving for what sounds like a dream job at a paddle club. Opportunities like that don't come along every day, and we wish him every success in his new adventure.

One thing I've noticed over the years is that people often stay with Ancient Wisdom for a long time. And when they eventually move on, they never really disappear. They remain part of the wider AW family. We still bump into them at trade shows, hear about their adventures, exchange messages, and occasionally even persuade them to come back and visit.

Once you're part of AW, you're always a little bit part of AW.

Good luck Kane — and enjoy every minute of the new role.

Hot weather - Summer Vibes - It's a great time for T-shirts - Check our the Nomad Sari range - selling well right now.. It's a great time for Tote Bags.. Check out the new Iconic Bags - also selling well right now..

See Summer Gifts At AW -  Hot sales for hot weather..

With Father's Day getting closer and summer events beginning to fill calendars across Europe, we're also seeing plenty of activity across the business. New stock arrivals from India are now landing online, fresh product lines are appearing daily, and there are some excellent deals available across the ranges.

So if you haven't visited the website recently, it might be worth taking another look.

Until next week, thank you as always for your support.

All the best!

David