There used to be Marks and Sparks in Canada - I don't know if there still are. We used to go there for Jaffa Cakes. And clothes for my maiden aunt.
Nah, they withdrew from Canada a bunch of years back. I miss the easy access to the food (Marks and Sparks were in malls, little specialty import stores seem to be in pockety little neighbourhoods somewheres). The trousers were good for work, they were canonically excellent if a bit expensive at socks and underwear, and occasionally they'd have a jersey or something that overcame the stodge and was worth wearing. My sister worked Christmases in the local one when she was a student.
There used to be one in the Eaton Centre, right downtown TO. There's a Pottery Barn there now. Sigh.
What's the difference between Marks and Sparks and Marks and Spencer?
What's the difference between Marks and Sparks and Marks and Spencer?
Nothing. British penchant for rhyming slang.
JohnSweden! It's been a while since I've seen your pixels.
Nothing. British penchant for rhyming slang.
So they really are the same store, and Americans are just supposed to feel lost when reading stories that refer to Marks and Sparks? I knew it was a plot.
JS!
My sister just emailed me that she's going to Toronto today all of a sudden, so I'm feeling the envy.
JohnSweden! It's been a while since I've seen your pixels.
Hi Ginger, I've been all lurky and struggling to keep up in the high-volume threads. Good to see your electrons too.
I knew it was a plot.
Yup, just British in-joke insularity. No offense intended.
Americans are just supposed to feel lost when reading stories that refer to Marks and Sparks?
I found out what Marks and Sparks because David Bowie sang about it.
And wendys stealing clothes from marks and sparks
But later he changed "marks and sparks" to "unlocked cars" for some copyright reason.
My sister just emailed me that she's going to Toronto today all of a sudden, so I'm feeling the envy.
It's kinda windy and cold here today, (Hi Brenda!) not sure envy is the suitable response. However, I was just IMing with a friend about which of the eleven fancy coffee places within a block I should go to for my fix, so I guess there's appeal there.
Completely random:
Jilli, do you already know about these shoes? "Cause they seem custom-made for you. The downtown SF DSW has stacks of them at some discount or other, but they look nice and affordable even at full retail.
Also, Lee, there's a grocery store a few blocks from chez Zmayhem that has several aisles of British import treats. Doubtless not as many as at the San Carlos store Karl pointed you to, but I thought I'd mention it anyhow, it being so local and all.
