The Hub

Its a strange talent!

2012-02-28T03:33:00.003-08:00

Recently we've been getting a bit of a reputation! You see we've developed a bit of a talent in The Hub, for being able to feel through the blind bags of collectable figures and know, or rather be 99.9% sure of whats inside.

LEGO Minifigures Series 6

In particular this strange talent lends itself very well to the current series 6 of LEGO minifigures. We've lost count of the number of delighted kids who've left our shop overjoyed when we've felt through the bag and sought out Lady Liberty or the Robot to help them finish off their collection. We're even getting feedback on The Hub Facebook page calling us "a true minifigure identifying genius"!

Just in case we don't always get it right we have a little back-up plan. We've set up a LEGO Minifigure Trading post using one of the fantastic LEGO Minfigure Display Cases we sell. It has pride of place on our counter and kids can come in and trade the current series if they want to get a particular character. However, with our new found talent, it's not always needed!

Busman's Holiday

2012-02-12T09:49:00.001-08:00

Today The Hub Team have utilised the half-term break to head down to Blackpool to see one of our main suppliers. The idea is to get ahead of things and get our Christmas order organised well in advance. We set off this morning full of promises of sea views and a challenge to go to the top of Blackpool Tower (not easy when one of the main members of them team suffers from vertigo). However, upon arrival we've been greeted with the thickest pea soup we've ever seen and a view from the room overlooking the car park.
Unperturbed we've had fun messing about in the hotel swimming pool and have plans for a seaside walk after dinner (even if we can't see the sea). Tomorrow we're all hoping it will brighten up and our two wee elves are looking forward to helping select Santa's top picks for 2012.

Whatever you are doing this half-term we hope it doesn't involve too much work & you get the chance to enjoy some of the holiday!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Hilton Blackpool

LEGO VIP Launch Event

2012-01-18T05:38:00.000-08:00

As many of you will know we had a wee family holiday over the Christmas period heading off to sunnier climbs in Orlando, Florida. Whilst we were away we really enjoyed the superb customer service offered by the various theme parks, restaurants and shops.

This experience has really inspired us and we've made a number of changes straight away to our own business. This has started with us organising our own wee "Thank You" event for our customers that have supported us over the past 20 months as we've expanded and grown. On the 11th January we announced our first ever LEGO VIP event on Facebook and were delighted when the event sold out in less than 24hrs!

On the 15th January we held our first invitation only LEGO VIP Event - with a resounding success! Invitees got the chance to have hands on experience with some of the new LEGO sets, including LEGO Dino, LEGO Friends and LEGO Super Heroes. Jake (chief toytester and No1 son) was in charge of the Ninjago demonstration area and delighted in showing everyone how to get the most out of the new green LEGO Ninjago spinners & booster packs. We also has some competitions to win some great LEGO goodies and of course everyone left with a wee goodie bag to say thanks for coming!

We had a fantastic day, and feedback so far shows that everyone who made it along had a great time (although we really do need more space). It's spurred us on to do more of this kind of thing and keep changing and growing the products & services we offer. It's also shown us that you never know where the next spark of inspiration will come from!

We want to make sure that you are delighted with your experience when you shop at The Hub, whether in-store or online. So give us your feedback here, on our facebook page, on twitter or next time you are in store so we can keep giving you a local shop with customer service you love!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2012-01-14T06:53:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first post of 2012! Happy New Year to everyone who reads our wee blog!

It's been the busiest Festive Season yet, and we had a marvellous time down at The Hub helping Santa to deliver all the finest toys and celebrating with the people of Dunblane. It's hard to believe but later on this month we'll be heading off to the Toy Fair in London to start planning Christmas 2012!

To kick start the New Year we have some fantastic new ranges in store, including the latest designs from LEGO. Their new play themes for 2012 include LEGO Dino, LEGO Super Heroes and LEGO Friends (girlie LEGO at long last!). We also have new designs in existing themes including LEGO Star Wars, LEGO City, LEGO Creator & LEGO Duplo!

We've also got some great new themes in the Top Model range including Create your Fantasy Top Model & Design your own T-shirt. The "Horses Dreams" range, also from Depesche, has been expanded to include some gorgeous new pens & pencils as well as lovely new stationery sets. As ever this is a beautiful range, perfect for birthday gifts and treats with prices starting at just £1.35.

We're also expecting delivery of the latest collectables "Trashies" and "Bungees" any day now! So there are lots of exciting new things to see in the shop for 2012.

Over the next year we'll be looking at expanding our existing toy & collectable ranges including growing our selection of baby toys. We'll also be adding more gift wrap and card options over the year as well as expanding our gift voucher options. It looks set to be an exciting time, but as ever we love getting your feedback on how we can provide the products and services you want to see. Let us know on our Facebook page what other things you would like to see added to The Hub over 2012...

TOY TESTER REVIEW - Iball 3

2011-12-19T05:47:00.000-08:00

Ruby has been fantastic at testing some of the best toys available from The Hub and creating incredible You Tube vidoes to help bring those toys to life! This month we asked her to try out The Gadget Show's No1 toy for 2011 - The Iball3! Here's what she had to say:

Toy Tested - Iball 3 - £16.99

PLAY VALUE how much fun is the toy?

I am getting loads of fun from this Toy, and so is everyone else who has tried it. You can play with it just about anywhere and also while you are doing other stuff like watching telly or listening to music. It is good for car journeys and it is fun to help another person when they are playing. I play this all the time as I am really trying to pass level 2. The only thing is dont start playing just before you are to go to sleep, as you wont be able to put it down.

Play Value Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

LONGEVITY – Is the toy a one-off or will you play with it lots?

This toy will keep you hooked for ages, and everyone else in the house. The idea is simple so you can pick it up and play at any time and play for as long or little as you want. You can put it on silent and play it on trains or waiting rooms. There are spare batteries included, which will make it last longer.

Longevity Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

PACKAGING – How easy was the packaging to remove? Is there too much packaging? Is it eco-friendly?

The iBall just came in a carboard box which was easy to recycle

PACKAGING Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

BUILD QUALITY – Will the toy last? Is it built well?

The iBall is made of really tough plastic and comes with its own stand, I have dropped it a few times and it has survived fine!

BUILD QUALITY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

VALUE FOR MONEY - Looking at the price above, do you think it is value for money?

I think this is excellent value for money, as it will keep everyone in the family entertained for hours and hours. It would be a really fun challenge to do over Christmastime. The spare batteries are good as you wont have to pay for more when the first ones run out.

VALUE FOR MONEY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

OVERALL IMPRESSION – Are there any other comments you would like to make about this toy?

Really good fun, but can be very frustrating! Is so addictive you will be dreaming about it. Think this will be the new craze.

OVERALL IMPRESSION Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

Ruby has been a fantastic toy-tester and we'd love to thank her for all her hard work over the past few months. In particular she's produced some excellent videos to really help you see how the toys work when being played with. We've loved watching them and reading all her reviews and hope to bring her back for some guest appearances in the future as we discover more great toys at The Hub!

TOY TESTER REVIEW - LEGO Star Wars Watches

2011-12-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

As the last month for toy testing approached we wanted to make sure that each Toy Tester tried out something really fantastic that will give them long-term fun! We knew that Archie was a HUGE fan of LEGO, but wanted him to try something LEGO based, but with a twist, so the LEGO Star Wars Watch seemed like the perfect thing! We chose the R2D2 watch for him to try out last week (we also have a LEGO Star Wars Stormtrooper design available). Here's how he got on....

LEGO Star Wars R2D2 Watch - £16.99

Toy Tested: LEGO Star Wars R2D2 Watch - £16.99

PLAY VALUE - how much fun is the toy?

You can change the strap and switch the edges of the face. You have also got a choice of colours for the edge of the face. For a watch it is lots of fun. The R2D2 figure is an added bonus and adds to the amount of fun you can have. As well as having fun it will help me to improve my timekeeping and my telling the time skills!

Play Value- out of 10 (10 being top): 10

LONGEVITY – Is the toy a one-off or will you play with it lots?

I really like looking at my watch and so do all my friends! I will put it on my wrist every day and expect to until I grow out of it (this won't be for a while because I still have lots of spare links for the watch strap.) I will also love switching the colours on the strap.

Longevity - out of 10 (10 being top): 10

PACKAGING – How easy was the packaging to remove? Is there too much packaging? Is it eco-friendly?

I am in an eco school so I am quite good at answering this question! The packaging was very easy to remove. The cardboard box is easy to recycle. Although there is a plastic box it is very useful for keeping the spare links and watch in so you do not need to throw it away.

PACKAGING - out of 10 (10 being top): 9

BUILD QUALITY – Will the toy last? Is it built well?

I think the toy will last an awful long time. Once I had got the hang of how to put the links together it was easy for me to do myself - the instructions tell you clearly how to do this. I just needed a little bit of help to get the strap the right size for my wrist. You can put the R2D2 figure on the watch which is great but I don't do this at school as I would be a bit scared of losing the figure as I think it would be easy to knock off.

BUILD QUALITY - out of 10 (10 being top): 9

VALUE FOR MONEY - Looking at the price above, do you think it is value for money?

The watch costs £16.99 so I would have to save up my pocket money for it but I definitely think it would be worth it.

VALUE FOR MONEY - out of 10 (10 being top): 9

OVERALL IMPRESSION – Are there any other comments you would like to make about this toy?:

I would recommend this watch to lots of my friends as I think it is really cool and you can do lots of things with it. You will look at it so much you will never be late for anything again and you will be great at telling the time.

OVERALL IMPRESSION - out of 10 (10 being top): 10

Archie has worked hard for us over the last 3 months testing a variety of Toys & Games. You can find all of the toys he's tested on our website, and be confident that you are picking toys & gifts that real kids will really love. We've enjoyed reading all his reviews and want to send a huge thanks to him from The Hub! Merry Christmas Archie!

Must-Have Christmas Gift Guide

2011-11-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

IT’S CHRISTMAS!!!!!!! This means one thing for all the good little boys and good little girls – Must-Have Toys! For Parents and Grandparents it can be a minefield trying to work out what our kids will want each year, and inevitably whatever they tell us, many will have a last minute change of mind on Christmas Eve.

At The Hub we’ve been listening to the local children all year long about what their favourites are and have a great range of big brand toys, including LEGO, YooHoo & Friends, Moshi Monsters, Top Model and much, much more. We’ve even got our Toy Testers (Archie & Ruby) involved in reviewing the toys we sell and link to these reviews online...so you can find the toys children really love.

We’ve updated our Top Toys Christmas list to show the toys available now, and the ones due to be released in the next week or so....

Boys Toys

1. Harry Potter Monster Book of Monsters - £26.99
2. LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon - £132.99
3. LEGO Star Wars Anakin Skywalker & Sebulba’s Podracers – £81.99
4. Pokemon Christmas Tins - £12.99
5. Iball 3 - £16.99

Girls Toys

1. Lite Sprites Prisma & Wand - £29.99
2. Xia-Xia Pets (due in 8th December)– Prices from £9.99
3. Moshi Monsters Moshling Treehouse - £19.99
4. Top Model Make Up Model - £11.99
5. Milky the Bunny - £59.95

Top Family Games

1. Pass the Pud– £14.99
2. Cars 2 Frustration - £15.99
3. Bananagrams – £14.99
4. LEGO Creationary – £24.99
5. Dobble - £12.99

Sensational Stocking Fillers

1. Moshi Monsters Gold Tins- £9.99
2. YooHoo & Friends Christmas Wannabe's & Keychains - from £3.99
3. LEGO Minifigures - £1.99
4. LEGO Star Wars Darth Vader Keylight - £6.99
5. Arctic Force Snow Fort Maker - £3.99

At The Hub we have Christmas all Wrapped Up – with our fantastic online ordering service at www.thehubdirect.co.uk , you can choose to have pressies delivered straight to your door, or arrange to pick up your order with our Free Collect At Store Service...we’ll even gift-wrap it for you if you want the ultimate stress free festive season!

That’s not all – we try to cater for the whole family at Christmas, and as well as some cool gifts for mum & dad, such as the Motormouse Wireless Mouse, we can also provide all your wines for the festive season from our varied selection of Independent Wines. We have specially selected Christmas Cases, available to view online at www.thewinehub.co.uk , as well as free local delivery when you order 6 or more bottles.

So that’s The Hub Christmas All Wrapped Up for you, in one convenient independent local store!

TOY TESTER REVIEW - LEGO Games Banana Balance

2011-11-23T09:14:00.000-08:00

As we know, Christmas provides the opportunity for the whole family to get together. Almost as traditional as the turkey itself, families gather after Christmas Lunch to try out the latest games. LEGO have created some fantastic games this year and Banana Balance is reputed to be one of the best for beginners. Archie, one of our Toy Testers agreed to try out with his younger brother to check that it really is as good as we think.

LEGO Games Banana Balance - £7.99

PLAY VALUE - how much fun is the game?

It was good because I can play it with my whole family, including my little six year old brother.

There are different ways of playing the game which is good and keeps you interested. You can even make your own rules up!

Play Value Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 8

LONGEVITY – Is the toy a one off or will you play with it lots?

The game can last a very short time to a very long time. You will have to be a very skilled person to win this game! But it is a good bit of family entertainment.

Longevity Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

PACKAGING – How easy was the packaging to remove? Is there too much packaging? Is it eco-friendly?

There were only two bags in the box so it wasn\'t that bad.But they could have put cardboard boxes instead of plastic bags. They could have also provided a cloth bag to keep the bananas in because they are VERY SMALL!!

PACKAGING Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

BUILD QUALITY – Will the toy last? Is it built well?

I didn't need any help building this one. But it is quite hard getting all the bits of the tree in the right place. You can change how you build the tree though. The tree does fall over very easily which means my little brother gets frustrated with it but it is part of the fun of the game.

BUILD QUALITY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 8

VALUE FOR MONEY - Looking at the price above, do you think it is value for money?

I think it is a very good price at £7.99. My Mum says it would be a great present for birthday parties.

VALUE FOR MONEY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

OVERALL IMPRESSION – Are there any other comments you would like to make about this toy?

IT IS ALL VERY GOOD!!!!

OVERALL IMPRESSION Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

Banana Balance is just one in a whole series of different games produced by LEGO. With prices starting at just £7.99 there is a varied range to suit all budgets and ages. Our website shows some of the games we have in stock at The Hub, and we're pleased to say that looking at the January preview of new LEGO Games for 2012 the fun will keep on coming!

The Toy Testers will soon be getting their December toys to review, so check back soon for more reviews.

TOY TESTER REVIEW: Banangrams

2011-11-22T09:33:00.000-08:00

We'd heard a lot about the game "Bananagrams", but wanted to know for sure that it was a great toy...so what better way to find out than to get our Toy Tester Ruby to try it out during November. She's created the most amazing Youtube review, as well as the written one below. Be sure to pause the video when she tells you to :)

Bananagrams - £14.99

PLAY VALUE how much fun is the toy?

I think this Toy is really good fun, but I have to say my Mum really enjoyed it. She is a Librarian and loves Scrabble. I thought it was better than Scrabble though as you have other options, you make your own grid, so do not have to wait to see what the other players word is. You can also get other letters as you need them. It is good that you can take it anywhere as it is in a cute Banana pencil case, and just like Scrabble you can make your own rules if you want.

Play Value Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

LONGEVITY – Is the toy a one off or will you play with it lots?

I have played this several times in the last week. I usually just play one game at a time though. This toy is really good for any child or adult as long as you are old enough to spell! As it is similar to Scrabble it will last for ever, and there is several different ways you can play this game.

Longevity Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

PACKAGING – How easy was the packaging to remove? Is there too much packaging? Is it eco-friendly?

There was no packaging on this toy. It comes in a cloth pencil case which holds the tiles. Very eco-friendly!

PACKAGING Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

BUILD QUALITY – Will the toy last? Is it built well?

The toy is very well made. Strong plastic scrabble tiles and a sturdy cloth pencil case to keep them in. There was a sheet of instructions in the case, which I read and understood. The game is easy to understand after one try.

BUILD QUALITY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

VALUE FOR MONEY - Do you think the game is good value for money?

I think this is good value for money, as you will keep it for years and years and the whole family can enjoy it.

VALUE FOR MONEY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

OVERALL IMPRESSION – Are there any other comments you would like to make about this toy?

This is good for either a boy or girl. It is also good to take on holiday or visiting people. It is a game that you have to think about though, and you need to be good at spelling! A good christmas gift for either adults or children.

OVERALL IMPRESSION Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

Games are so popular all year round, but particularly at Christmas and after reading this review we know it's a must-have for families. We're in the process of adding all our Games & Toys onto our website, but in the meantime you can contact us directly via our Facebook page to order.

Halloween Horror

2011-10-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick run down of some of our favourite Horror movies at The Hub. Perfect viewing for the weekend before Halloween to get us in the mood! New or old...these are some of the best we've seen to send a shiver down your spine or have you cowering behind a cushion....

Have a fright night in this month with our selection of the best horror movies around!

The Hole (12)

From the director of Gremlins this is a great family friendly adventure that explores the fears and secrets of kids. It tells the story of two brothers who discover a bottomless hole in their basement shortly after moving to a new home. With strange shadows around every corner and nightmares coming true can they face their darkest fears and face the evil unleashed from The Hole. A great story, which is genuinely creepy for all watching, so keep the cushions handy!

Paranormal Activity (15)

The first in the series, Paranormal Activity is the story of a carefree couple who try to capture evidence of a demonic presence in their house after experiencing strange phenomenon. Simple story line which is well acted and certainly left us sleeping with the lights on.

Triangle (15)

Melissa George (Jess) is fast becoming the queen of the horror movie. Triangle tells the story of a group of friends who are enjoying a day out when their yacht is hit with a sudden storm. They board a liner believing they are safe, to find it deserted....or is it? Only Jess holds the key to end the terror. A great premise for a horror movie that really makes you think...and jump!

30 Days of Night (18)

A remote town in Alaska is plunged into darkness for 30 days every winter. It is besieged by a group of marauding merciless and bloodthirsty vampires who plan to feast uninterrupted on its helpless residents. This is a great gory film, which will have you hiding behind a cushion as you watch.

SAW (18)

The original and the best in this series of films – SAW introduced the Jigsaw Killer, a maniac who uses elaborate traps to test his victim’s dedication to life. A must see for horror fans everywhere.

Mother's Day (18)

An intensely gruesome horror where a couple and their friends are taken hostage in their new home by it's previous occupants. The sadistic, bloodthirsty family are on the run following a bank robbery gone wrong and the matriarch (Rebecca De Morney) has a taste for terror and extreme torture. Gruesomely gory!

Whatever you get up to over the weekend, have a Happy Halloween, from all at The Hub!

TOY TESTER REVIEW - Monster High Fashion Sketch Portfolio

2011-10-25T04:01:00.000-07:00

We're delighted to publish our second Toy Tester Review of the month - this time from winner Ruby Ginoris (10). We asked her to try out the Monster High Fashion Sketch Portfolio (£9.99), one of our top tips for a great birthday present for a girl aged 8+. One of the things that impressed us about Ruby's application was her use of YouTube, and she's created a special YouTube video review for us (just click the link). You can also read her comments below. :

Monster High Fashion Sketch Portfolio - £9.99

PLAY VALUE - how much fun is the toy?

I think the idea of the sketch pad is really good, as it is more than just colouring in an outline, you can choose exactly what clothes you would like for your doll design. I enjoyed coming up with lots of cool and crazy outfits for the monsters, it is relaxing to do on a rainy day especially in caravan in Blackpool.

Play Value Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 8

LONGEVITY – is the toy a one off or will you play with it lots?

I immediately designed 3 dolls outfits and enjoyed it. I have since been back and added more a few times. There are loads of pages to fill so it could last quite along time, but I suppose eventually it will be full, I think it is just for immediate fun not years.

Longevity Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 5

PACKAGING – How easy was the packaging to remove? Is there too much packaging? Is it eco-friendly?

There was only a little plastic seal round it. The book is made of cardboard and paper so could eventually be recycled, so really quite eco-friendly

PACKAGING Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

BUILD QUALITY – Will the toy last? Is it built well?

This toy is not really designed to last forever but it is bound well and would not fall apart. I could work out exactly what to do myself from the instructions, but it was obvious what to do from the cover of the sketch pad.

BUILD QUALITY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

VALUE FOR MONEY - Do you think the toy is good value for money?

I think £9.99 was good value for money. I would have to save up if I wanted to buy it myself, but I think it would make and ideal birthday or Christmas present for a friend.

VALUE FOR MONEY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 8

OVERALL IMPRESSION – Are there any other comments you would like to make about this toy?

I think the Fashion sketch portfolio is good fun. It does require some concentration though and you need to enjoy creative things in the first place. It would be good if some pencils or pens were also included.

OVERALL IMPRESSION Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

You can view some of our toy range online at www.thehubdirect.co.uk or email us for more information if you can't find the specific toy you need. Our November reviews will follow soon.....

TOY TESTER REVIEW - LEGO City Space Shuttle 3367

2011-10-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

At The Hub we recently ran a competition to get some Toy Testers on board and give us real reviews from real children on real toys. We do not alter their reviews in anyway - so here is the first review from our Toy Tester Archie MacKechnie, who was given the LEGO City Space Shuttle (3367) worth £26.99 to test during the month of October. Here's what he thought of it....

LEGO City Space Shuttle - £26.99

PLAY VALUE - how much fun is the toy?

I've had lots of fun with the Lego City Space Shuttle. The shuttle would be a great addition to the Lego Airport. Although I don't have the airport I enjoyed making my own NASA space station out of mixed up Lego.

Play Value Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

LONGEVITY – Is the toy a one off or will you play with it lots?

I have played with it every day since I got it. I pretended putting the satellite into space for the weather forecast. I made up lots of fun games to play with the Shuttle. It comes with one figure but you can add other figures. (I bought mine at the Hub of course!)

Longevity Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 9

PACKAGING – How easy was the packaging to remove? Is there too much packaging? Is it eco-friendly?

There are some good, easy ways to open the box. There were four plastic bags in the cardboard box. It is great that Lego divide the pieces into bags but to be more eco-friendly they could use cardboard boxes

PACKAGING Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 7

BUILD QUALITY – Will the toy last & is it built well?

The Shuttle is very stable. My Lego plane is nowhere near as stable.It was quite easy to build. It took me 75 minutes to build it all by myself.

BUILD QUALITY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

VALUE FOR MONEY - Do you think the toy is good value for money?

It is quite a good price at £26.99. Not a pocket money price (without saving for weeks).

VALUE FOR MONEY Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 8

OVERALL IMPRESSION – Are there any other comments you would like to make about this toy?

Suggestion for all Lego products, maybe put a tool in the set to get off pieces of Lego, to save me breaking my teeth or swallowing pieces! (Like the ones you get in Lego games)

OVERALL IMPRESSION Marks out of 10 (10 being top): 10

The Extra Mile....

2011-10-05T03:01:00.000-07:00

As Autumn takes hold and rumours start about snow this winter, a shiver runs down my spine as I think of the freezing cold temperatures we faced last year. It was our first Christmas and a big test to us (and other retailers) as the online companies stopped sending out parcels to customers in Scotland, and obviously our stock struggled to arrive!

We did the best we could under the circumstances, shoveling snow from the front of the shop to allow people access, spreading what little grit we had around to make sure that people wouldn't slip and generally trying to remain cheery about it all. One of the main things that really impressed me was how all the little local independent shops got together to make sure that our customers could still get the things they needed. Whether bread, milk, veggies, meat or indeed toys & wine! We all pulled together to deliver what we could in whatever 4x4 vehicles were available (the gadgetman still remembers delivering a very heavy load of bird-seed to one elderly resident).

This is the difference between us, and some of the larger organisations out there. By the very nature of the fact that we are smaller, we are face-to-face with all of our customers and often go the extra mile to help them out.

This year we are planning ahead for "the extra mile", including getting our Christmas stock into the shop earlier, offering additional products such as gift-wrap and trying to take the hassle out of Seasonal Shopping with our new online order & free collect at store service. Of course we are also working really hard to know what will be at the top of every child's wish-list for Santa this year (we'll be writing our guide soon), and making sure that we know all of the toys we sell inside out to give you the best advice we can when you are choosing those all important gifts!

Of course, in case there is another flurry of snow, we've also stocked up on our own grit and snow shovels...so no matter what we'll be here for you and carry on going that extra mile!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2011-09-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

We've just realised that its been sooooooo long since our last blog - almost a month! We have to hold our hands up and say that the only excuse we have is that we have been barmily busy over the past few weeks.

As well as being busy though, we have been very productive. I think there is a big difference between being busy, and actually getting things done! Over the past few weeks we've been scouring the UK for new and exciting products. We've found the fantastic YooHoo & Friends range that have just been introduced in store in The Hub (they aren't on our website yet, but watch this space). This cute, cuddly collectable range is the premier range of cuddly toys, sold in the UK. YooHoo is the main character (a bush baby) and has lots of friends, based on animals from around the world.

YooHoo & Friends, prices start from £3.99

With busy parents in mind, we are also introducing a stunning new range of gift wrap - perfect to wrap up birthday pressies for kids of all ages. The designs will feature children's favourite characters including The Muppets, Mr Men, Hello Kitty and Dennis the Menace.

Still on the theme of busy parents, we've added a collect at store function to our website, meaning you can order gifts and we'll keep them to one side for you until you are ready to pick them up at your convenience. Perfect for the Christmas period, you'll be able to make sure you get your hands on the must-have pressies and keep them away from prying eyes! We also hope to add a gift wrap service to our pre-ordered items helping to eliminate more stress for you around birthdays and Christmas time!

We've also been busy with our Toy Tester Competition. Entries have been flooding in, but the competition doesn't close until the end of this month so there is still time if you haven't entered yet. Together with our Team of Toy Testers, we'll be offering you time-saving advice on all the best products to buy this Christmas, with real reviews, from real kids on some of the top toys we'll have available. The reviews will be available here and on our Facebook Page so keep checking back for more news!

So that's all for now - a busy time, and even busier times ahead....but very productive and oh so much fun!

Back to Normal!

2011-08-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

Phew! By now most if not all of the kids (in Scotland anyway) are back to School - and we have made it! The summer holidays are over and normality can resume!

We know that this is the time of year that cool collectables are brought to the attention of all kids - and parents - with cries of "But Mum, EVERYONE has one".

Whilst these "crazes" seem to come from nowhere, and may appear to be a bit of a headache at times, they can in fact offer some great learning opportunities for kids. According to UKMums.tv kids learn great developmental skills including building social skills and developing a creative mind. We've also found as parents that they can be a great tool in negotiating the fast completion of chores & homework!

Lego Minifigures Series 5 £1.99

At The Hub in Dunblane High Street we aim to offer you a fantastic selection of pocket money collectables with the benefit of local convenience and a great understanding of the ranges available. This month we've already seen the release of LEGO Minifigures Series 5, Ickee Stickeez and Star Wars Force Attax. In September we look forward to new series releases from Match Attax and Deadly 60, as well as new products Bumpeez and Heroes.

Moshi Monsters Moshlings Foil Pack £1.99

Moshi Monsters is still top of the collectable list as well, with us stocking up on existing collectables such as stickers, mash-up cards & moshlings. There will also be new watches, collectable tins and calendars for 2012 coming soon.

If you want to know more about the latest collectables you can view our website at www.thehubdirect.co.uk where the hottest items are available for pre-order to make sure your wee ones don't miss out!

If you want to earn extra cool bonus points from the kids, "like" us on Facebook and be the first to find out when their favourite craze is hitting our shelves!

OUR TOYS NEED YOU!

2011-08-01T04:19:00.000-07:00

Do you and your kids LOVE LEGO, are you Moshi Monster MAD, can you tell your Moshlings from your Puffles and know just what the latest collectable craze is? Well if so we have the job for you....

The Hub are delighted to announce that we have an opening for a child's Ultimate Dream Job - Toy Tester! We are looking for a child (or maybe even a couple of children) to test some of the toys we're selling online and in our Dunblane High Street store!

Christmas is going to come early for the lucky winner, who will get to keep the toys they will be testing. All they have to do is let us know what they think of them, and we will publish their reviews on our blog and website!

Our key brands which may need to be tested, include LEGO, Moshi Monsters, Star Wars, Club Penguin, Mega-Bloks and more.....

The competition is open now to children aged between 4 and 14, and the form is available in-store or online. Applications must be submitted by October 1st, terms & conditions apply.

Good Luck!

Make Space to Play!

2011-07-19T14:14:00.000-07:00

Our shop window displays are definitely working! We've lost count of the number of kids that come to an immediate stop when they see the latest toy or collectable on display. The sudden halt practically tripping their parents up in the process. However, as the tourist season grows, we've also noticed a bit of confusion from visitors when they come into the shop and are met with a wall of DVD's (as part of our movie rental business).

We've also built up a good supply of some great toy & collectable ranges, from LEGO to Moshi Monsters, Club Penguin to Gogo's - offering more of this kind of product range every week. As we're so close to the business it's taken us a little while to step back and look at our shop from a customers point of view. We've realised that our layout and flow around the shop hasn't really moved as we've made changes to the business...so it's been a busy time thinking about how we can improve things for everyone.

As a result we've spent the last few weeks looking into shelving, working out how we can display things in an easier way, and getting on with some general housekeeping in store. Last week we put our plan in to action and are pleased with the results.

We've had some troubles during our re-fit, including suddenly realising at almost midnight that we've mis-calculated the number of shelves needed, resulting in a mad-dash to the suppliers the next day for more. However, feedback on the changes has been really positive, in particular our customers loving how easy it is to see all we have to offer, and finding everything they want to hand, be it movies, games, toys, sweets or wine. The best moment though has been seeing our youngest customers manage to find exactly the right toy without getting drenched outside in the good old Scottish Summer weather!

So now that most of our changes are completed, for the moment anyway, now's a great time to come into store and see the products and services we have available. If you're a bit too far away or want to see what we have without leaving your home we've created movie, wine & toy websites to help you...which don't need re-fitting thankfully!

LEGO - Worth the wait!

2011-07-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

Our son was the one who asked if we could stock "Club Penguin Cards" and "Gogo's Crazy Bones" when we opened in 2010. As parents who were fed up travelling to Stirling or Bridge of Allan everytime the kids wanted to spend their pocket money, we thought "Why not!".

At that time we also requested an account with LEGO, thinking that mini-figures would be great for the shop. They politely added us to their waiting list, explaining that it would take some time before someone contacted us. Being new to the industry we didn't appreciate just quite how long the list was and the wait would be.

By Christmas 2010 our toys & collectables ranges had really taken off, and whilst we still didn't have a LEGO account, we were determined to have a representative of their range in store. As a result we found the LEGO electrical range we now stock as well as some alternative buildable character ranges.

LEGO Keylight - £5.49

We visited Toy Fair London in January and were wowed on the LEGO stand. Their range of toys & games show exactly why they have been named as "Toy of the Century" not once, but twice. So, you can imagine our delight when they got in touch with us in May to begin discussions about a potential account. We explained our business, and how parents & children in Dunblane were loving the branded toys we had to offer. Unfortunately though they decided that for a variety of reasons the timing wasn't right to open an account for us.

We were devastated. In a last ditch attempt that would either see them run a mile from us, or agree to open the account, we sent them an impassioned e-mail. In it we explained how loyal the community was to local independent retailers, how we believed that LEGO was a great brand not freely available in the area and how children continued to ask for it from their "favourite local shop". In the next few weeks we forgot about it, and moved on to look at other brands when, out of the blue, we received a phone call from a Senior Director. They told us that they loved our response and would be delighted to have us stocking their range.

LEGO Games Harry Potter Hogwarts - £24.99

So here we are, a few weeks down the line and anticipating the imminent arrival of our first order. We're aiming to have a good representation of their range, focusing on toys and games under £30 initially and including play themes such as Duplo, LEGO Harry Potter, LEGO Games, LEGO City to name a few. We've also taken a leap of faith as to how popular it will be and pre-ordered amongst other things, some LEGO Advent Calendars (difficult to believe that we are planning Christmas orders).

LEGO City Advent Calendar - £17.99

We are certain that people are going to love being able to get the LEGO range at The Hub, and are in the process of adding the new products to our website to allow people the chance to order online, or collect in store. We also hope to have some exciting news in the next few weeks about a big promotion to be held soon. So watch this space...it will be worth the wait!

Independent Choice

2011-07-05T03:29:00.000-07:00

We've been reading about the decline of the British High Street in the newspapers for some time now. As a family who have a local business we feel that it's important that we put our money where our mouth is, so have been really focusing over the past few months on using the local independents we have around us and do our bit for the local economy.

I'm delighted to say the upshot is that we have met some fantastic local business people who are so passionate and knowledgeable about the products they sell. Don't get me wrong, the people who work in the supermarkets around the area are nice, but they can never have the enthusiasm for customer service that we've experienced at our butcher or grocer. Their knowledge centres not just on the products themselves, but also on you as a customer, getting to know your likes and dislikes and being able to recommend different things for you to try.

Another unexpected benefit has been a reduction in our household waste! As we are no longer seduced by the "buy 1 get 1 free" offers frequently seen in supermarkets, we are learning to buy just what we need for that day or week. This is giving us better tasting, fresher produce, saving us money and reducing the packaging & food waste we generate.

Sadly high streets throughout the UK are showing a decline in independent businesses as a result of growing competition from supermarkets, big high street brands and online shopping. However research by the New Economic Foundation found "that every £1 spent with a local supplier is worth £1.76 to the local economy, and only 36 pence if it is spent out of the area. That makes £1 spent locally worth almost 400 per cent more". So keeping it local can really make a difference to the local economy!

July is Independent Retailer Month, where people are encouraged to vote with their feet if they want to save their local high street and shop locally. Now this doesn't mean that we instantly stop using other big brand organisations, but just pause and think about each purchase we make from those big brands, and the difference it would make if we obtained it from a local business instead.

So this month we'll be continuing to use the local supermarket for some of our shopping, but we'll also be choosing to buy from the local butcher, grocer & newsagent that we are lucky enough to have in our town. So join us in celebrating all that is great about our local high street this month and making sure that these great businesses stay on our door-steps!

Online At Last!

2011-06-21T07:17:00.000-07:00

We've been toying (excuse the pun) with the idea of a website for some time now. We've looked at having professionally designed sites from large UK based companies, local website design businesses as well as off-the-shelf packages from a variety of different online companies. At first we set our goal really high, wanting a major launch with all singing and dancing features on it. We contacted a fantastic company in The Midlands, who gave us a snapshot of exactly what we wanted, albeit at a price that reflected all the extras we'd requested. When we sat back and really thought about it though, we realised that we needed to test the market first, making sure that a fully e-commerce website is the way forward for us. The online side of our business is relatively new to us and we want to be able to have gradual learning process, rather than the steep curve that hit us when we opened the high street shop last year.

Image is important to us and we need a strong website, that reflects our professional family oriented business. However as a new company we really have to keep an eye on cash flow, so a low-cost solution is essential. After much review we have opted for a create-your-own site from the aptly named create that our resident Gadgetman, Gerard, has been getting to grips with over the past few months.

We are delighted to announce that we've now published the first version of our site - available to view at www.thehubdirect.co.uk. As with all of the elements of our business, it is a work in progress, that we will continue to grow and develop over time. However, we think as a first attempt, dipping our toe in the water, rather than leaping head first, it's a pretty good site. Of course we can't progress it without your help...so please give us your feedback here and let us know which products you would like to see available online!

Fabulous Fathers!

2011-06-14T02:00:00.000-07:00

Well we can't let this week go by without mentioning the fact that it's Father's Day on Sunday (19th June). I don't know about you but I always find this day the hardest one to find a suitable gift for. With mother's day it's always easy, flowers, chocolates, perfume, books all spring instantly to mind. However, when it comes to Father's Day I often struggle coming up with a gift idea that's novel without being tacky - there's only so many "bottle of wine in a glass" glasses each household needs!

Of course, like many other mums out there, I have the added problem that our children are still quite young, so not only do I have my dad to think of, but also my husband!!!! Double Trouble!

So this year we've put together a few ideas on our Facebook Page to help you (and me) out. From Wallet Sized bottle openers in a clever little Father's Day pod.....

Fathers Day Pod including Wallet Bottle Opener £6.99

...to the ultimate combination of supercars and computers - the motormouse wireless mouse.

Motormouse Wireless Mouse available in Blue, Red & Black £29.99

If you are still struggling for ideas, we also have some fantastic films in that Dad is sure to love, why not add a bottle of wine and some popcorn too and give him exactly what he wants....the movie of his choice and full control of the TV remote!

Angus The Bull - The Perfect Wine for Steak

2011-06-10T03:34:00.000-07:00

As you know, at The Hub we like our exclusives! We try to extend this throughout our product range offering superb quality products that have a something unique about them. Our latest addition under this heading is Angus The Bull Cabernet Sauvignon, produced by the Aberdeen Wine Company (can't get more Scottish than that!).

Angus The Bull Cabernet Sauvignon £13.49

This incredible wine is the result of tireless work by Hamish MacGowan to produce the ultimate bottle of wine as an accompaniment to prime beef. He chose to work exclusively with Cabernet Sauvignon, hand selecting and blending the best parcels from outstanding wine regions in Australia, producing one vintage each year.

Currently The Hub is the only retailer in Scotland to sell this exceptional wine. The concentrated ripe fruits, integrated savoury oak and powerful finish make it the perfect wine to enjoy with Steak and BBQ'd meats. If you have a romantic night in planned, or are looking for a great gift for dad next Sunday look no further than Angus The Bull.

Blustery Days

2011-05-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

This week there really has been only one topic of conversation...the weather! What with the Gale Force Winds and the Ash Cloud....everything is very uncertain and unsettled at the moment!

Unfortunately this has resulted in a bit of damage to Dunblane High Street, forcing the road to be closed this evening. We found this out when a customer popped in to hire a film and commented on the closure signs, expecting us to know why it was shut. A reasonable expectation as one of the few businesses open later in the evening on the High Street. I duly ventured up the street to talk to one of the 3 hard hat wearing council officials hovering about two thirds of the way up the street.

They pointed out the damaged drain still attached (just) to the side of one of the buildings. Understandably the road has to be closed due to Health & Safety reasons (in my past life I was a Health & Safety officer, so I completely get why it's closed). What I don't "get", however is the lack of communication from our Council about what they are doing. When I suggested (politely, honestly) that maybe the council could have let us know as they closed the road, or even popped it on Facebook, I was met with a glare that could have turned me to stone, from the suited hard hat wearing council official! "It is on Facebook, I authorised that ages ago", snapped he....well Stirling Council (and I would love it if they did read this)...nope - it's not there! When enquiring further about how long it may be shut, the hostility hardened, I wasn't expecting a precise time to the minute, but as a trader i do have a vested interest in knowing!

It's not so much the fact that the road is closed, but that repeated attempts by us to communicate with our local council is met with such defensiveness and hostility. As a high street retailer is it really too much to expect to be informed of decisions that affect our business, even last minute unexpected ones! Facebook and Twitter are Social Networking sites that allow all businesses and individuals to communicate in an instant! This kind of technology should be embraced by groups such as local councils and utilised to get across unexpected events in particular! How long did it take me to update facebook informing our customers of the closure...minutes!

So there you have it - rant over! Normally I try to keep these things away from our company profile, but when it comes to such unaprochable behaviour from faceless organisations sometimes venting is the only way!

Moshi Monster Mania

2011-05-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

Each year there are certain crazes that hit school playgrounds out of nowhere, and for 2011 the unexpected runaway success has definitely been Moshi Monsters.

For those of you who haven't heard of this phenomenon...Moshi Monsters is an online game where you can adopt and look after a little monster (there are 6 different types to choose from). You can then accompany them around Monstro City making friends, playing games to collect "rox" (moshi currency) and buying seeds to plant to attract "moshlings" (moshi-monster pets).

Moshi Monsters Mash-Up Trading Cards, 75p

As described in this article in The Guardian newspaper the craze that is Moshi Monsters is no longer limited to the online game. Mind Candy have seized the moment and created toys and collectables to amuse children of all ages. We've seen tremendous demand in the shop from boys and girls for the Mash-Up Trading Cards and Starter Packs. Moshi Monster Clubs have also been springing up at the local schools, with kids getting involved in writing guidelines for responsible trading, to make sure even the youngest moshi fan can join in.

Back in February we got supply of little collectable characters, called Moshlings. These were available in blister packs and foil bags and were an overnight hit with local kids who saved up their pocket money to put towards these treats. However, the success of this game and the associated products have taken the Toy Industry by storm...and almost as soon as we had introduced these little guys, supply dried up nationwide. It's been a long few months for young collectors, but we are delighted to say that they are finally back and we expect to receive our first order of foil pack moshlings tomorrow (Thursday 19th).

Moshi Monsters Moshlings Foil Pack, £1.99

Together with the Moshling Foil Packs we have also managed to source more of the Talking Moshi Monsters. These large plush creatures each chatter away and giggle in Moshi when you squeeze their tummies, they come in the 6 different Moshi-Monster designs - Katsuma, Luvli, Zommer, Diavlo, Furi and Poppet.

Talking Moshi Monster Plush Toy, £14.99

If you have a moshi-fan in your house and haven't had a shot yet, why not give some of the puzzles and games a go with your child. They really do teach the kids who are playing it something, and are lots of fun. You'll also be delighted to know, that with the great range of products available, it shouldn't be too difficult to encourage them away from the computer screen to help with a chore or two to ensure that pocket money is well and truly earned!

The King's Speech and Movie Mayhem

2011-05-17T06:24:00.000-07:00

We've had The Hub now for over a year and I have never before seen such an incredible response to a film. On Monday last week at 9.30am we had a customer waiting outside the shop desperate to rent "The King's Speech" as soon as it hit our shelves.

Winner of 4 Academy Awards (including best picture & best actor), and 7 BAFTA's (including best film and best actor), The King's Speech tells the story of King George VI who is suddenly thrust into the public limelight following the abdication of his brother King Edward VIII.

Screenwriter David Seidler started research on the story in the late 1970's and early 1980's. It's based on true events and thus Seidler found it easy to gather information about the King, but struggled with his research on speech therapist Lionel Lougue. In the end he contacted Dr Valentine Lougue, who agreed to discuss his father and make the relevant notebooks available if the Queen Mother agreed. She did give permission, but requested it not to be in her lifetime, so the project was halted until 2006.

Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter offer incredible performances throughout the film and whilst there is strong language in the film, it is all within context, making it a great choice for the majority of the family.

As it was such a huge box office hit (costing $15 million and grossing $400 million) we weren't sure how successful it would be as a rental movie in The Hub. However, it has been the most rented out film of the month so far, and if the trend continues, looks set to overtake Sherlock Holmes, our most rented movie ever.

Facebook - Friend or Foe?

2011-05-10T03:38:00.000-07:00

We’ve had a lot of queries in the shop recently about Facebook and concerns over how safe it is for people using it. Facebook is a fantastic social networking site that most users love, and with a little bit of common sense it can be used very safely.

Here are some of our top tips on keeping your personal account safe on Facebook:

1. Be the right age – Facebook has set a minimum age limit of 13 to create an account. If you suspect someone younger than that has set up an account then contact Facebook to let them know.

2. Don’t share your Password – It seems simple, but don’t share your password with anyone, not even your significant other or best friend.

3. Accept friend requests safely – only accept friend requests from people you know in real life. If you receive any suspicious messages or requests report them to Facebook. You can edit your friends even once they’ve been accepted to remove anyone you don’t actually know. (Don’t worry it doesn’t send them a message to say you’ve removed them or ignored a request, they simply don’t see your details any more).

4. Use the Privacy Settings - Find out about the Privacy Settings available in Facebook by logging in, selecting “Account” and then “Privacy Settings”. They work hard to make sure you can customise settings to your preference and select who can and cannot see your information.

5. Think about what information you are posting – Remember that you are allowing people to see this information about you, in particular consider hiding any information about your date of birth, home address, place of school/work and telephone contact details.

6. Select Photo’s carefully – These images will be available to all for a long time. Look to the future and whether or not you would be happy for parents or employers to see these images of you.

7. Take things with a pinch of salt – Remember that not everyone tells the truth all the time on social networking sites such as Facebook.

Above all, remember that this is a social networking site. In order to have fun with it you do need to share some information and get involved with other people. It can be a great way of keeping in touch with distant friends or family or to stay up to date with local businesses and special offers. For the majority of users it is a safe, useful site that enhances your social life!

As a business we use Facebook as a way of telling our "likers" about the latest product arrivals, film reviews, wine tasting notes and just as an informal way of keeping in touch. We regularly do Facebook special offers which are exclusive to our fans on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thehubdirect

If you have any queries about Facebook or any other privacy issues relating to your computer pop into the store to speak to The Gadgetman (or message us on Facebook ;)

How Much Should I Spend on a Bottle of Wine?

2011-04-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

One of the questions we get asked a lot in The Hub is how much to spend on a decent bottle of wine? There isn’t an exact answer to this, but it’s important to understand the costs that go into producing an average bottle of wine to help you to work out where your money is going when you pick up a bottle.

The average cost of a bottle of wine in the UK is around £4.50 with 56% of this going on tax. In the UK around two thirds of wine drunk is purchased from supermarkets, and they use their purchasing power to buy in bulk, sell at cost or often below cost if they can recoup money on higher priced items.

So how much should you spend? Well if you buy a £5 bottle of wine, by the time you’ve taken off taxes (VAT & Duty which accounts for a whopping 53% of the purchase price), bottling costs, packaging costs, shipping costs, retail & wholesale profit you are left with about 30p to make the wine. This means that the winery will go for quantity as opposed to quality using mountains of cheap grapes and masking unwanted flavours with added sulphites.

If you trade up to a £8 bottle of wine the amount of money given back to the wine producer soars to around £3. With ten times as much going back to the winemaker they can invest in higher quality grapes and experiment with different flavours, such as aging in oak casks or maturing the wine for longer before bottling. The end result of this extra investment being a much better bottle of wine.
Wine experts generally agree that the best value wines are priced broadly between £6 and £9, as that way a decent amount of cash actually goes into the wine. The trouble is how you know if a “£10” bottle of wine in a supermarket isn’t being set up for a 50% off deal, meaning it should be around £5 anyway? The only way to avoid being “done” is to stick to small independents, such as ourselves, who aren’t in the business of sacrificing the quality of wine we sell to make a quick buck!

So in answer to the question, how much to spend on a bottle of wine? The real answer is as much as you can afford. Given all the fixed costs involved in producing a bottle of wine, you don’t have to go much over the average priced bottle to notice a real difference in your glass.

If you would like to see a list of the wines available at The Hub simply e-mail us to request our latest wine tasting notes & prices. You can also view our latest wines on our facebook page.

Are you ready for the Digital Switchover?

2011-04-12T03:07:00.000-07:00

Over the next coming weeks you will start to see more adverts on the TV and leaflets posted out to you regarding the Digital Switch over. Below are the planned dates for STV region.

Craigkelly TransmitterServing Lothian, parts of Edinburgh and part of Fife
The switchover process will start on 1 June and complete on 15 June 2011.

Black Hill TransmitterServing Glasgow, central Scotland and parts of Edinburgh
The switchover process will start on 8 June and complete on 22 June 2011

You'll have to make sure each television in your house can receive digital TV. It's really straightforward, and you can get a digital box or digital TV recorder to work with your existing TV. If you fancy a new telly, then all the digital TVs out there come with Freeview inside so you're set to enjoy the wonder of free TV land.

But why is all this happening?
Simply put, it's a better future for TV. Digital television gives you more choice of TV channels with greater clarity. With Freeview you get the very best in entertainment free: comedy from E4, a wealth of entertainment from ITV2 and the latest events from BBC News. And with Film4 movies, CBeebies' children's TV, UKTV History or Sky Three, you'll never run short of new things to watch.

The picture's clearer, the sound is sharper and you'll have access to a variety of interactive services just by pressing the red button on your remote control.

I already have a digital TV – Do I need to do anything?
Yes you will have to retune all your Digital TV’s or Digital box’s to make sure you are receiving all the channels, do this on 1st of June and once again on the 15th of June if you are receiving your TV pictures from the craigkelly Transmitter. Or 8th of June and the 22nd of June if you receive your TV pictures from the Black Hill Transmitter.

If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment for a home visit then please drop into the shop (The Hub) or give our resident gadgetman a call on: Tel 01786 825933.

April Showers!

2011-04-05T01:44:00.000-07:00

Even without having kids at school it's easy for most people to work out that the Easter Holidays have started. How? Well because ever since they broke up on Friday last week it has done nothing but pour down!

Now I know we all cherish our kids, but as the days and weeks loom ahead, with little reassurance from the weather forecast even the most organised of us can run out of ideas of what to do. As parents ourselves we've worked hard to make sure that we have a variety of ideas in the shop to help families cope with the very changeable weather at this time of year.

We've ensured that there is a great variety of family friendly films available so that if it suddenly starts raining you can grab a movie and head indoors. These include classic animation such as Cinderella, family comedies such as Are We There Yet and blockbusting fantasies like The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Throughout the month of April (whilst the kids are off school for what seems like forever) we have our pick of the top family friendly movies being released:

Megamind
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - Part 1
Legend of the Guardians
Tron Legacy
Animals United

We also appreciate how frustrating it can be when the kids simply can't get outside to play. It's either raining, or during the dry spells, the parks and playgrounds are too wet & muddy to use. Our Wii games (available for weekly hire) are a fantastic way to get the whole family active indoors. Why not challenge each other with games like "Just Dance" and "Wii Party". Even the youngest members of the family can join in with great pre-school games including "Playmobil Circus" and "Peppa Pig: Fun & Games".

Bizipod Ralley Car £4.99

We also know that families often use these extended school holidays for day trips or short & long breaks away. Of course this generally involves a long car or airplane journey with choruses of "are we nearly there yet?" ringing in our ears. We've introduced some fantastic and affordable solutions to those journeys, from renting one of our DS games (available for weekly rental) to purchasing one of our bizipods and fidget-pods to make sure little hands aren't idle too long. We also have a range of collectable characters to get their imagination fired up - including Hello Kitty, Filly Princess, Sylvanian Families, Gogos Crazy Bones, Mighty Beanz and Gomu/Iwako.

Sylvanian Families Field Mouse Baby £4.99

Of course lots of these things can be used as....shh...bribery! When all else fails it's amazing how bedrooms can be tidied, peace & quiet restored and chores finished without complaint to ensure that the latest collectable or movie is earned!

So we can't guarantee the weather this Easter Break, but we can help you to guarantee solutions to keep your family happy. What are you doing this Easter to make sure everyone is kept entertained?

Friday Cocktails!

2011-04-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

We've got that Friday feeling and it's giving us a great excuse to dust off the cocktail shaker and start mixing it up at home! As wine drinkers we find wine based cocktails a great opportunity to try out some different ideas. The trick with these cocktails is to use a wine that you would be happy to drink alone, but it doesn't have to be too expensive.

The most common Wine based cocktail is "The Spritzer". This turns a glass of wine into a refreshing long drink.

1 cup white wine
1/2 cup club soda
ice cubes
lemon & lime slices
mint leaves

Add the wine to tall glass and top up with club soda. Add ice and a slice of lemon & lime and a few mint leaves to garnish.

What most people don't realise is how easy it is to vary this simple recipe to create different tastes. Try swapping the club soda for lemonade, or adding some frozen peaches or raspberries instead of ice to create a different flavour. You can also try it rose or red wine or add a splash of flavoured schnapps or cointreau to add a new twist!

In Spain they enjoy a similar drink made with red wine and cola. Simply add the two in equal measures into a glass and serve either at room temperature, or lightly chilled. The Spanish call this Kalimotxo (Basque) or Calimocho, and in Chile is known as Jote (Chilean Spanish for black vulture). You can vary it by adding a dash of lime, flavoured cola or some Ouzo or blackberry liqueur for an extra kick.

For all of these recipes we would recommend our Il Meridione Wines - Catarratto (white) and Nero d'Avola (Red). Both of these are very easy drinking, but lend themselves perfectly to cocktails with a price point of £5.99 or 2 for £10.00.

Have fun experimenting and share your favourite combination here or on our facebook page!

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

2011-03-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

We often get asked if we prefer being self employed to working for someone else. Our general response is "Yes", but we do find that it has its drawbacks - the main thing being that when it comes to making decisions the buck stops here! As a husband and wife team we spend a lot of time making decisions together that, when we get it right, make us feel fantastic, but when we get it wrong, can be upsetting, and hard not to take on a personal level leading to "The Doubt".

In terms of decision making we are everything to The Hub; Buyer, PR, Marketing, Sales Manager not to mention the day-to-day running as customer services, cleaner and chief cook & bottle washer (as my mum would put it)!

As we have grown, where possible, we have passed on some of the work load to local business experts (thank goodness for book-keepers and accountants). However, one thing that we really love doing, albeit it's a steep learning curve, is our PR & Marketing. This month we have decided to advertise on the front cover of our local monthly publication, hopefully making sure that everyone in Dunblane sees it, whether they read it cover to cover or not. We've embraced Social Networking and really enjoying using our Facebook Page and Twitter account to keep in touch with our customers on a daily if not hourly basis. We have also taken part in a blogging carnival (the first time we've done it, and with some measured success).

Over the past week we have been reviewing how we've marketed our business in the past year, and options open to us for the future - more decisions! In particular we've looked at printed promotional items, such as carrier bags, and whether or not to operate an e-commerce website. The carrier bags were relatively easy - a quick appeal went out to a business group we are members of and before you know it we had a selection of quotes to choose from! Simple!

The website, however, we've found to be a minefield! Over the past few months we've contacted various local companies, some have been more eager for the business than others, as well as looking at off-the-shelf packages and larger organisations to design and build a specific site for us. It's been very tricky to work out how best to approach the idea, and of course as it's just the two of us making all the decisions we quickly begin to doubt some of the solutions we've suggested and often end up taking in circles about all the options open to us.

It wasn't until I was following up on the blogging carnival that I found a blog from a fellow mumpreneur that gave advice on setting up our own online shop. This simple to follow guide has been so good in helping us to make our decisions without "The Doubt" creeping in.

So we are moving forwards and should have our e-commerce website up and running very soon. It just goes to show that sometimes getting involved in different forms of promotion can be a great way of learning about new opportunities. As one of our good customers & local entrepreneur has told us "If you can think it, then do it". So from now on we are going to try to stop dancing around business decisions! It's the only way we can get out of our comfort zone and grow The Hub!

What do you do when you start to feel "The Doubt"?

Cheers to all Mums out there!

2011-03-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

Sunday saw the first official day of Spring, and the weather in Dunblane has certainly reflected the change of season. The sun has been shining and it's been fabulous to have our shop door propped wide open and fresh air flooding in. We are lucky enough to have a stunning view from the back window of our shop that represents the seasons beautifully (pictured below). Someday in the future we hope to change the layout of the shop so that everyone can enjoy it whilst they are browsing.

The springtime celebrations of Mother's Day and Easter are just around the corner and we have some fantastic ideas to help make sure your mum knows she's the best!

Whilst stocks last we are doing a special offer on the Pink Motormouse Wireless Mouse. Featured on Dragons Den, this is the must-have item for computer loving mums who have their finger on the pulse of fashion! Normally £29.99, we are reducing it to just £25.00 to help you show your mum how fab she is! If you are local to Dunblane just e-mail us and we can keep one for you to collect in store, alternatively we can post anywhere within the uk for just £3.00 when you order (we'll e-mail you a paypal link).

We also have some incredible offers for the discerning wine lover out there. Why not celebrate with sparkle with our Pink by Yellowglen Sparkling Rose (£7.99), or the finest Prosecco we've ever tasted outside Italy - Le Dolci Colline (was £9.99 now £8.99) -also available silk lined gift boxed set with 2 champagne flutes for just £19.99.

We have a comprehensive wine list available in store to suit any mums taste - you can e-mail us to request your copy.

To compliment our independent wines we stock an exclusive range of Urban Bar Glassware - the glassware used by Gleneagles Hotel in their main bar. Why not treat your mum to a pair of champagne flutes (was £19.95 now £15 per pair) or large wine glasses (was £21 now £15 per pair) so they can experience the 5-star treatment in their own home. Compliment it with a bottle of Mirabello Pinot Grigio (also sold in Gleneagles Hotel) or one of our sparkling suggestions above.

If a G&T is more your mum's thing then our Double Old Fashioned Urban Bar glasses (was £14 now £10 per pair) will make a perfect gift on April 3rd.

Whilst you are at it - why not treat her to a girlie flick of her choice. As a mum myself, I love nothing more than being able to relax, with total control over the tv remote, and watch a movie of my choice. My top 5 titles this Mother's Day are:

Priceless
Made in Dagenham
Easy A
The Rebound
The Blind Side

Of course, if my children want to rub my feet and hand feed me chocolate at the same time I'm always happy with that too....

Whatever you decide to do this Mother's Day we just want to say "Cheers" to all the hard-working mums out there. Happy Mother's Day from us!

Making Homework Fun with Gomu Collectable Erasers

2011-03-15T04:41:00.000-07:00

Each year children seem to latch onto a different collectable trend. Last year was the year of the Silly Bandz, where collectable shaped rubber bands were worn as bracelets and traded amongst friends. As the craze grew and as with all collectable trends, the schools were quick to ban them quickly putting an end to it all.
Well this year, the trend looks set to be for a collection that is less likely to trouble the schools, as they actually have a practical use during the school day.

Gomu are shaped collectable erasers that come in a range of different characters with different value points. Gomu points let you know how rare each rubber is, the higher the points value the rarer the design. Each individual rubber can also be split apart allowing you to mix and match the different colours. There are 10 themes, with over 100 erasers to collect in series 1 and a new website has been designed allowing children to "value" their collection.

Gomu (Japanese for Eraser) are made in the same tradition of intricate shapes as the original Japanese Iwako. They are available in individual foil bags (£1), 3 pack(£2.99) and 6 pack (£4.99).

As well as being used practically as a rubber, kids can draw the various characters, make up stories with them or just display them. Perfect as pocket money toys, or as gifts in party bags - now your kids can take their latest collectable toy to school with them, without getting in trouble.

Tidy rooms and happy kids!

2011-03-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

How many times as a parent have you gone into your kids room, groaned and instantly turned around closing the door behind you. It's hard for kids to keep their rooms tidy, and of course there are so many other things they want to be doing rather than helping with household chores.

Ever since opening The Hub last April I've noticed transformed behaviour from my own two children. I've suddenly become beseiged by requests to "help" - no matter how challenging the chore. Whether tidying, putting shopping away, hauling recycling out to the tubs or hoovering and dusting my children turn into overly helpful minions offering to respond to every command. My darling son has even offered to help wash the windows, suddenly overcoming his arachnaphobia to do so!
So why this overwhelming desire for my suddenly angelic children to help...it's simple really - Pocket Money!

Whether iwako, zoobles, filly princess, moshlings or puffles...there is a whole different world out there, which once you've got your head round the new words, is basically made up of pocket money priced toys and collectables that kids just LOVE! A lot of them work around online games such as Moshimonsters, Webkins and Club Penguin. These provide online educational games for kids, as well as a gentle introduction into the world of social networking. There are a great number of them that are simply there "just for fun", such as the Silly Bandz craze that hit last summer and then theres the "simply cute" selection, that include plush toys and collectables from characters such as Hello Kitty.

A year ago our son asked us to stock Club Penguin Cards and Gogo's Crazy Bones when we opened the shop. We thought, well why not! Thanks to Jake we now have a thriving toy and collectable section to our business - that he still continues to have a strong influence in. Nothing makes it onto the shelves unless it's been tried and tested by either Jake (8) or Zoe (3) - and so far they seem to be picking up on the trends before they happen! However, the best part of this, is that they alway have a tidy room and are more than willing to help out to get a few extra stars on their reward charts!

It's fantastic seeing the kids in and around Dunblane popping into the shop with their tubs or wallets filled with change as rewards for great behaviour. Just as pleasing is the smiles on parents faces as their kids take their time counting out their money and deciding on just which collectable to get this week. So tidy rooms and happy kids (and parents) all round!

Independent and Organic....it must be good for us!

2011-02-23T03:49:00.000-08:00

Wine has been drunk by man for centuries, and many believe there are dietary and therapeutic benefits to drinking it in moderation.

At The Hub we stock only wines produced by independent wineries as we believe that they put the greatest care into producing the best wines they can, rather than adopting a mass market approach which sometimes compromises quality. Our independent wines offer an affordable choice to the discerning customer who wants to enjoy a glass of wine, whether for health benefits, or simply pure indulgent enjoyment.

Over the past few months we've had more customers asking us to recommend good Organic Wines - but just what are the benefits to going Organic?

Organic wines are produced with organically grown grapes. In short this means that they don't use any nasty chemicals or pesticides when growing the grapes. This means the grapes taste better, are healthier and more environmentally friendly
Organic wineries do not add artificial flavours to their wines. Often artificial flavours such as oak chips are used to flavour poor quality wine. Organic wines are produced using good old fashioned traditional wine making techniques to grow the best grapes and extract the best flavours from them.
Organic wines contain less sulphites than other wines. Many wine producers add extra sulphites to their wine to make it last longer and mask unwanted flavours. If used in excess these can result in allergic reactions and bad headaches - hence the rumour that Organic Wines won't give you a hangover

Overall, an organic wine will give you a great tasting wine, produced in a more environmentally friendly way, that is less likely to leave you with a horrible headache after drinking it.

To let you experience the benefits of Organic Wine we've created a perfect case just for you containing our 3 best selling organics. It contains 2 bottles of each* of the following:

Stellar Organics Chenin Blanc – Western Cape South Africa

Organic and Fairtrade this is a crisp and fruity white wine with lovely tropical fruit guava and citrus flavours. It's made from organically grown fairtrade certified grapes and is ideal with fish, salads and desserts. One of the gadgetman's favourite wines, and limited in supply - very easy to drink.

Le Vin de Levin Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay – Loire Valley - France

Clear bright white wine with aromas of apples and pears. Refreshingly light and dry hints of honeydew and lemon, with a crisp dry finish. Not a hint of oak that we’ve come to expect of chardonnay, making it very light on the palate. Ideal with fish, grilled white meats and salads.

Le Vin de Levin Gamay Cot – Loire Valley - France

Youthful and fragrant bright red wine with blackberry and cherry aromas. Concentrated fruit flavour with hints of wood and spice, supported by balanced acidity. Ideal with pasta and barbecued white meat dishes.

* An extra red Levin can be exchanged for a white Levin if you prefer 3 red and 3 white bottles.

Our limited edition Organic Wine Case is available to you for just £41.99, and we offer free local delivery or collect from store. Simply call us on 01786 825933 or e-mail us shop@thehubdirect.co.uk to order yours.

Changes!

2011-02-18T08:06:00.000-08:00

This is my first blog as The Hub! Previously we've been known as "Gadget Hub" and have been blogging for some time. However we've been steadily expanding our business over the past few months and have found that we've outgrown our old name. So, from now on we will be simply "The Hub". This will enable us to encorporate all of the different elements of our business:

The Wine Hub
The Beer Hub
The Toy Hub
The Movie Hub
The Gadgetman @ The Hub....and so on..

you get the gist!

As a result our sign outside the shop has had to be changed...which happened yesterday!

So you will notice a few changes over the next few months as we continue to grow and expand our business. We'll be introducing some exciting new products and services, but also continue to offer the range that we've established since opening in April 2010.

That's the latest news here - I look forward to welcoming you at The Hub sometime soon and we'll continue to keep you updated here with our new blog as well as our new facebook page...just watch this space!