Tuesday 10 February 2009

Ickle Bockle - what a fantastic company!

At the weekend I emailed a company called Ickle Bockle to find out how their bottles would stand up to deet. I've always used either trial size bottles of products when backpacking - or I've decanted into small travel size bottles bought from Boots. I got fed up with these bottles constantly leaking though and decided to get some decent ones.

I expected to have to wait a few days before getting a reply including chemical formula's for plastic bottles and being left to find out myself how the deet would affect them. But it wasn't the case at all. I had an immediate reply telling me they had contacted the deet manufacturer and would let me know as soon as they had a reply.

Today I had an email telling me the bottles (bockles!) are fine for using with deet. I know - your probably thinking "so what", but that's not all....after telling Ickle Bockles why I wanted the bottles and how pleased I was with their customer service, I received the following email;

Sophie

No problem!

Had a quick look at your blog - Patch is adorable.

We're big dog lovers here at Ickle Bockles and would be more than happy to
donate the ickle bockles you require for this particular trip.

Rather than order via the website, just drop me an email when you're ready
to order. List the bockle sizes and closure choices (for example 100ml
flip top etc) up to the value of £15 and I will get those out to you.

Good luck with the walk - Dog's Trust is such a good cause.

Kind regards

Cath Atkins
Ickle Bockles
t 0771 3888 179
e sales@icklebockles.co.uk
w www.icklebockles.co.uk

What fabulous people! All the affluent companies I've contacted who weren't interested, and then this company offer to donate bottles without me even asking. I'm so impressed!

6 comments:

Ian Walker said...

Hello! I'm very impressed with your plans - I've been having dangerous thoughts along the same lines myself! Have you got maps yet? I have the complete UK on Tracklogs digital maps from when I cycled JOGLE a couple of years ago and would be happy to lend them to you.

Ian W

Sophie Easterbrook said...

Hi Ian, thank you so much for the offer of the maps but I already have them! I went nuts and ordered all the maps (60 maps...£300!! my goodness!!) but I'm now changing various parts of my route and don't have the right maps - typical!! Thankfully I just got "Memory Map" for a good price on good old ebay so I'll print some strip maps.

That's a very kind offer though - very much appreciated.

Well done you for cycling it - I don't think I'd have the stamina to cycle up a steep hill - I'm better off plodding!!

Just had a quick look at your blog...very interesting. I'll bookmark it and have a better look when I have more time later - I found myself getting quite absorbed in it!

Sophie

Ian Walker said...

D'Oh! If only I'd found your site sooner you might have saved hundreds. Oops.

Incidentally, one of my lasting memories of cycling JOGLE is that everything people say about the winds blowing south-to-north is true. I got all the way to Land's End, turned round the go back to Penzance for the night and immediately found myself thinking 'Wow, it's a *lot* easier in this direction!'.

I'll keep a keen eye on your progress...

Sophie Easterbrook said...

Oh no - don't tell me that!! haha, Oh well, as long as I don't get rain in my face the WHOLE way...either that or I'm going to get a very sunburned nose!

I do prefer the wind coming from behind (?!) but never mind - we'll soldier on when necessary - and probably mutter a few choice words..!

Sophie

Gayle said...

When we set out last year for the first couple or three weeks we had easterly (unfortunately timed as we were heading east at the time), then north easterly winds (likewise).

Each day my sister texted the weather forecast to us, and the wind seemed stubbornly to stay away from the direction that we wanted.

I do recall that we got a south-westerly when we got to the top of the Pennine Way, but unfortunately that was on the day that we were heading South West!

The good news for us was that the E & NE winds brought us unusually dry weather throughout England and Wales. Through Scotland we didn't notice the wind so much, but it did rain a lot...

So, you may just be lucky, at least for a good few weeks of your walk, with the wind breaking away from the 'normal' southerly.

Sophie Easterbrook said...

Hey Gail, sounds like you were really unlucky with the weather!!

Living in Wales means I'm well used to rain now, so I'll just grin and bear whatever the weather throws at me! Hopefully the wind will be kinder to me than it was to you!!