To the UK I mean, apart from a healthy disrespect for your compatriots' inability to cope in the snow.

The mrs and I are heading back to England and Wales to see my family for March break and apart from a 'Trust me... I'm Canadian' t-shirt I have yet to sort out gifts for the people back home.

Any experiences beyond the usual maple syrup/stuffed moose chintz?

Is there really a need to take anything back other than perhaps some duty free booze. You can buy real Canadiana but it can be quite expensive. The other pretend stuff, made in China, is crap and worthless, unless your family/friends are into kitsch.
Rather than waste good money on STUFF why not use the money to take people out for a good quality meal or buy them something that they want/need.

Cheetos Crunchy (yes, I'm serious)

I'd just take back some big fat hugs, some smiles, silly stories and a few fab pics.

reckon I'm beginning to miss my lot.....


Kelly x

Roots clothing for the kids and Fruits et Passion smelly stuff for the grown-ups.

Timmies.....get the hooked quick

I'd take an empty suitcase for all the cheap stuff you will buy when you are there - the UK is on SALE at the moment - last week in Leeds I got a pair of rockport shoes for 51bucks -on sale in my local winnipeg store for $145

s

How about a few Hockey shirts.

My niece always request a bottle of Aunt Jamima pancake syrup.

She apparently acquired a taste for this stuff when she was a live in nanny in the U.S. a number of years ago.

Personally I don't go back or at least not very often, last time was ten years ago.

Little maple trees. We dig them up in the forest and give them to the former m-i-l who, with twenty odd year's worth of trees, has quite the maple grove going now.

Waitrose sell them.

Just about every item of clothing and footwear that I've bought in Canada has been around half what I'd have been paying for equivalent items in the UK in 2004 or before.

Have prices dropped by around two-thirds, then, or is it just that overpriced stuff is not so overpriced anymore?

I suspect it's got a lot to do with the deep discounts being offered, the UK is alot cheaper than it was - the CAD relative strength against the pound helps too. I was pretty surprised on my recent trip. I'd say food is currently cheaper in the UK than it is in Manitoba. Although I read the other day that we cough up more for food than other parts of canada!
s

Yes...certainly I've seen some deals on Sainsburys website way better than when I used to shop there.

Tescos have launched a range of cheaper stuff to fit between their value range and normal - so now they have value - cheap - normal and finest! go figure!!