HILL topics
Gale Garber / KANBAN
Susie Pryor, part owner of Brits, rearranges the front window display. Brits is located at 13 E. 8th St., in downtown Lawrence. Brits is the only seller of British products in Lawrence.
Gale Garber / KANSAN
A taste of England
British flags are among the selection of products from England available at Brits.
Story by Holly Tallen Special to the Kansan
Margaret Howey serves chocolate-covered oatmeal "Hobnobs" with tea at four every afternoon, just as she did before she moved to Kansas from England 41 years ago.
The only place in Lawrence where Howey can buy her Hobnobs is Brits, a locally owned store that sells only British merchandise. "Shopping at Brits is just like walking into a store in England," she said.
The store, at 13 East 8th St., is marked by a large British flag hanging above the entrance. An aroma of British teas and coffees filters out the door. The store's lightblue walls are covered with posters of famous British people, cars and landscapes. Colorful displays of teas, foods and books fill the shelves.
Olga Gayoso, Lawrence sophomore and Brits employee, was carefully packing teacups into boxes. Gayoso traveled to England last summer to study at an archeology site.
Lawrence residents Sally Helm and Susie Pryor opened Brits in July 1995. Helm went to England to select the products they would sell.
items, including T-shirts, books, perfumes and greeting cards. It even sells a British version of the board game Monopoly, which uses British currency and properties.
school.
"There are some products we sell I know you can't find in the U.S., and what makes us so unique is that you usually don't see these types of products together in one store." Helm said.
"I work at Brits because it's different, and it's nice to surround yourself with something out of the ordinary," she said.
"My first car was a little MG, which is made in England," Pryor said. "I also raised West Highland Terriers, which come from Scotland."
The store stocks Walkers cookies, Carrs crackers, English candies, Heinz canned products and English teas. It sells gift
The store also sells British movies, documentaries and British comedy tapes, including the sitcom Absolutely Fabulous.
Pryor said she loved British things. History and culture were of personal interest to her.
Pryor said that she gained interest in the British culture when she was in high
"I think Americans like British products
because they are thirsty for a sense of history, and Britain offers a history of war, romance and adventure that are exciting extensions of American history." she said.
Pryor said she hoped her store encouraged people to experience a different culture and that she wanted to ignite a desire in someone to leave their own world and explore.
Brits' customers are evenly split between British and American people. Helm said.
"We get many British students, KU faculty and staff, students who have studied abroad in England and locals who are from Great Britain." Pror said.
Pryor and Helm established a Brits web site last year and use it for about 12 percent of their business, they said. Pryor projects a 75 percent increase in Internet sales for next year, and the Internet business has become so popular that Brits' owners opened a mail order center across the street.
"We ship Internet and mail orders to places like Kansas City, Japan and even to customers in Britain." Pror said.
Helm said she wanted the community to understand that no one can go a single day without something British touching their lives. "Whether it be a song by Elton John, a type of food or some British custom, people don't realize how these things affect their lives," Helm said. "After all, you don't have to be British to like British things."
Brits sponsors a half-hour British radio show on KANU called *Masterson Inheritance*, which airs at 10 a.m. Sundays, Pryor said. Brits also sponsors a Celtic music hour on KANU at 1 p.m. Saturdays. On KCPT, Kansas City's public television station, Brits sponsors a British comedy show that airs on Sunflower Cablevision Channel 7 at 9:30 n.m. Thursdays.
Page 8A April 16, 1997
WEDNESDAY
Ruth Ruth and Speeddog Champion 9 p.m. at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost: $6 and $7.
Student Recital: Allyson Walters, piano; 7:30 p.m. today at Swarthout Recital Hall. Free.
Harry Hewlett, 8 p.m. at Nouvelle Deli,
129 E. 10th Floor
THURSDAY
Huckleberry, Blue Moon Ghetto and Let's Rodeo; 9:30 p.m. at The Granada, 1020 Mass. St. Cost: $4 and $5
Jazz Festival Concert: "Vocal Jazz Night"; Toni Tennille with KU Jazz Ensemble I, also KU Jazz Singers; 7:30 p.m. at the Lied Center. Cost: $18 and $16 public, $16 and $14 students and
KU Jazz Festival, all day at the Lied Center. Free.
Forest Whitow, 9 p.m. at Nouvelle Deli, 129 E. 10th. Free.
senior citizens, Festival Package (for all three concerts): public $42 and $37, students and senior citizens $36 and $32. Tickets are available at the Lied Center, Murphy Hall and SUA box offices or by selling Ticketmaster.
FRIDAY
Man or Astroman? and The Pulsars, 9
p.m. at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost:$7 advance tickets.
Lab Jazz Trio, 6 to 8 p.m. at Nouvelle
Dell, 129, 10th Free.
KU Jazz Festival, all day at the Lied Center. Free
■ Jazz Festival Concert: "Combo Night"; Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band; Mike Metheny, trumpet, with KU Jazz Combo; 7:30 p.m. at the Lied Center.
Cost: $15 and $13 public, $13 and $11 students and senior citizens.
Tickets are available at the Lied Center, Murphy Hall and SUA box offices or by calling Ticketmaster.
The lan Moore Band and Sweet Vine, 9 p.m. at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost: $6 and $7 advance tickets.
SATURDAY
Urban Safari, 10 p.m. at Nouvelle Deli,
129 F. 10th Floor
KU Jazz Festival, all day at the Lied Center. Free.
Jazz Festival Concert: "A Tribute to Dick Wright"; with Gary Foster, saxophone; Carl Fontana, trombone, and Bobby Shew, trumpet, and KU Jazz Ensemble I; also Valley Heights High School Jazz Orchestra; 7:30 p.m. at the Lied Center. Cost: $15 and $13 public, $13 and $11 students and senior citizens. Tickets are available at the Lied Center, Murphy Hall and SUA box offices or by calling Ticketmaster.
Student Recital: University Carnerate;
7:30 p.m. at Swartow backstreet Hall. Free.
SUNDAY
The Deal, 9 p.m. at the Bottleneck, 737
New Hampshire St. Cost; $4 and $5.
Alumni Recital Series: Laura Ellis, organ; 2:30 p.m. at Bales Recital Hall. Free.
The Blair String Quartet with Bela Fleck, banjo; 3:00 p.m. at the Lied Center. Cost: $22 and $18 public, $11 and $9 students, $22 and $18 senior citizens. Tickets are available at the Lied Center, Murphy Hall and SUA box offices or by calling Ticketmaster.
Isaac Green and the Skalars; and The Secondhands, 6 p.m. at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost: $5
Spring Recital: KU Percussion Ensemble; George Boberg, director; 7:30 p.m. at Swarthout Recital Hall. Fee
MONDAY
Spring Concert: University Band; 7:30 p.m. at the Lied Center. Cost: $5 public. $4 student and senior citizens.
Tickets are available at the Lied Center, Murphy Hall and庐盒 box offices.
Faculty Recital. Ed Laut, celli; 7:30 p.m.
Swankhorst recital Hall. Free.
Ben Folds Five and Komdea, doors at 7 p.m. at Liberty Hall. 644 Mass. St.
Cost: $10.
Freedy Johnston and Wally Pleasant, 9 p.m. at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost: $8 advance tickets.
TUESDAY
Spring Concert: Jazz Ensembles II and III, Lazz Fusion Combo, and Changeg Combo; 7:30 p.m. at the Lied Center. Cost: $5 public, $4 student and senior college. Tickets are available at the Lied Center, Murphy Hall and SUA box offices.
Student Recital: Siri Vik; 7:30 p.m. at
Swarthout Recital Hall. Free.
KJHK Farmer's Ball - 4 bands, 9 p.m. at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. Cost: $4 and $5.