MacGREGOR Scottish Clan Tartan Ribbon 16mm (5/8") x 25m on eBay, also, Ribbon Ribboncraft, Sewing, Crafts (end time 26-May-08 17:26:12 BST)

Here's a great chance to buy a full 25 metre (approx 27½ yards) trade reel of 15-16mm (approx 1/2 - 5/8 inch) width MacGREGOR tartan ribbon at a fraction of retail price.

As some customers do ask, here's a little "potted history" with apologies to better historians than me for the bits I've undoubtedly got wrong . . .

the MacGregor clan boasts ancient royal descent... the clan's motto "'S Rioghal Mo Dhream" ("My Race is Royal") goes back to the time of Gregor, brother of Kenneth MacAlpin, King of Scots from 843-860. This is just about as far back in Scottish history as you can get... any earlier and Scotland breaks up in to smaller individual kingdoms of Argyll (Dalriada), the Picts, the Norse etc. of post-Roman ancient Britain.

The original home of the clan was Glenstrae, the glen of the three rivers Orchy, Strae and Lochy. Inter-clan feuding prevented the clan from gaining much new land and when Robert the Bruce granted the Barony of Loch Awe to the Campbells, the MacGregors had to retreat further into the hills of their ancestral lands.

Bitter warring between the MacGregors and Campbells continued for decades and through some clever political marriages, the Campbells eventually managed to disinherit the MacGregors from their land. So bitter was this feuding that in 1603 King James VI of Scotland (James I of England) actually declared the whole MacGregor clan "outlawed" and even the use of the clan name was proscribed under penalty of death!!! A sort of 17th century ASBO?

In 1671 a certain Rob Roy MacGregor (he of the movie!) was born, and arguably became the most famous MacGregor. In reality, a rather unromantic robber and sheep-stealer, he nevertheless rallied to the Jacobite cause in 1715 and fought at the battle of Sherrifmuir.

In 1774 the laws proscribing the clan name MacGregor were repealed but by this time the remaining clans-folk were scattered. This scattering and the fact that they were not allowed to use their own clan name caused the clan to be known as "the children of the mist". General John MacGregor-Murray of Lanmrick was declared clan chief in 1774 and it is this line which exists today.

Top quality woven polyester-based ribbon with stitched edges... please don't confuse with the cheap printed ribbons often sold on eBay! We are members of the Scottish Tartans Authority and the ribbon is manufactured by members of the Scottish Tartans Society... so, in other words, this is the Real McCoy!!!

16mm (1/2" - 5/8") width x 25 metres (approx. 27½ yards) reel supplied straight from stock, sent in protective packaging. We have nearly 40 different tartan ribons available in up to 8 different widths, so if you can't find what you're looking for, or if you require different a width or different quantity please contact us and we will do our level best to help.

Fast delivery worldwide, straight from stock . . . please check out our feedback record for yourself and buy with complete confidence!

Also... if you use a lot of tartan ribbon and are interested in receiving a FREE samples sheet and pricelist, please e-mail us with your name and postal address. Some of the most competitive TRADE prices in the UK are also available to bona fide trade customers, crafters, card, cake and favour makers, and anyone else who buys trade quantities. Please contact us for full details.

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I M P O R T A N T    I N F O R M A T I O N    O N    P & P / S H I P P I N G .  . .

(answers to most of the commonly asked questions about postage, packing, timescales, delivery, insurance etc are all here)

Here's the boring (but necessary) bit . . .  a range of delivery options is available: please choose the one that best suits your timescale... in other words please don't opt for 2nd class post because it's the cheapest and then ask us to "send urgently for my wedding this weekend". We ship by the method you choose - end of story. Please also consider using Recorded Delivery as fewer parcels go missing this way. The package may be too large for a letterbox so, if no-one is at home, your local sorting office will hold on to it for a few days for you to collect or to re-arrange delivery. If you feel your order is late, please contact your local Royal Mail Sorting Office first, as in 90% of cases of reported "non delivery", the parcel turns up at the Sorting Office! If they say they don't have it, please contact us and we'll do our best to trace it for you.

Please remember what Royal Mail quote (often slightly different from what eBay advises!). This is taken from www.royalmail.com

UK Customers:

We "post items on your behalf"... in other words, it's the same as you posting something to yourself so choose the level of speed and safety you require as any risks you take are yours.

2nd class post - Royal Mail try to deliver most 2nd class post by the 3rd or 4th working day after posting

1st class Recorded Delivery - Royal Mail try to deliver all mail by 2nd working day after posting (most within 1 working day). Recorded Delivery does not make delivery any faster, but purely provides a signature upon delivery, making it a little safer than standard post.

Special Delivery - Royal Mail guarantee to attempt delivery by 1pm the 1st working day after posting. If late they will refund postage costs.

APC / Fastway Carriers - we reserve the right to occasionally (depending upon parcel weight and destination) to send the order by carrier. This is at least as fast and as safe as by Royal Mail.

Postal Insurance:

It's important you know how this works... if something should go wrong this is the information we will both rely on to sort out a replacement or refund for you. By buying from us you are agreeing to these conditions. We get Certifcates of Posting for every item and you can see from our feedback that we're honest eBayers but, occasionally, something goes missing in the post. We highly advise taking out Postal Insurance for the tiny amount it costs but we cannot force you, so it's important that you understand what happens with any lost parcels with and without Postal Insurance...

With Postal Insurance - should an item go missing we can process the claim immediately and can send a replacement item without having to wait on Royal Mail settling the "lost mail" claim. As long as you report the non-delivery officially through eBay and agree to follow our requests (such as contacting your local Royal Mail Delivery Office before lodging a claim), we can normally arrange free replacements for you within 48 hours of reporting the problem. In exceptional circumstances we can refund you in full. We'll discuss the details in the unlikely event you need to claim but the main thing to remember is that with Postal Insurance we can send you replacements almost immediately.

Without Postal Insurance - if an item goes missing we will help you claim from Royal Mail (remember we "post items on your behalf"). Royal Mail do not class an item as "lost" until the 15th working day after the date of posting which means you need to wait 3 weeks (15 working days) before you can claim... it can then take them another 2-6 weeks for Royal Mail to process your claim and refund you. We cannot refund you or send a free replacement until the Royal Mail claim is settled, otherwise you could be refunded twice. In the meantime you are free to buy a replacement item. There's no point arguing with us about this should the situation arise - this is the agreement you make with Royal Mail every time you post something.

Please remember... Postal Insurance is only charged once per entire order and not per individual item.

Non-UK Customers:

Air Mail takes around 3-5 working days for most European destinations and up to 10 working days for the rest of the world. Additional delays due to Customs at point of entry into your country and delays by your own national/domestic postal service do not form part of this timescale. Standard Air mail does not offer any tracking facility.

Airsure is another Royal Mail service which is slightly faster than standard Air Mail and has the added protection of on-line tracking. If you choose this option we will email you once the package has been shipped, giving you the consignment number. This allows you to trace it through www.royalmail.com.

Please check our feedback... you can see we're honest eBayers so if you have any problems at all please contact us and we'll do our best to help. Our showroom number is 08456 589 100 (local rate) from within the UK, or +44 (0)1555 890111 from outside the UK.

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