In light of the EU bill recently passed, placing high taxes on cheap imported crockery, my first reaction was ‘oh great, another thing that is going to cost more money.’

But then, on reflection, I thought about how cheap items, which are probably of inferior quality, might have led us to become such a throw away society. If we invested more time, money and resources on making higher quality items here in the UK then maybe we would appreciate our possessions a little bit more. They would indeed cost more, but they would also last longer, and we would consider our purchases carefully before making them. We would be less likely to buy things, which we may not actually need, on a whim. We would just buy the things which we needed.

But what about people with low income? Well if items were of higher quality then they could be passed down through the generations. And you could buy second hand, as there would probably be a better selection of things in the charity shops.

The market for craftsmen and artisans would grow. People could save up and invest in one of a kind items. Also, if trade moved back to the UK then more jobs would become available. Workers can be proud of what they have made and contributed to society, and workers from poorer countries have not been exploited just so we can buy cheap goods.

Life is fast, and fashions change so frequently. People can hardly afford to keep up resulting in frequent buys of cheap products that don’t last, and aren’t made to because something else will be fashionable shortly. If we slowed down and invested in more classic, timeless, handmade, homemade, upcycled, recycled items, then fashion becomes obsolete and you can just enjoy what you have, because you took the time to choose it yourself. You were not dictated to by a trendy magazine that you needed it, just because it’s ‘bang on trend’ this week.

I urge you, please support your local and independent establishments, traders, artists, and craftspeople!

Thank you.