Ecoblue #autumnfair

We went to the Autumn Fair this week in Birmingham.  Its a great place to get ideas and inspiration.  It's a huge trade show - somewhere to get stock to add to the shop for the Christmas and festive period.  But I go for more than that - I love to be there with other producers to see what the trends are - to get a feel for what people are looking for and shopping for at the moment.  The show has a real buzz - its very international, there are hundreds of people and different companies.

I think what I miss more than anything is that there are not more fair trade and handmade products there.  Many of the stalls are small enterprises - often with people making their products in their garages, workshops and craft rooms.  This is the reason I go, to get the inspiration and chance to chat to fellow artisans.