Welcome back to our first post-Summer KBzine. It seems like such a long time ago that I wrote my last leader - perhaps that's the sign of having had a good break! As is usual over Summer, I've gone from one festival to another without actually unpacking my car and I'm happy to say that all bar one boasted a crowd that takes note of the mantra: 'leave no trace'.

The one where there were issues was not really caused by the festival-goers however, but because e.coli had been found in the pipes supplying the local village and farm where the festival was held. This meant that although most of us were proudly carrying reusable water bottles, (my smart Franke water bottle served me well - see #RefillnotLandfillUK to find out how to get one for yourself) rather than the environment-contaminating common sort, we ended up not being as environmentally-friendly as we'd hoped as the festival organisers had to ship in 27,000, two-litre plastic bottles of water to keep us all going - not good for an event that runs on solar power and doesn't normally leave a carbon footprint!

I just hope these plastic bottles are eventually put to good use, such as for more of the loft insulation material I have at home which has made a real difference to the Winter temperatures we have to suffer indoors, since it's been installed. Whilst away I experienced a vast array of compost loos of different styles which were always incredibly clean and didn't smell (I so wish it was like that in 'away from home' loos in normal life) so it's been something of a shock to come back to an inbox full of press releases and images of fabulous bathroom products with high-tech features! I did wonder more than once why no-one has thought of using the doors to advertise some of these products to the captive audience 'roughing it' within...

But onto festivals of a different kind... Tomorrow, of course, sees the start of the London Design Festival & all that it brings. There's so much to see and a multitude of related events being staged at so many venues (https://www.londondesignfestival.com/events) that I wonder whether anyone could manage to see everything before the Festival closes its doors on the afternoon (or probably evening) of 23rd September. If you're visiting, I hope that you're inspired and if you're exhibiting, that you make lots of sales!

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Yours,

Jan Hobbs