What would the 99% do?

If just 1% of the population can cause so much environmental destruction, financial devastation, colossal waste, poverty and human misery on such a vast scale, what could be achieved if the 99% were to work together to go in a different direction to build a new, sustainable and equitable model? 

Do we not have an obligation as the 99% to stop the callous and potentially disasterous disregard for nature and mankind? 

What would you do?




    

Father's Day Gift Ideas

Dads can be difficult to buy for, so here are a few suggestions.  Hope they help!

Arranging a few garden flowers

Snip off a few clematis flowers from the garden if you have them and make a pretty informal arrangement with a few little vases, such as below:

A cause for celebration

The Royal Wedding was a great celebration of a very British institution and British produce.  The theme of 'British where ever possible' is surely to be applauded.  The beautiful dress was by the British designer Sarah Burton.  The lace applique for the body and skirt was handmade by the Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court.  

The food was a celebration of British produce.  For example, Scottish smoked salmon, Scottish langoustines, Cornish crab salad, English goats cheese, lamb from the Windsor estate, British cheese selection, Gressingham duck and wine from Chapel Down in Kent.  The fruit cake was from Fiona Cairns and a biscuit cake from McVities. 

At least the Royals recognise the importance of British produce, especially on such a British occassion.

This is not something to be taken for granted for, at the British Olympics, it is said that only about 8% of the merchandise is made in Britain and the food and drink sponsors are McDonalds, Cadbury's and Coca-Cola.  It would seem our politicians do not have the same principles or loyalties.

Love Products and Olympics latest

Valentine's Day is nearly upon us.  Here at Not Mass Produced we have such lovely things, though I say it myself.  Don't you think items that are handmade with affection are so much more appreciated than thier factory made counterparts?

Here are a few examples:

The response from my MP (who also happens to be the Business Minister) about the Olympic merchandise being mainly produced overseas was that, 90% of the companies producing Olympic produce were British, but where they made the products was the responsibility of those companies. "Those companies who source their manufacturing from overseas do so when there is no manufacturing left for that kind of produce in the UK."  

I find it difficult to believe that the UK can't produce towels, toys, sheets and mugs?  It seems to me to be more to do with those companies maximising their profits than anything else.  The UK reached a record £9.2bn trade deficit in December according to the latest data from the Office of National Statistics.  It is even more reason to encourage UK manufacturing at the Olympics is it not?

British but not as we know it

There was a report out this week that stated that just 8% of the British Olympic merchandise is actually going to be manufactured in Britain.  Although most of the companies allocated the contracts are British, they are mostly outsourcing their production overseas. 

Is it me or is this a massive wasted opportunity?  We are certainly not short of creative talent in this country, far from it.  However, all visitors are going to be able to see and buy are mascots made in China and bed linen made in Turkey.  Not only does this cause pollution from factories and shipping from abroad but Britain is barely going to benefit from the money generated by these orders.  Isn't the country in need of more jobs?  Wouldn't it be a great opportunity to show off our talent?

   

Isn't it a staggering oversight that our British government, along with 50 British business delegates, recently travelled all the way to China to promote British products, yet then failed to ensure that British made products were available in Britain at one of the biggest events on the world stage for a generation?!!  A golden opportunity like the Olympics comes along and somehow they manage to flood it with non-British made, mass produced goods for sale?!!  How crass is that? 

Yes, I know its all about big business and they need to make money, but don't the government keep going on about how they want to support entrepreneurs and small businesses and promote British products?  Isn't it time they did something about it?

I will be writing to my MP to ascertain whether there will be any opportunity for designer makers of British made goods to sell their wares and if not, why not.  Here on this page are a few gorgeous items made by British designers in Britain.  If we can't take advantage of promoting British talent at this fantastic opportunity, when can we?          

New Designers

This years New Designers Fair of graduate talent was brilliant and the standard of work excellent. Here are just a few of the thousands of examples of work that we saw!