We went to this today. Very poor from a diy viewpoint, only found 2 very small stands selling drill bits.. Smart meters/solar power and a few other "good" ideas were being promoted to the unwise. Quite liked the glass fibre plunge pools which will fit on a patio, she has put a block on that good idea. Found a beautiful dining table made from a 5 inch clover shaped cross section of a 12ft tree trunk, but couldn't quite justify the £4K price. Lots of hot tubs, gazebos, double glazing and solid wood furniture. As usual food prices were high, but managed to buy an 8oz real meat burger for £4. There were almost no major manufacturers exhibiting and the show houses reminded me of Habitat/Ikea. Lots of led acrylic drop lamps. Came away with a few thoughts, but nothing was purchased.
This was a coach trip as I never drive into London these days. Nearly 3 hours each way to do 30 miles. The journey back through Kensington etc really showed the appalling state of overpriced London houses. Cracked render and badly maintained grey/stained fascias were the norm. Most houses needed room lights on at 5pm in bright sunlight. I was beginning to think Mr Pounder was right, then I remembered Bradford. The comment I heard 50 years ago seems appropriate, "Civilisation begins at Dover when you come to the UK and stops on the outskirts of all the major cities"! I really understand why all the workers commute.