Isn't it just bloody awful that, increasingly, we no longer manufacture things in this country? I know my thoughts on this subject are coloured by my own recent experience at work, but something has gone seriously wrong, hasn't it, when you hear comments like ''we're not manufacturing any more, there's no money in it, all our work now is selling items, made overseas, on the internet''. WHAT THE HELL? A country of people sitting at computers selling throw away tat that no one really needs, and that means nothing. What happened to well made things that were intended to last a lifetime, were valued & cared for & used every day.
I'm no craftsman, sadly, just a hands on tinkerer, and I'm probably considered a dinosaur, but surely I can't be alone in thinking we really have failed here.

_________________
And if one day we have to part for just a little while
I leave with you my very heart to keep for me each lonely mile.

Business is all about money - no money no business.

China was the place to go to get your maufacturing over heads down - but the Chinese for a while now have been investing in Africa to get their costs down - whilst retaining control of business.

The UK has failed in allowing its maufacturing base to diminish over past years - Germany retained the majoirty of its maufacturing capability - why didn't we?

It's not just manufacturing, how many call centres are in India (pleased to say the call centre's for my workplace are in the UK).

_________________
There's a raven in the distance, his inscription's all around you, you can't hide

http://www.myspace.com/liammckahey
http://www.myspace.com/dawoodcock
http://www.myspace.com/cousteaunovascotia

I wish my bloody call centre was in India, there might be better stuff on at the cafe

Bentley are doing well at the moment, they are exporting a lot of cars to the rich folks in China!!!!

There used to be two clothing factories within sight of my house, they have been replaced with housing estates.

_________________
Love is so hard to find
And even harder to define

Exactly. I wish I knew the answer to that.

_________________
And if one day we have to part for just a little while
I leave with you my very heart to keep for me each lonely mile.

Makes me feel sad walking past some of the nonsense they've built where the shipyards used to be on the Clyde...

_________________
& out there, who knows what she's thinking?

There is a definite creeping back of call centre to the UK as India's wage demands are beinning to catch up with the west

_________________
Always be a first rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of somebody else (Judy Garland)

I also wonder what went wrong here; Almost everything is disposable today...even worse when it comes to technology. Cameras, phones etc all work fine for years, but we are constantly being bombarded with information about upgrades or some new widget that we simply cannot do without. Everything appears to be designed with quick obsolescence in mind, not necessary with failure in mind but simply to have the 'latest & greatest'.

Personally, i like cameras that take pictures and phones you can make phone calls on. I have absolutely no idea what an "app" (spelling?) is. And neither do I care

_________________
Your lies are fluorescent my babyfaced angel.

http://www.myspace.com/lukemurcott

That's the way of the World - if there's money to be made get in there!

Anyway talking of things that last have you seen the price of a Harris Tweed jacket?

I bought one in the late 70's for about £40 they now cost between £160 > £220.

Looks like a vist to the Dress Agency in Wilmslow is in order - recycled Harris Tweed must be about £40 there...

Right, but here in Germany imho it has literally been bought back with wage restraint over several years, the rise of underpaid small jobs and subcontracted labour.

_________________
Hodie adsit, cras absit.
---------------------------------------------------
www.myspace.com/thesellersglobalpricetag
www.myspace.com/westfalienation

No doubt the route the UK will now follow - we're good at underpaid small jobs and subcontracted labour

Yes!

Many years ago, I was completely confused when I called the Help Desk at a job in the US, and was connected to a "bunch of folks in an old farmhouse outside London." I'd never heard of an outsourced, overseas call center and couldn't figure out how it saved money. Of course, I spent a lot of the company's time and money discussing music, sports and weather with my new overseas friends. Like an early Hawleyboard.

I'm seeing more local made products again. I try to buy them when I can. Plus I seem to buy anything made there for sentimental reasons.

~ K