I have found where the Dragons Den shower product would be of use!

If you saw Monday nights programme a very assured professional lady came on with a product to hold a hand held shower head on to a wall (a Shuc) where a over head shower was not provided.She said it was a common problem for travellers and there was a huge market for this both in the UK and abroad. I together with the Dragon's laughed inside as it seemed another product designed for a problem that wasn't actually a problem.But wait, on Tuesday night I had the great pleasure of staying at Liverpool's famous Adelphi Hotel whilst on my national eco mission, and guess what (you know what's coming) I could have done with the holdy up the shower head thing. You see, you can sit there and laugh at your telly but some people do know whats good for you! Or was it only because I had a single room bargain suite?

"Green products don't work & cost too much!"

Talking to a very well known organic farm kitchen today I was told by the buyer that she had tried greener products and found they didn't work and that she had gone back to using chemicals.

This is fairly typical as company's that want to cash in on the environment sell poor formulas, badly and taint the market place with their lack of understanding.

How can you tell the buyer that has had a bad experience such as this that there is genuine green solutions for issues that do work and do save lots money? Hopefully through good honest commitment to the cause and a genuine approach.

Fortunately we have dealings with her maintenance department and have shown them ways to clean the office and factories greener that have worked really well so we may talk again.

Eastbourne, bracing and busy!

My trip to the seaside this week to green the local shopping mall was pleasant, 48 hours away from the kids makes them miss me a little if only to see if I have purchased some tat from the services for them.

Walking along the seafront and peering in the windows of the great white grand hotels that face the channel, I was amazed at how busy all the dining rooms were, mainly with the older generation.

This is their time, school holidays have finished and kids are nowhere to be seen.

What worried me was, when my generation retires in 25 years, will we flock to the coast for a cheap package holiday to keep these businesses thriving in the school term? I hope so, the formal pre dinner drink, silver service, five courses, wake up to a full English then a stroll by the front, all for £45 per head per day!

When I booked the accommodation I searched the green business website and googled for greener rooms but nothing came up. Presumably Eastbourne' s hoteliers are yet to embrace the benefits of green tourism.

We may have found a solution to the fossil fuel issues by my retirement, spending leisure time abroad. But if we will be holidaying in the UK more due to high transport costs, then lets hope the room I stayed in gets a refurb in the next quarter of a century, as it certainly hasn't seen one in the last quarter and resorts such as these prepare themselves to provide the quality that I would expect from a holiday so they remain open and vibrant.