i am a devotee of the Christmas fair, those places to find presents made in small batches; handmade clothes, food and household things that are truly original and beautiful. I wonder if Britain might yet become a nation of small industry again, although without concessions on crippling taxes being given to small businesses, I may be being over-optimistic. But it would be good to see a revival of trades and skills, not least from school-age children. I propose serious encouragement in manufacturing with a standard of high finish before, not after, public examinations.I have in the past written about a bakery started in my home to encourage my teenage children, then aged 11 and 14, to earn their own pocket money. The Pocket Bakery unintentionally played a secondary role when my son, at the