Greetings from Kathmandu,

I hope you guys are doing well and getting ready for the run-up to Halloween. Here, the pressure is on. We’re rushing around like witches who’ve realised the broomsticks still need charging, trying to tie up all the loose ends before travelling to Kolkata in a couple of days.

Tomas has already left us and is back at the IT and Marketing office in Bali, where things are happening at lightning pace. More on that in further news.. 

Last week I was telling you about our trip from Yiwu to Kathmandu, including a sleepover in a box. If you missed it, you can catch up here.

This week, every day has brought a new adventure. We’ve been working on several new products with existing suppliers and getting to know some new ones. My plan is to massively boost our imports from Nepal. This country has so much to offer a gift shop, and there are plenty of young, enthusiastic entrepreneurs here with ideas, creativity and a real willingness to make things happen. Good people to do business with. A city with so many opportunities. 

Supply lines can be surprisingly quick, too, and our suppliers are getting much more familiar with the compliance and standards paperwork we need. I suspect AI is lending a hand there. A little modern technology helping traditional crafts find their way into more shops... I’m all for that.

We’ve visited several factories this week, but the felt factory was the most interesting for me. So many artisans, so much creativity. There’s something very satisfying about seeing humble wool turned into things with shape, colour and personality, all through the skill of someone’s hands. The little details make such a difference, and watching the work gives you a new appreciation of what goes into each piece.

Of course, it also gets the ideas flowing. You go in to discuss a few products and come out with enough possibilities to fill another notebook. Keeping the wish list under control is becoming a job in itself. Aparently this sheep pot with pink ears designed to hold a cactus or small plant is the current best seller in the factory. 

 Another adventure was our attempt to see Kathmandu’s Living Goddess.

The occasion was Indra Jatra, when the old city fills with celebrations, masked dances and chariot processions. The Kumari, a young girl revered as a living goddess, is taken through the streets in her chariot. It’s a tradition that brings huge crowds into the heart of Kathmandu.

And I do mean huge crowds.

The streets were packed to capacity, with the electricity cut for safety, and Bicky led us through the throng. There seemed to be something happening in every direction. You barely knew where to look, although keeping an eye on where Bicky had gone was fairly essential.

Eventually, after squeezing our way through, we found a rooftop café overlooking Durbar Square. A chance to breathe, sit down and take in the whole extraordinary night scene from above, in relative peace.

But my magical moment wasn’t down in the square. In the broken eaves of the next building sat a beautiful barn owl. Quietly perched above all that human excitement, watching everything beneath him with the calmest expression imaginable. We’d spent the evening trying to catch a glimpse of a Living Goddess, and there he was, putting on no show at all. Just a very wise-looking owl with the best seat in Kathmandu.

Meanwhile, back in the UK, lots of new products are arriving and there’s some really exciting stock coming online. October already... I can hardly believe it. Halloween is creeping up, Christmas is peering round the corner, and I’m sure your own lists are getting longer by the day.

Do have a look at the new arrivals, I hope you find a few things to get excited about, tempt your customers and make the busy season a good one.

Thank you, as always, for being part of these adventures. Seeing the care that goes into making things here, and knowing they’ll eventually find a place in your shops, is what keeps me filling those notebooks.

Next week, news from India!

Namaste,