On a visit to Kew Gardens I was struck, as everyone who visits must be, by the splendour of the great conservatories and the variety of ways in which they are being used. The Nash conservatory, one of the oldest of the conservatories at Kew, and the magnificent Orangery, designed by Sir William Chambers in the mid-eighteenth century, once housed some of the world’s most magnificent plants but are now being used as an educational centre and a café-restaurant.
Originally conceived as a means to house and cultivate plants from all parts of the world, the Victorians soon began to use them for tea-parties and as a focal point for social gatherings. It is this versatility of the conservatory that explains its enduring appeal and among our customers I am often amazed at the wonderful ways in which these rooms are styled.

But what of my own preference? Well, that takes me back to Kew and the more recent Princess of Wales conservatory opened in 1997 by the late Princess Diana. It is a vast space with a number of different climate zones ranging from desert to rainforest and the vast array of flora and fauna is truly breathtaking. I was sitting in a customer’s conservatory last month and she had about half-a-dozen plants in it alonsgside a dining table and a couple of lounge chairs. “Do you know what I like most?” she said, “The plants.” I nodded in agreement. Few people could afford a conservatory like those in Kew attached to the back of our homes but we can make sure we include a plant or two among the furniture. Because bringing nature into your home, bridging the gap between home and garden, is what the essence of conservatory living is all about.

With the Chancellor having announced the most severe budget in recent memory, I wondered what effect it might have on ordinary people like you and me. Would it mean that in the coming months and years we will be more likely to move or improve our homes? Or would it lead to what we all fear most for the economy: we do nothing at all?

I have been running Kingfisher for the last twenty years and I’ve always cut my cloth according to what is best for my business and my customers. What I have never done, whatever the economic conditions, is nothing! I predict, then, that we will all be more cautious and prudent in our spending but we will not stop wanting to make our homes a better place for our families to live in. And that needn’t cost the earth. A while ago, Sir Norman Bettison, Chief Constable for West Yorkshire, warned people locally about the need to upgrade the locking mechanisms on their doors to decrease the likelihood of easy access for burglars and new legislation and technology is making our windows and doors greener than they have ever been – and more energy efficient! And these improvements are affordable by most of us, will save us money, give us greater peace of mind and even help the environment. So, the future may be uncertain, but there is no reason to panic and plenty of reason to think about ways in which we can improve the quality of our lives without breaking the bank. Even in hard times, living can be easy.

I heard a green campaigner on the news saying there are only two certainties for the future: environmental catastrophe and regret that we didn’t do something about it while we had the chance.

While I can agree with his frustrations, I am more optimistic about our ability to do something about it. The trap we fall into is thinking the problem is too big for any individual or company to deal with. And of course it is – but only if we torment ourselves by looking at the big picture.

No-one can solve the problem of global environmental degradation but if we focus on the smaller picture, then it’s a different story.

When Kingfisher first started installing timber windows, we made sure they were FSC certified and we plant a tree in the name of every customer who has them fitted. That’s something we do in conjunction with the Yorkshire Dales Millenium Trust. A small thing but it’s something we can do.

And as an industry I am pleased that Building Regulations are being changed to make windows more energy efficient. The British Fenestration Rating Council and The Glass and Glazing Federation have played an active part in this process and it means that soon consumers will be able to compare the green credentials of the windows companies offer.

It also forces those companies reluctant to become greener to do their bit for the environment. Another small step but an important one – and one that we can take!

If worrying about the big picture stops us from doing the small things then we will reap the future we deserve but it doesn’t have to be that way. And I, for one, approve of anything anyone wants to do, however small it may seem, to gives us the one thing we all need: hope.

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