David's AW News: NEXT UP... China

Greetings from Dongxiang City, China.

Ok… quite a week. Last week I was telling you about two dramatically different lease negotiations..one in Bali one in UK.. If you missed it you can catch up here.

I finished up in Bali in that familiar last-minute whirlwind… squeezing in meetings - samples finalised with minutes to spare.. a bit of a creative last few days rush.

Bondhan (our man in Bali) insisted on picking me up at 6am to take me to the airport. Not negotiable - and we got to see a beautiful sunrise as we drove over the spectacular road bridge to the airport.. We said our goodbyes there… hugs, and yes, maybe a tear.

Bali airport was almost empty.. actually calm and peaceful, I think the Dubai issues are having a dampening effect.. (many flights to Bali connected via the middle east). But my flight from there with China Southern to Guangzhou landed in a massive electric storm with lots of turbulence! … and then a small surprise.

I couldn't find my connecting flight to Yiwu on the departure screen at all, so I went to ask which gate to go to.. My connection to Yiwu? Cancelled until the next morning. No drama, just “tomorrow.”

But then something quite unexpected… they put me up in what I can only describe as the China Southern staff hotel. Shuttle bus, straight there. I think I may have landed a captain’s room—very nice, tucked away in a smarter wing—but you could see the other side too, more basic, more functional.

Dinner was in a big cafeteria—long tables, buffet style. But really quite nicely decorated, and good food. Sitting there with pilots, crew, engineers… the whole hidden world behind a massive airline. Not something you normally see as a passenger. I asked for a beer and was met with horrified looks.. obviously off the menu in this world.

Early start the next morning, a short flight to Yiwu… and then straight into a more hectic China life. Coco picked me up at the airport and we headed off to her hometown—Dongxiang. About a four-hour drive down the G60. And just like that… a different world.

On the G60 (like China's route 66).

We stopped on the way at a motorway service station for KFC—China style. Familiar… but not. Different menu, different pace, families gathered, kids choosing meals… the same global brand but somehow very local at the same time. Later we pulled into what can only be described as a luxury fruit shop… honestly more like a gift shop than a greengrocer. Beautifully displayed, carefully lit, almost ceremonial. We bought durian for the family visit—serious purchase, not a casual one. In China, fruit at that level is a gift, a gesture.

Smelly but posh Durian fruit.

I haven’t been here since before Covid, and it feels more settled now and less dynamic. Feels like village life in the city.

We spent time with her family, eating proper home-cooked food—big shared dishes, everyone talking at once, that warm chaos you only get around a family table. Simple moments, but they stay with you.

And right now, it’s a special time here. This weekend is a national holiday—Qingming, or “grave sweeping day.” Families visit ancestors, clean the graves, bring food, remember those who came before. It’s quiet, respectful… but also deeply about family coming together.

It struck me how close that feels to our Easter weekend coming up back home. Different traditions, different beliefs… but the same thread underneath. Remembering, reconnecting, family, renewal.

Wherever you are in the world… we’re all doing versions of the same thing.

In a couple of days, Bryant and Sandra arrive from the UK—so the AW team will be fully assembled here. Then it’s on to Yiwu, visiting suppliers, walking the markets, chasing ideas… seeing what magic we can make happen this time.

Because that’s really what these trips are about. Not just products… but people, stories, little sparks.

From Bali artisans… to a China Southern staff canteen… to a motorway KFC… to a family table in Dongxiang… it all connects.

And in our own way, we help carry those stories forward into your shops… little pieces of the world, passed hand to hand.

Meanwhile in Europe... lots of new stock arrived..

More news from China next week…

Take care, and if you’re celebrating — hope you had a wonderful Easter week with your family.

David