Time to come home! The new term looms, and the trains, boats and planes deliver us all back from foreign or native climes – we’re Homeward Bound. How did your luggage serve you? I went shopping for a lightweight but durable suitcase by a well-known manufacturer a few weeks ago before heading off to France. The salesman pointed at a huge pyramid of orange wheelie cases and insisted that “hundreds of these models had walked out of the door and not one had come back”. Hmmm. But I bought one anyway as the colour ensured it would stand out against all the black ones; it weighed just over 2Kg and had a snazzy purple patterned lining (vital feature of course). The pull-out handle didn’t look as robust as the handles on the more expensive ones, but for £55 what could go wrong? With various ailments including bad backs, we underpacked and even when it was full, our 8 year old could easily wheel the new case behind him. A week later, as we lugged the luggage and family onto Eurostar, the right-hand stem of the pull-out handle simply snapped off from its moorings. Advice to travellers – next time you’re in the market for a suitcase, put your toddler inside it before you buy, and bump him or her around the luggage department for a few minutes. If you have twins, all the better. Stick them both inside and give them the ride of their lives. Take a photo of them and remember to share this happy experience with the Returns Department. Enjoy! Read More