Surviving the Property Credit Crunch

You will have to be living under a rock not to notice that the recession is upon us and that the credit crunch has taken the wheels off the economy. Cutbacks are being made left, right and centre in the job market and consumer spending has taken a downturn. This has affected the property market immensely because it means that what was once a buoyant market full of sales and viewings has now turned into one of huge decline. People are no longer snapping up properties like they did a few years back but instead are choosing to rent. More crucially those who are already on the property ladder and would have been looking to trade up are staying put. Enter The Home Show from the fold of Channel 4, pioneers of property shows such as Location, Location, Location, Selling Homes and Property Ladder. All these shows tapped into the property boom of the 90s and showed the viewers how they could make zillions from their home. Sadly those days are over but The Home Show is here to the rescue to show us how we can stay put but still have the home of our dreams.

Trendy architect, George Clarke focuses on a different family home each week, reworking its layout to optimise its space, natural assets, comfort and style. Similar to Selling Homes, the homeowners clear out of their pad while George transforms the place. The magazine like show also features architect, Angela Brady who takes us through the stunning style of European homes and gives viewers tips on how they can replicate the look. Also Builders Confidential looks at the things that drive us crazy about builders and throw us some inside tips on how to get the best service.

You can catch The Home Show on Wednesdays at 8.00pm on Channel 4.

For those who are hell bent on buying Channel 4 have created a spin off edition of Location, Location, Location which sees presenters, Kirstie Allsop and Phil Spencer seeking bargains for homebuyers and offering tips on how to stay afloat in the current climate.

Location, Location, Location: A Survival Guide is on Monday at 9.00pm on Channel 4.

Frock Me

On the eve before the BBC launches the fashion extravaganza, British Style Genius, Channel 4 in the shape of T4 get in there with their new kid on the block, Frock Me. Fronted by (yawn) Alexa Chung and wonder boy designer, Henry Holland, Frock Me prides itself on being more irreverent and aimed at a younger crowd - well according to Alexa anyway. To sum it up, T4's latest focuses on the relationship between fashion and music which is kind of cool as that is something that fascinates me a lot. It is also a theme that the media find fascinating hence the creation of the starry event, Fashion Rocks combined with the amount of music artists who have ventured into the fashion business.

I am not sure what I was expecting from this show but as it is on T4, which is Channel 4's younger and cooler sister, I had high hopes. However, I was left feeling very disappointed, yes the show has a lot in it such as tips on how to customise your own clothes, interviews with celebs and heading to a different city each week to find Britain's wannabee stylist. Each show has a different theme and this week's one was rock and roll jeans and how to wear them. However, it all seemed so samey and very much like a rejigged form of The Clothes Show in fact if it wasn't on Channel 4, I would have thought I was watching The Fashion Show with a new line up. There was nothing cutting edge about it at all; what show about fashion does not feature celebs sharing style tips and show a roving reporter hounding people on the street? A big fat zero for originality. Even the concept is old hat as we all know that the Frock Me brand was created four years ago as a vintage fashion event where all the top vintage dealers in the country sell their wares. Taking place in London and Brighton, it is now one of the hottest events in the calender. If you are lounging around on a Sunday morning with nothing to do then I would say tune in but other than that I wouldn't bother. They don't call T4 hangover TV for nothing.

Person Henry Holland

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The Devil Wears Primark

I love my fashion and I like good quality garments that are reasonably priced. Shops like Mango, Zara, Oasis, H&M and the divine asos.com are my cup of tea. I will put my hands up and say honestly that I have never been a fan of Primark. What with their cheap and dubious quality products. Last year I was very bemused and shocked when thousands of so called fashionistas or bargainistas hysterically descended upon Oxford Street to get their grubby mitts on items in the new store. The launch of what is now the flagship store of 'Primarni' became a pivitol of cheap and throw away fashion with chains such as TK Maxx and Peacocks following suit. However as we all know, with every success comes a backlash and boy did it sting when the eco tree huggers came out in full force demanding to know exactly how these shops could sell clothes at such cheapo prices and still make a profit. Accusations of child labour and sweat shops in Asia were bandied about around the same time as every Tom, Dick and Harry became very concerned about the plight of the Ozone layer. Pretty soon every council in the country had a green agenda that told us to recycle, recycle and recycle. Celebrities such as Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman and Gwyneth Paltrow attached their name to eco causes and books such as Green is the New Black by Tamsin Blanchard sold by the bucket loads. Pretty soon ethical fashion was cool and the bargain basement clothes were not. Channel 4 are hot on the heels of this amazing transition with a new show called The Devil Wears Primark, where they send the over exposed and over rated model cum presenter, Alexa Chung to investigate the goings on at Primark. They even go as far as to set up a fashion sweat shop in the West End that is staffed with volunteers to see how they cope under such conditions. I have only seen the adverts for this show but it looks like a corker.

The Devil Wears Primark airs this Sunday at 9.00pm on Channel 4.