Emer Mclysaght's Nobody Needs This Targets Trends We Can Skip

A new series where Emer McLysaght helps us avoid chasing every trend and instead points us to things worthy of our time and money. In Nobody Needs This, a new series for The Journal, Emer McLysaght focuses her eagle eye on the trends, products and notions we can do without. It’s not all giving out, however.

She’ll also be keeping up with what’s catching her attention, keeping people interested and, quite frankly, driving her mad. Remember the summer of the great paddling pool shortage? It was 2013 and Ireland was in the claw of a July heatwave.

Across the country there wasn’t a paddling pool to be had for love nor money. Retailers reported empty shelves and anyone with a dusty old green turtle shell in the back garden was firing it up online to make a few bob. This week, I became gripped by a fever not dissimilar to the Great Paddling Pool Shortage of 2013. I gave in to camping trolley mania. I’ve been attending Electric Picnic and various other Irish festivals for almost 20 years on and off, and I’ve done each and every one without the aid of a trolley.