In just about every supermarket in the country, and doubtless others too, one can buy little glass bottles of liquid food colouring and essences such as vanilla and almond.  They’re tiny, light, can easily fall out of cupboards, and can cause permanent staining if they fall and smash.

Except that… they’re not glass.

They’re plastic.

Somehow I have lived out all my life so far convinced that these were tiny, fragile glass bottles that had to be meticulously placed in the cupboard to avoid your floor being permanently green.  Until, grabbing a bag of flour from my baking cupboard without paying attention, one of these bottles fell to the floor – and bounced.

Sometimes it’s the simplest design decisions that can avert disaster and bring a smile (in this case, of relief) to people’s faces.