Last week Trump, Clinton, Cruz, Rubio and a pile of other hopefuls headed to Iowa for the first caucus in the next race to the White House which was seen around the world, but who knew its connection to salvage?
 
Some of the broohaha in the run-up to the recent Iowa caucus was seen on the U.S. NBC TV network whose two flagship programmes, Today and Meet The Press, were anchored at the Des Moines premises of West End Architectural Salvage, famous for its appearance on HGTV, and featuring furniture and signage specially made by the company from reclaimed materials.
 
West End was started by Don Short around 2005 after a spell restoring classic homes using salvage, resulting in weekend tag sales of an accumulation of old bits and pieces. In 2006 he moved the burgeoning business into a 50,000 square foot warehouse where he opened a coffee shop and wine bar for events, where couples can get married, and a workshop with a team which restores and builds custom furniture reusing salvage which he now buys from USA and Europe. West End's TV shows started three years ago on HGTV.
 
So it was that many of the candidates and attendant journalists spent a few hours ruminating on the political cud in the first step for contention of leader of the free world - surrounded by architectural salvage.