I went to a couple of garden centres over the weekend and normally they would have been heaving with people buying bedding plants and/or Christmas goods... they were both practically empty

On Saturday evening I went to a nice country-ish pub for a meal, and again the pub was almost empty.

Is this people feeling the crunch??? Anyone else noticed?

In the recession of the early 90s, one of the things I noticed was that the traffic on the motorways was much lighter. I can't say I've noticed that this time, but I don't do as much motorway driving as I used to - has anyone noticed a difference on the motorways?

My journey over the M62 this morning was very busy and slow, it took me 2 and a half hours.
But I'm usually coming over Tuesday , not Monday, and I think Monday is normally busier .
In Heswall we have at least 10 restuarants. Last Wed, when we went out for a meal for Mrs. '60th' 'Gusto' was packed, and it was a good job I had booked a table.
But then Heswall is a fairly affluent town !!

I noticed it at work over the summer. The others had all worked there for at least two years, and apparently this was the quietest summer yet. Very few people were buying ornaments or expensive cookware, and quite a few people oveheard saying that they would just go to one of the supermarkets where they could buy similar things much more cheaply. Quite often those who did buy something more frivolous would start to explain how it was to be put aside as a Christmas present because they would have to spread the cost out throughout the year. As someone put it, they 'didn't buy things unless they had to.'

Heswall was on The One Show a few weeks ago...comparing there to Liverpool.

I took my mum to a garden centre yesterday. Surprisingly quiet compared to other Sundays when we've been there. However, Sainsburys afterwards was like any other day of the week...very busy. It was a lovely sunny day, but hardly any cars were on the A2 heading coastbound.

people never appreciate when "we have never had it so good" until it's too late.
Now we are beginning to notice it...

I've noticed that the shopping centre close to work has got considerably quieter over the last couple of weeks. I definately think people are either holding on to their money or doing early Christmas shopping if they have anything to spare. Most of the clothes shops seem to have special sales going on and not many customers.

I was very surprised when I did my once a month trip to a local Tesco to see how many cut price offers there were and also how much emptier that shelves were. The car park was far less full than usual too. I wonder if the EMS will cut the price of my new recorder when it arrives.

On Saturday my daughter and I went to the Knit and Stitch Show at Alexandra Palace, which was packed - tickets £12 per head plus the cost of getting there and whatever you bought when you were there (we managed to spend of course, but some items were Christmas presents)

On Sunday morning we went to Sainsbury's and it was certainly very busy there. We went to Windsor Great Park in the afternoon and it was absolutely heaving - I've never seen so many people there before and the ice cream vans were doing a roaring trade (at a minimum £1.50 for a basic cone!). It was so sunny and warm that people were still coming in (as we were) at four o'clock and there were still a lot of people there at six o'clock when we left. I suspect that the garden centres were probably fairly empty! Perhaps people are looking at the free and cheaper attractions now.

Very glad to say I rarely use the motorways now - but the main roads still seem much as usual. City was quite busy today, though I don't suppose Mondays are usually the busiest of the week

I have noticed people are driving more slowly. Silly really as the best MPG is usually at 50-60 MPH, not at 30-40 MPH that everyone seems to be driving at.

I was shopping at Bluewater yesterday - my biggest local mall-type shopping centre - and it seemed busy enough, but it was hard to tell whether people were shopping or just browsing.

Perhaps the fact that fuel consumption is most efficient at 50-60 might explain why so many people driving through our village ignore the 30mph signs

I've been to one of these! Spent an absolute fortune...and some of the cross stitch patterns are still in my box waiting to be done four years later!


My sister manages part of a shop in Bluewater. She and the staff had letters to say her hours were going to be cut. However, they now have letters to say their hours are "safe"! Not very good for the emotions..considering lots of the branches of her shop are closing at Christmas. They are taking each day at a time.