That a cost of living crisis has engulfed the country is indisputable.
Some 41 percent of people have cut back on food spending, 45 per cent have reduced car journeys, the cost of a packed school lunch has soared by 70 percent and many food prices have more than doubled since 2021.
More dramatic evidence than economists’ figures is the visible effect on individuals and their lives.
A student at Swansea University said the atmosphere in shared accommodation had become “more hostile” due to efforts to control costs. “People are quick to blame others if lights are left burning,” said Claire Dudeney, 22, a third-year student.
Another student said angry messages had been exchanged about the over-use of toilet rolls and some young people were declining invitations to join sports clubs because of the costs.
In the north of England, Newcastle University opened a pantry to provide free food, hygiene products and clothing for those under financial pressure with nowhere to turn.
Mady Baugh, president of the Students’ Union, said all the items were made available through funding from the university and donated items from an on-site Co-Op store.
Michelle Knight, who runs the Six Bells pub in Coity, Bridgend, has halved the range of draught beer and ciders available to drinkers. She said reducing the number of barrels would make her cooling system more efficient.
Ms Knight has pinned her energy bills on the walls of the pub to demonstrate why such tough measures are necessary to keep the pub open. The invoices show that the pub’s energy costs increased from £1,313 in October 2021 to £3,404 in the same month this year, a rise of 160 per cent.
A visible indicator of the change in shopping habits is evident in any supermarket, where shelves carrying red markers for discounted items often stand empty next to the full-priced offerings.
It is difficult to find any food item that has not increased in price. According to research by Starling Bank, items such as bread, crisps, yoghurts and apples have all passed the £1 mark within the last year, while a packed lunch which was £7 last year is now £11.87.
The biggest price increase was for tomatoes, up by 146 per cent in a year.
The BBC’s Good Food survey found that a fifth of housewives no longer switch on their oven and a quarter is less likely to cook a Sunday roast. The microwave oven has become increasingly popular.
The government has promised that all pensioners will get a £300 bonus cost of living payment starting this month. For most Brits, however, it’s a question of tightening waist belts by one more notch.
Growing up in my house, November 5 was known as “Ducky Apple Night,” when you ducked your head into a bath of water and tried to snare a floating apple with your teeth.
Now it seems to be an excuse for mayhem.
On November 5 last week, a 17-year-old boy died in Halifax when he crashed through the glass of a greenhouse while fleeing police who were chasing youths firing rockets; in Sheffield, masked youngsters threw fireworks at motorists and pedestrians, and a car was set alight; in Edinburgh, a barricade was set burning across a major street.
Historically, November 5 marks the discovery of a 1605 plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament with barrels of gunpowder and assassinate King James I and his government. The plotters were discovered and “Bonfire Night” became a date on the national calendar.
However, from lighting a local bonfire and setting off a few sparklers, the celebrations have become ever wilder, so that in Greater Manchester, for instance, fire crews and police attended 229 incidents in one evening last week.
The disorder has led to widespread demands to limit fireworks to licensed events. In Halifax, John McQueenie said, “Fireworks should be banned for public use and bonfires should only be allowed with a licence.”
One for computer nerds, two for the rest of us…
The inventor of predictive text died yesterday. His funfair is next monkey.
A man complained to his wife that there had been a reshuffle of jobs at his workplace and he was now fourth instead of third in the company hierarchy. “Don’t worry, honey,” said his wife, “here at home you’ll always be number two.”
When the boss accepted an employee’s invitation to dinner, the worker was on his wife’s case for days: make sure the house is clean, use our best crockery, cook a wonderful meal etc etc.
The wife finally had enough. “I know you want to make a good impression on your boss,” she said, “but I can hardly do in two hours what you have failed to do in 15 years.”
