Lack of people out and about around here yesterday as well, years gone by you would see kids out on their new pushbikes, people out and about in their new coats / gloves / scarfs etc. When you get a new games console / mobile phone / laptop there is no need to go out !

Like your area house prices are out of reach of most, around here - think our place has gone up by about 100k in the 20 or so years we have lived here - ridiculous, but our Daughter will benefit when we have gone.

You see a lot of new builds bought for rental, recent pub to flat conversion up the road soon had a "to let' sign put up outside.

We dont have any decent pubs any longer, they have either been closed / converted to flats and those that are left dont have any soul, they are just bland, and serve crap beers, they are more geared to eating. One has a particularly indifferent landlord, no idea what hospitality is so I dont go there any more.

We also have our fair share of Turkish 'barbers" - as my local barber I have been going to for years pointed out, these so called "barbers" are often open very late into the night - who goes for a haircut at midnight. You seldom see any customers "in the chair" yet there is a constant stream of visitors, and high end BMWs / Mercs / Audis stopping by. My barber is convinced it is a front for something else, and I think the general opinion is that they are a front for illegal activity.

Also lots of shops have closed, and have been taken over by second hand shops.

Think this is pretty universal accross the country, having said that it is a decent morning, not cold for the time of year. We are cosy and warm in our home, and dont have the huge millstone of any kind of debt hanging around our necks.

I'll be doing a bit of fettling this morning, as well as having a walk over to check on Mum before another afternoon of over indulgance.