https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/ The Magazine's recommended daily allowance of news, culture and your letters. en Copyright 2011 Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:03:22 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=4.33-en http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Strange, tangential and often unlikely events laid at the door of the credit crunch. Some British fish and chip shops have been trying out fishy tactics by passing off catfish from the rivers of the Mekong delta in Vietnam as the traditional dish's standard ingredient of cod. More details (the Times). With 55% of children reporting that they are worried about how the recession will affect their families, pester power is on the decline for the first time since World War II. And even if children weren't asking for less, 56% of parents report saying "no" more often. More details (Press Association). The number of men suffering from eating disorders is on the rise. While this demographic still only accounts for about 10% of all cases, there has been an increase in adult men seeking treatment since the crunch began. More details (Birmingham Post). In the past year, British people gained a total of 20 million stone, which one survey links back to the recession. When asked for the reason behind the weight gain, top responses included stress eating, buying cheaper and less healthy food, working longer hours and not being able to afford gym membership. More details (Daily Express). Tough times are expected to cause a dip in UK divorce rates, with one explanation being that it is more difficult to sell the family home in a falling housing market. But for couples who do split up, the number who cite money problems as a reason is likely to rise. More details (the Independent). According to one survey, a fifth of British people have resorted to selling treasured belongings to survive the recession. Among the loot: porn magazines from the 1940s, record collections and a wooden leg. More details (Sunday Sun). The recession may be causing a spike in fabricated burglary reports, in an attempt to make false insurance claims. One police station had 10 such episodes over the past few months. More details (Daily Mail). Last year, England's use of antidepressant prescriptions went up by more than two million compared with the year before. With a total of 36 million prescriptions in 2008, there has been an increase of almost 25% over the past five years. More details (the Observer. More people may be turning to their backyards into homes for an unusual new pet - a chicken. According to early evidence, more people are combating the recession with the economical animal, which produces eggs, eats table scraps and has waste that can be composted. More details (the Economist). Writers' advances have dropped to about three-quarters of what they used to be. Historians, in particular, have been hurt by this trend. While they used to earn an advance of £120,000, now the rate is a mere £20,000. More details (the Times). https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/07/crunch_creep_12.shtml https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/07/crunch_creep_12.shtml Crunch Creep Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:03:22 +0000 Strange, tangential and often unlikely events laid at the door of the credit crunch. Sales of fine-blend teas are dropping as cost-conscious Brits turn back to the traditional comforts of Builder's Tea. The lessening lure of exotic teas has already led to the specialist tea outlet Whittard's of Chelsea going into administration. More details (Daily Telegraph) Margarine sales are up as more people take to baking instead of spending money on expensive cakes and biscuits, as well as for home-made sandwiches ... More details (Telegraph) ... while sales of mushy peas have increased 340% in the last year - more people are cooking at home rather than eating out. More details (Telegraph) The price of property on the Moon - which is sold by the Lunar Embassy in the Czech Republic's capital Prague - is tumbling in price. More details (WA Today) The price of vintage wine is dropping - in some cases by up to 40% below cost - because City firms are no longer indulging lavish expense accounts. More details (Times) Nannies have seen their wages falling as increasing cost-cutting - and unemployment - means they are no longer seen as affordable, or necessary. More details (Telegraph) America may soon see its first major city without a daily newspaper, as a the advertising recession and dwindling readership causes venerable newspapers like the Seattle Post intelligencer to close. More details (Guardian) Sales of the quintessentially British Aga cooker - a staple of rural and middle class homes - have plummeted 20% in the last year because of its oil-gobbling reputation. More details (Telegraph) The age of the Yummy Mummy is over - the credit crunch is forcing the ultra-thin "It Mums" out of the gym and into the workplace. More details (Daily Mail) Blonde women are turning to hair dye to keep their jobs. They are opting for a darker tone to avoid redundancy, as brunettes are deemed "more professional". More details (Daily Express) https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/03/crunch_creep_11.shtml https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/03/crunch_creep_11.shtml Crunch Creep Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:55:03 +0000 Strange, tangential and often unlikely events laid at the door of the credit crunch, with an added festive flavour. Sales of trousers with elasticated waists have risen 16 per cent because shoppers are buying more durable clothes because of the credit crunch. More details (Sunday Telegraph) Coronation Street stars are fed-up because money-saving bosses have scrapped the catering van on set which dishes out tea and bacon butties to cast and crew. More details (Manchester Evening News) Birds Eye is bringing back the Arctic Roll, that defining pudding of the 70s and 80s, because it is very affordable in these hard times. More details (Guardian) Cadbury has ditched mini Crunchies and Dreams from boxes of Heroes and replaced them with cheaper alternatives such as mini-Bourneville bars, Eclairs and Fudge. More details (Express) Membership is booming at internet dating sites as the credit crunch brings a rush to find a partner to share the pain. More details (Independent) A book that taught Britons how to feed themselves cheaply during World War II rationing is flying off the shelves because of the credit crunch. More details (Express) Clerics believe the credit crunch is responsible for a steady rise in people going to church. More details (Independent) The number of people owning helicopters in Ireland is falling for the first time in more than a decade due to the credit crunch. (The Sun) Sales of smoothies, yoghurt drinks and bottled water have all fallen because of the credit crunch. More details (Daily Telegraph) And with a special festive flavour... The credit crisis is hitting the Christmas getaway, with people choosing to travel by train rather than driving or flying. More details (Daily Telegraph) Christmas cards sent out by the rich and famous - including the Royal Family and Gordon Brown - are more downbeat this year because of the economic crisis. More details (Guardian) There will be more repeats on TV than ever before over the festive season and industry experts are blaming the economic crisis. More details (Daily Mail) Bankers have become the new pantomime villains because of the credit crunch. More details (Guardian) Children will get half as much in their stockings this Christmas as the credit crunch bites. More details (The Sun) https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/12/crunch_creep_10.shtml https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/12/crunch_creep_10.shtml Crunch Creep Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:05:31 +0000 Strange, tangential and often unlikely events laid at the door of the credit crunch. John Sergeant did well on Strictly Come Dancing, and Daniel Evans on The X Factor, as they were the "feelgood" options in these difficult financial times. More details (Daily Telegraph) Pointy shoulders are very fashionable and are a way of "projecting a stiff upper lip". More details (The Guardian) The pantomime season is reporting roaring business because these plays dramatise dodgy deals and financial injustice. More details (The Guardian) Guns 'n' Roses' 14-years-in-the-making album will only sell well because it will take fans' minds off the credit crunch, says Mojo editor Phil Alexander. More details (audio from Today) Gabrielle in Desperate Housewives is in financial dire straits, as TV viewers don't want to watch rich characters frittering money away. More details (Express on Sunday) And Tiger Woods is not spared either, £6.6m poorer because General Motors has pulled the plug on his sponsorship deal. More details (The Guardian) Mistresses will be getting less expensive gifts. More details (Daily Telegraph) But a man who celebrates Christmas everyday is having to cut back on turkey. More details (Daily Telegraph) https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/11/crunch_creep_9.shtml https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/11/crunch_creep_9.shtml Crunch Creep Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:47:27 +0000 Strange, tangential and often unlikely events laid at the door of the credit crunch. People are suffering in the bedroom just as much as the boardroom. Sales of sex potions, like herbal Viagra, have risen by 400% in London in recent weeks and 250% nationally. More details (The Sun) Lunchbox sales have leapt 68% as the credit crunch sees workers forgo ready-made sandwiches to munch on homemade food instead. More details (Daily Mail) Many companies may be struggling but, for the chimney sweep, business is booming. Waiting times for sweeps are stretching into months and many are hiring extra staff to cope with the demand from customers trying to save cash on energy bills. More details (Mail on Sunday) Cost-cutting telly bosses have scrapped the traditional Christmas party for the stars of Coronation Street. More details (Daily Star) Travel agents have started charging holidaymakers for taking their expensive glossy brochures home because of the credit crunch and to deter "time wasters". (Daily Mirror) Grieving families are turning to wooden headstones. More details (Metro) Supermodel Elle Macpherson reckons the credit crunch has sent sales of her own-brand undies soaring. More details (Daily Express) Mamma Mia is the highest grossing British film ever, largely due to the credit crunch. More details (Daily Telegraph) Two British explorers hoping to reach the North Pole by hovercraft have cancelled the expedition, blaming the credit crunch. (Daily Star) https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/11/crunch_creep_8.shtml https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/11/crunch_creep_8.shtml Crunch Creep Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:21:41 +0000 Strange, tangential and often unlikely events laid at the door of the credit crunch. Horses are being abandoned as it costs so much to feed and house them - especially now the price of hay has shot up. More details (The Times) There may not be another Bond film for a while, says 007 actor Daniel Craig. "Economically the world is in quite a lot of trouble so who knows if we can afford to do another Bond movie anytime soon?" More details (Daily Telegraph) ...and if they can, Bond could become an honorary Brummie. More details (Daily Telegraph) The Queen will wear outfits she's worn before on a state visit to Slovenia and Slovakia. More details (Daily Mail) And Coronation Street's Molly will wed in a dress bought for another actress as the wardrobe department cuts its coat. More details (The Mirror) England's cricketers taking part in the Twenty20 Stanford Super Series "swag-grab" - for which they are paid a king's ransom - are told not to enjoy the spoils too much. More details (The Guardian) Author Kathy Lette has given up taxis and instead walks - or jogs - all the way across London's picturesque Regents Park to get about. More details (Daily Telegraph) Cobblers are getting more customers as shoe wearers try to make do and mend, rather than buy new shoes. More details (The Scotsman) And prams are flying out of charity shops as soon as they are wheeled in. More details (The Scotsman) Students may get lower degree marks because of working part-time to pay the bills. More details (Gair Rhydd, Cardiff's Student Weekly) Rather than drowning our sorrows, we are buying less beer. More details Although fans of covers acts may wish to raise a glass to mourn the cancellation of the Hallowfest tribute band event. More detail (Paisley Daily Express) Islamic financial systems which forbid the charging or paying of interest, could come into vogue. More details (The Age) https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/10/crunch_creep_7.shtml https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/10/crunch_creep_7.shtml Crunch Creep Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:01:16 +0000 Strange, tangential and often unlikely events laid at the door of the credit crunch. Sales of computer games consoles have doubled in the past year from 8.8 million to 17.3 million. More details (Evening Standard) Sales of maternity dresses are up because we are getting more frisky in hard times. More details (The Sun) Coffee beans and coffee-making machines are in demand. More details (Daily Mail) The difficult economic times could trigger a rise in cases of mental illness. More details (Mirror) Billionaire Roman Abramovich postpones his wedding because "now is not a good time to party". More details (The Sun) The British are turning to cake to cheer themselves up in the face of mounting gloom. Identity fraudsters are switching tactics to beat the credit crunch - targeting existing bank accounts instead of using fake identities to open new ones. More details (BBC News) The financial crisis is good for Ryanair. More details (Daily Mail) More middle class shoppers are going to Poundland. More details (The Independent) More students are working part-time. More details (Mail) https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/10/crunch_creep_6.shtml https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/10/crunch_creep_6.shtml Crunch Creep Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:20:07 +0000 Strange, tangential and often unlikely events laid at the door of the credit crunch. After a hiatus of several weeks the Monitor is pleased to present a bumper crop. "Playboy boss Hugh Hefner is laying off some of his bunny girls because of the credit crunch. The tycoon is reported to have been told to "strip back" loyal staff at his famous glamour empire." More details (Daily Star) "Sales of turnips have rocketed in the past 12 months as families hit by rising prices look for affordable alternatives to more expensive vegetables, such as purple sprouting broccoli and baby sweetcorn... They are potentially a credit crunch vegetable." More details (Times) "Tearooms are enjoying a renaissance in the credit crunch as people discover that sharing a pot of tea is cheaper than a round of cappuccinos. Some report a 30 per cent increase in trade over the past 12 months." More details (Times) "The soaring cost of petrol and the impact of the credit crunch is doing what campaigners and Government initiatives failed to achieve - forcing children to walk to school." (Express) "As the credit crunch bites, fish and chip shops have seen an increase in sales for the first time in five years." More details (Times) "Chocolate sales are soaring as gloomy Brits comfort-eat their way through the credit crunch. Experts say millions who can no longer afford restaurant meals or holidays are opting for a 'quick-fix' treat instead." More details (Sun) "A rise in theft of fruit and vegetables from allotments is being fuelled by the credit crunch, according to the National Society of Allotments and Leisure Gardeners." (Independent) "A survey has revealed the latest victim of the credit crunch is the tooth fairy. It seems the economic downturn is starting to bite with the average amount left under a pillow dropping from £1.22 to 87p in the past six months." More details (People) Britain is heading for a baby boom as the credit crunch is forcing couples to entertain themselves at home. More details (Sun) "Dominoes are set for a Christmas comeback as parents reeling from the credit crunch cut back their festive spending. The game is being tipped as one of this year's top selling toys along with other traditional favourites Snakes & Ladders and Cluedo." (Sunday Mirror) "It may have been the credit crunch... but this summer is expected to have been Britain's best for cinema attendance." More details (Times) "Hard-up Brits are shunning bottled water and turning on the tap during the credit crunch. Sales are down five per cent in the past year, with experts blaming the economy and concerns about plastic packaging damaging the environment." More details (Sun) "City workers facing redundancy could help ease a shortage of teachers in London. Officials hope victims of the credit crunch may be prepared to switch careers for the greater job security of teaching." More details (Evening Standard) "One in five young Brits wants to quit the UK because the credit crunch is so depressing." More details (Daily Star) "The holiday firm which now owns Butlins has seen annual profits topping £100million as it benefits from the credit crunch. Bourne Leisure, which also operates Warner Holidays and Haven UK caravan parks, recorded a profits rise of 6.7% to £103m in the last year." (Daily Star) https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/09/crunch_creep_5.shtml https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/09/crunch_creep_5.shtml Crunch Creep Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:52:17 +0000 Strange, tangential and often unlikely events laid at the door of the credit crunch. The city weekend break to mainland Europe appears to be a victim of the tighter family budgets, says Thomas Cook. But sales of longer foreign holidays are increasing as people prioritise the main summer getaway. (More details, Daily Telegraph) Senior company executives are quitting the UK to further their careers abroad, with Switzerland the biggest beneficiary, according to a recruitment website. (More details, Daily Telegraph) Airlines are reducing the weight of passenger meals and making cutlery and trolleys lighter, in an attempt to knock off those expensive ounces and save fuel. (More details, Daily Telegraph) https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/08/crunch_creep_4.shtml https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/08/crunch_creep_4.shtml Crunch Creep Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:18:46 +0000 Strange, tangential and often unlikely events laid at the door of the credit crunch. "New figures from Peter Gabriel's entertainment recommendation website TheFilter.com show a dramatic rise in the popularity of depressing music as Americans face uncertain times, due to a recession." (More details from Yahoo! News, nominated by Julie, Chicago.) "Crooning banker Howard Brown has been axed from the Halifax ads because he is too cheery for the credit crunch." (More details - Daily Telegraph) "Leftovers are increasingly being put on British menus as the credit crunch bites." (More details - Daily Mirror) "Britain's joint-oldest working men's club has gone broke and closed after nearly 150 years. Coventry Working Men's Club has followed hundreds of other social clubs in the Midlands and North of England by falling victim to the credit crunch, anti-smoking laws and a stay-at-home culture." (More details - Daily Express) https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/08/crunch_creep_3.shtml https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/08/crunch_creep_3.shtml Crunch Creep Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:31:50 +0000 Strange, tangential and sometimes unlikely events laid at the door of the credit crunch. Blood on the carpet. It's tough times for carpet makers, as Carpetright reports a 15.4% quarterly fall in sales. Its chief executive says: "It's not only in the carpet industry, it's in furniture, curtains, bedding - everything's gone quiet in that area. It's bloody tough." More details (Times) We've already been told that sales in shop-bought sandwiches are down as people make more of their own, sales of sausage rolls are up as people look for cheap lunches, and sales of chocolate are up as people want to treat themselves, but today we learn that cash-strapped customers are buying burgers at McDonalds - the company says it's got two million extra customers a month in the UK compared with last year. More details (Independent) Bad news for snooker fans though. The credit crunch means tournament sponsors are dropping out. There's a £1.5m prizemoney black hole after 888.com and Saga Insurance pulled out, blaming the economic climate. (Mirror) https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/08/credit_creep_1.shtml https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/08/credit_creep_1.shtml Crunch Creep Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:30:16 +0000 Strange, tangential and sometimes frankly spurious events laid at the door of the credit crunch. House prices will go UP due to the credit crunch More details (Daily Express) Current account balances are down 6% on last year More details (Guardian) The rising cost of meals and packed lunches mean parents spend about £1,077 on each child at a state school - up 2.3% in the last year More details (Daily Mirror) Hotels in the sun for £2 a night More details (Daily Express) https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/08/credit_creep.shtml https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/08/credit_creep.shtml Crunch Creep Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:27:06 +0000 Strange, tangential and sometimes frankly spurious events laid at the door of the credit crunch. The credit crunch is making more people in the UK lose their hair. More details (Nourkrin press release) Organic food is being badly hit by the credit crunch. Milk is particularly badly affected, with farms that were converting to organic turning their back on it in the face of rising feed prices. More details (the Independent) Fewer people are visiting London. Although foreign visitor numbers rose 6% in the first six months of last year, the total numbers were down 7% from July to December. More details (Evening Standard) Record numbers of students are working their way through university. More details (the Times) There's been a "massive surge" in parents being pursued for unpaid school fees. More details (the Times) More unlikely byproducts of credit crunch. https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/08/crunch_creep_2.shtml https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/08/crunch_creep_2.shtml Crunch Creep Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:01:07 +0000 Strange, tangential and sometimes frankly spurious events laid at the door of the credit crunch. Truro Cathedral cannot get new bells. A £103,000 bequest - in the form of shares in a bank - to pay for the new bits of metal has lost two-thirds of its value in the 18 months since it was made. More details (the Times) Greggs are selling more pasties and sausage rolls. The chief executive thinks the firm might be benefiting from shoppers looking for a cheaper lunch. More details (the Scotsman) There's been a 100% rise in yacht theft insurance claims since last year. One company - Charles Taylor Adjusting - wonders whether credit crunch-inspired fraud could be to blame for some of it. More details (Daily Telegraph) While musicals are doing brilliantly in London's West End, straight plays are not, and it could all be a question of credit crunch gloom avoidance. Nica Burns, chief executive of Nimax Theatres, which owns the Apollo and Lyric, said: "When times are hard, people are more likely to spend what little money they have on being cheered up by a musical." More details (Evening Standard) Starbucks is giving away a free cup of coffee to customers buying a hot drink as part of a plan to "engage the customer with the coffee experience". More details (Daily Telegraph) More unlikely byproducts of credit crunch. https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/08/crunch_creep_1.shtml https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/08/crunch_creep_1.shtml Crunch Creep Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:47:10 +0000 Strange, tangential and sometimes frankly spurious events laid at the door of the credit crunch. Cadbury's profits up 46% in the first half of 2008. "No matter how bleak economies look, people always go for treats and that's why we have seen no real slowdown," said Cadbury's chief executive, Todd Stitzer. More details (the Guardian) An historic fee-paying girls' school faces closure. A spokesman for the administrators said: "Given the current economic climate, linked with a short-term fall in pupil numbers and limited availability of funding, the board of governors took the decision to place Wentworth Milton Mount Ltd into administration." More details (the Times) Companies are having to show they care about the environment and the social impact of what they do. More details (the Times) Police numbers are down in the London Borough of Hounslow. More details (Hounslow Chronicle) More unlikely byproducts of credit crunch. https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/07/crunch_creep.shtml https://nontonwae.pages.dev/blogs/magazinemonitor/2008/07/crunch_creep.shtml Crunch Creep Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:40:05 +0000