Economy contracts 0.7%

[Spursalot]

Believe your own eyes........I think there's a disconnect with the media rhetoric and the actual reality.

I was more leaning towards the media rhetoric pushing people towards the reality.


Media claim we are having a recession, people tighten their belts and spend less, we enter a recession.

 

[scaramanga]

Last time I went there must have been 3 years ago. Ralph Lauren store was around £20 cheaper on a polo that most shops elsehwere. Do remember it being popular with Chinese people back then as well.

You're doing it wrong. You won't get much of a discount on £60 stuff from the more 'high street' retailers.

If you want to make the trip worthwhile, try McQueen, Westwood, Gucci, etc. Not worth the petrol to save £20 on a polo shirt but well worth it to save £300-400 on a coat.

 

[spursman17]

You're doing it wrong. You won't get much of a discount on £60 stuff from the more 'high street' retailers.

If you want to make the trip worthwhile, try McQueen, Westwood, Gucci, etc. Not worth the petrol to save £20 on a polo shirt but well worth it to save £300-400 on a coat.

Well when I made this trip it was for mutiple polo's not just one I did around £700 in total but I prefer doing one good shop that a load of smaller ones.

Paying upwards of £600+ on a coat however is a no no. I refuse to pay so far over the odds just on a single item just for a label.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Believe your own eyes........I think there's a disconnect with the media rhetoric and the actual reality.

I think there is a disconnect between reality and peoples perception of it as well.

The country is in the brick, we are in recession, and yet people just seem to carry on like nothing has changed. Denial?

Not saying whether its a good or bad thing, just that people seem (to me) to not be paying attention at all.

 

[southstand1882]

Worth a read:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deluxe-How-Luxury-Lost-Lustre/dp/0141019670

Other than handbags for the missus (which are mandatory purchases), I avoid the traditional luxury brands like the plague

Absolute rip off. Quality is not there any more. You may as well buy George from Asda. Same sort of manufacturing background!

I like to buy British when I can (Grenson, Smedley) because you can be sure they are using quality materials and its not being made in a sweatshop in Nairobi or China

Seriously guys, avoid the big runway names.....or at least read this book and decide for yourself

I suppose this should be in the fashion thread really

 

[spursman17]

Worth a read:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deluxe-How-Luxury-Lost-Lustre/dp/0141019670

Other than handbags for the missus (which are mandatory purchases), I avoid the traditional luxury brands like the plague

Absolute rip off. Quality is not there any more. You may as well buy George from Asda. Same sort of manufacturing background!

I like to buy British when I can (Grenson, Smedley) because you can be sure they are using quality materials and its not being made in a sweatshop in Nairobi or China

Seriously guys, avoid the big runway names.....or at least read this book and decide for yourself

I suppose this should be in the fashion thread really

I agree mate, I have family living in Italy who work for some of the big named brands. A lot of the stuff is made in China, India and then shipped over to Italy where they make small changes, add the labeling and then claim it was made from there!

In the older days these brands were made exclusivly for particular stores as 'one off' items. Now days they are mass produced but carry the same pricing!

Don't get me wrong, quality is better than your average brand but is it worth the hundreds of pounds extra? Not a chance.

I have a couple of Armani suits and although it carries some nice small details I wouldn't say it was much different from the better suits sold in M&S for a third of the price!

 

[Leeds Spur]

Reading in the times that the average revision of these figures is 0.4 percent and out of the last 40 sets of figures they have subsequently been revised by 0.7 or more 7 times!!!!!

Given they are reported so widely and have a negative effect in people I suggest we tell the ONS to keep their gobs shut. And someone needs the sack as they are clearly brick!!!

 

[Leeds Spur]

I think there is a disconnect between reality and peoples perception of it as well.

The country is in the brick, we are in recession, and yet people just seem to carry on like nothing has changed. Denial?

Not saying whether its a good or bad thing, just that people seem (to me) to not be paying attention at all.

It's not denial. Most people are happy in their houses, an afford the mortgages. Have plenty of money for holidays and clothes and meals out. In fact with the base rate so low millions are better off than before as their outgoings have reduced far more than inflation.

The micro analysis of every piece of news now fudges me off. We literally have never had it so good as a country but you wouldn't know.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Mate, Im not in a position to spend money anyway so its no different to me! It does seem to me though people are out spending at ease and without worry. As I said Im not commenting on whether thats positive or not.

I do blame the Micro analysis you speak of though. 24 hour rolling news channels, emails, internet, radio - everything is screaming "RECESSION" and for so long now ANY small change/snippet/event gets blown out of promotion (just to fill airtime Im sure).... Basically people get desensitized to it, they switch off.

Used to be that the news was reported twice a day, in print and on tv - and in such a way it had been considered before air and people would actually listen

 

[billyiddo]

The country is in the brick, we are in recession, and yet people just seem to carry on like nothing has changed. Denial?

I don't pay any attention to this kind of thing if im honest as i can't really get my head around it all (probably more that i don't want to understand) but i dont get what you're saying here - how should people be acting under these 'circumstances' i have as much surplus cash as 5 years a go plenty of work on by the looks of things etc so why shouldn't i be carrying on as normal?

 

[southstand1882]

I don't pay any attention to this kind of thing if im honest as i can't really get my head around it all (probably more that i don't want to understand) but i dont get what you're saying here - how should people be acting under these 'circumstances' i have as much surplus cash as 5 years a go plenty of work on by the looks of things etc so why shouldn't i be carrying on as normal?

That's the spirit

British bulldog

It's not so long ago that we were on rations, fighting a world war

And people are crying over some economic hardship

The youth of today

 

[Leeds Spur]

I don't want to diminish individual situations. It's very tough if you lose your job and especially if you have a family to feed. But the fact remains that millions of people have never had it so good. The population is up 3 million in 10 years. It's hard to get jobs for everyone.

 

[billyiddo]

That's the spirit

British bulldog

It's not so long ago that we were on rations, fighting a world war

And people are crying over some economic hardship

The youth of today

Funny attitude to take with someone asking a genuine question.

Nayim was saying about people carrying on as normal as though it was strange to see - so far in my experience nothing has changed and it seems that way for a lot of people - so why wouldn't we be carrying on as normal ?

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Its a fair shout Billy, I guess I was just expecting more prudence with the worry about job security and the prices of things going up

 

[Leeds Spur]

Same mate, got turned down from San Carlo and ended up in Bibis Italianissimo, great place if you have never been.

I've been working in Leeds for a while now, nice city if I do say so myself. Only downside is the begging kunts that do my head it literally every time I go outside.

Bibis is a bit of an institution but I prefer Piccolino or Carluccios. Casa Mia is very nice as well, next to Millenium Square. You live in Leeds?

 

[Gordinho]

True.

I've been over in Bicester Village a couple of times over the last couple of weeks and on both occasions it was absolutely heaving. Mind you, there's a lot of Chinese money in boutique shopping.

Bicester Village has gone down market.