Is the aftermath now biting the old?

I don't know about you but I have been watching the antics of my 'older' customers since we re-opened. Somethings not quite right with this years batch - so far -. Many not spending at all. Those that are seem to be very cautious about costs. Getting an awful lot of 'enquiries' but very few takers. They seem to be motoring around the area looking for 'free-bees'.
Savings taken a battering do we think????

What sort of shop do you own?

Train World Adventure Park/ Teifi Valley Railway. West Wales. - Heritage Steam plus almost everything for the young and old.  Quite good weather this year - so far.  

Genteel! There's a thing.   It's around this time of the year we get a 'feed-back' on the seasons successes. Most are reporting a 'dire' season - one worse than 'bad'. It seems few people are around and even those are not spending. This is following three bad years when we have lost a number of our compatriots to the 'debt-bin'. It should of course make it easier for the rest of us. But such is not the case without the 'numbers' and the 'spend' to go with it.
Where this 'success' factor and 'healthier economy' is I have no idea? It is certainly NOT percolating outwards to the peripheries that's for sure. It's hardly surprising that Scotland is beginning to feel it would be better off 'on its own' if the same is happening up there. We are fast becoming 'two' nations with a division floating off around the south-east. I wonder if the powers that be realise just how dangerous that is???

My personal observations re the spending habits of us ‘oldies’ is that of one of fear for the future. The continuing low interest rates are having a steadying effect on those on fixed incomes, with in our case spending on the homestead, walking shower for example, eating into our savings. There is of course the growing fear that family members are struggling to make ends meet, from my chats in the four ale bars of certain establishments we frequent, meaning the bank of mum and dad is coughing up to help out.

Your ‘free bees’ comment is interesting I feel this could be a result of peoples priorities or worse a selfish attitude which is all too common nowadays.

I hope your visitor numbers improve Ray, I am only too aware of how a not for profit attraction like yours is dependent on dosh even with a volunteer workforce. Cheers and yakki dar?

[quote="Atlas"]We are fast becoming 'two' nations with a division floating off around the south-east. I wonder if the powers that be realise just how dangerous that is???[/quote]

The economic gap north-south is at it's widest and still growing wider. How dangerous is that? It is, as Old Regulator says, worrying. Perhaps there has been in the past, an underlying expectation the north would economically 'catch up' with the south, but no, it's the opposite. North and South, two countries with different histories, different futures?

Strange situation though, if you factor in property prices, you have more return for your coin away from the south east.

True for those at the bottom end of the market, and still true for those who choose to tie up equity in property.

I suspect things will not change until teachers, nurses, firemen, shopworkers, cleaners, tube staff, etc. cannot afford to live or work in London and the whole place grinds to an insanitary halt.

True there are swings and roundabouts involved living either south or north, and different ways of going on.

The UK has done quite well as a united kingdom, but if it continues to effectively divide into small 'countries' with different economies and cultures, it may not be for the best, at least would require a lot of re-organising.

From my research, talking to people, the answer is yes, the aftermath of the financial crash is 'biting' the old. Older people, some supporting younger family who are in financial difficulty, have lost the prospect of the secure or comfortable old age they hoped for.

Just had the 'marketing' reports through. As usual everyone bull-shitting that things are 'hunky-dory' when the truth is somewhat very different. There's being 'positive' and there's being 'idiotic'. If we keep up the pretense long enough we shall all go to hell and back in a basket - smiling as we go. I'm the first to encourage 'faith' and 'chin-up' as it usually pans out alright in the end - but this is something else. It's going on too long for comfort this time around. I fear things are not nearly as good as others would have us believe.