Recession? What recession?

We are constantly being bombarded with the news that half the world is in financial difficulties and that drastic measures are needed to stop countries such as Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Ireland - and possibly even France - sinking under the weight of their debts.  Here in England we are metaphorically tightening our belts.  Or so we are told.  But my fish-wrap of choice has today announced in its travel section that the most popular country in the world for English people to visit is not France, just a few miles across the water, not even the United States with numerous cut-price flights, but New Zealand, just about the most distant country there is from the UK and correspondingly expensive to reach.  Mind you, I have always had a slightly rueful smile on my face when reading the travel section as their idea of a cheap hotel is about as far removed from my idea as England is from New Zealand!

The Old Bat and I have just come back from a short shopping trip when we visited a local food store which advertises a meal for two for £10 - with a free bottle of wine thrown in.  Not literally thrown in, you idiot, but included.  That is a pretty good deal when you realise that the wine I chose normally retails at £7.49 - which perhaps indicates the general sort of prices one finds at Marks and Spencer.  Somewhat higher than the average supermarket, which is why we don't usually shop there.  But I was astonished how many people were doing their shopping at those higher prices when Asda, one of the cheaper supermarkets, is only a stone's throw away.

Likewise, restaurants in Brighton are still busy - even on Mondays.  And I mentioned yesterday how many millions of pounds are thought to have been donated to charity over the past few weeks.

I ask again, what recession?

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Just to the left a little from yesterday's picture we can see some of the high rise flats that replaced the slums in this area.  Just when, I wonder, so today's slums become tomorrow's heritage?  The church tower is that of St Peter's.