The BBC has a list of stories from around the world on unlikely effects of the crunch, some of which I wholeheartedly endorse:
- "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." (from the 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."
- "As the credit crunch bites, fish and chip shops have seen an increase in sales for the first time in five years." (from the Times)
- "As the credit crunch bites, fish and chip shops have seen an increase in sales for the first time in five years." (from the Times again)
It’s all going very old-fashioned. Indeed, people are being forced to make their own fun again:
Britain is heading for a baby boom as the credit crunch is forcing couples to entertain themselves at home.
This from the Sun, with possibly the best graph I’ve seen all week.
UPDATE: did nobody notice that the last two of the list were the same?? Bloody hell.