Recession

[Rum Rat]

Has anyone actually been affect by the recession of downturn in trade?

 

The shops seem full of people. Not just the 'essential' food shops but the 'non essential' such as the Graden Centres, Clothing stores, Bedding stores etc

 

The only place I have seen 'rather empty', was a Travel Agent I went into yesterday to get a brochure, 'BUT', it was one of the run of the mill High Street TA's and not the specialist/private type I use.

 

Recession? Point it out to me :-)

 

Mike

[CASPALL]

Just look on RCI forum and you will see there is indeed a recession.

Some people are thinking they may have to cancel their cruise.

[LibraLass41]

2 pm today passed lots of pubs on a drive out, all with full car parks with people having sunday lunch out, ?

 

my hairdressers yesterday was full and the hairdresser said they are always very busy (cut and colour=£50 as does a perm)

 

Petrol now gone down from £1.20 a litre to 97P

 

My mortgage payments this month gone down £25pm , interest payments lowered...

 

On cc the pando site we discussed this, and some said they may have to cut the number of cruises they do down from 3 or 4 to 1 or 2 ! OH DEAR.:rolleyes:

 

If people are 'talked into a recession' with this constant battering of news (even though for them at the moment!! their jobs are ok etc etc ) they will stop spending money in shops, the shops will close, more people will be made redundant - from shop workers to people who produce the items for the shop and all people inbetween - lorry drivers etc etc... so if you are ok, keep spending, and keep this country afloat!

[Rum Rat]

""On cc the pando site we discussed this, and some said they may have to cut the number of cruises they do down from 3 or 4 to 1 or 2 ! OH DEAR""

 

Now why am I not at all suprised at doom and gloom coming out from that sight?

 

Doesn't change apparently then?

 

Mike

[Gerrym]

Hardly doom and gloom Mike!

 

LOL

[Rum Rat]

Sue's posting

 

All upbeat until you come tp reference tp the P&O site :-(

 

Even her final sentence is upbeat.

 

I came off the P&O site because the doom and gloom bore no resembence to my terrific cruising experiences. It was wonderful on that site on the days of Nige and 'C'. All upbeat and fun :-)) Just like cruising

 

Mike

[stopgo]

Has anyone actually been affect by the recession of downturn in trade?

 

The shops seem full of people. Not just the 'essential' food shops but the 'non essential' such as the Graden Centres, Clothing stores, Bedding stores etc

 

The only place I have seen 'rather empty', was a Travel Agent I went into yesterday to get a brochure, 'BUT', it was one of the run of the mill High Street TA's and not the specialist/private type I use.

 

Recession? Point it out to me :-)

 

Mike

Depends where abouts you reside some areas worse it than others.

Everybody that as a private pension will be affected by the recession that as caused the fall in share prices. Anybody that as shares must be aware

of the collapse in the share price. Sue's Carnival shares must have gone

through the floor, but if you have any spare money which Sue clearly has

you can pick up shares at cheap prices.

[jomf]

My hubby is in the building trade, and as yet he has been unaffected. However, looking at the number of planning applications (which is the lowest I have ever seen it) next year will be a very tough one. Also friends of ours who work in the trade have been and are being laid off by the shed load.

So it depends on your job and friendship base as to whether you see signs of it yet.

Until mortgages are easier and cheaper to get ( all the banks etc are putting on large admin fees) the building trade will continue to suffer.

[caneable]

Most of us will have booked our cruises some way in advance so any recession isn't likely to hit, unless you have to cancel. That's not to say the worldwide picture won't affect our experience. For cruisers and all holiday makers it's going to be dependent on where you are bound. During the summer we got $1.94 generally in the US whilst you're lucky to get $1.60 right now. On the other hand we were in Oz at the start of the year struggling to get AS$2 and that's currently above AS$2.30. Then again, most cruise costs are taken in one big hit, so maybe it will only affect local activities like independent tour or day car hire, and souvenirs. Whisper it quietly, but cruising may be the best way to continue to go!

[stopgo]

I think the orginal post was asking if the recession had affected people

in general terms not just in Cruise Holidays. I think there is going to be a lot more to worry about than whether you have to pospone a cruise holiday for a year or two.

[caneable]

Maybe so, but this board is on a website called "CRUISE Critic".

[stopgo]

Maybe so, but this board is on a website called "CRUISE Critic".

Yes but the subject is the recession, if you don't want to post about it pick another topic

[stopgo]

Just went to T/A today and all the cruises are reduced so I guess the recession has started to hit.

[lostinvegas]

The music industry has been effected, the reason your seeing all these reunion tours is because they sell tickets for little outlay in PR and advertising. The agents, promoters and record companies are struggling to sell anything new at a profit at the moment, the costs in hyping a band far outway the profit. Your getting all the sure things that appeal to an older audience going round and round at the moment. Some young bands are doing ok but others are really struggling.

 

Its not effected me personally yet but it could do if people do not have money to go out to gigs.

 

I have just paid for my cruise in Feb so thats safe but I am not going to book anyhting else at the moment just in case.

 

I have rented rooms out in my house as the 2 people who live with me are friends and could not get a mortgage or afford to rent their own houses.

 

Chris

[MattyBarlow]

I work for an automotive manufacturer on the south coast. We have just hit the headlines because of some changes to our production and temp staff going. The media havent reported the facts as they are. As far as they are concerned its game over. Infact its not at all and we will still make more cars next year than we did in 2007! The media are as guilty as the bankers for the state we are in!

[stopgo]

The music industry has been effected, the reason your seeing all these reunion tours is because they sell tickets for little outlay in PR and advertising. The agents, promoters and record companies are struggling to sell anything new at a profit at the moment, the costs in hyping a band far outway the profit. Your getting all the sure things that appeal to an older audience going round and round at the moment. Some young bands are doing ok but others are really struggling.

 

Its not effected me personally yet but it could do if people do not have money to go out to gigs.

 

I have just paid for my cruise in Feb so thats safe but I am not going to book anyhting else at the moment just in case.

 

I have rented rooms out in my house as the 2 people who live with me are friends and could not get a mortgage or afford to rent their own houses.

 

Chris

Its the mid range bands that will suffer the ones who charge £18-£25, the ones who just are breaking in the £8-£12 will be okay

[lostinvegas]

Thats not actually the case it works more on a band by band basis the ticket price does not seem to effect the attendance. Well not in the midlands region which is where I work but talking to the bands as they come through it seems to be a similar story nationwide.

 

We have had some bad attendances with low prices and some really good attendances when the price has been higher. There have been times when I have thought "that will never sell" and it has, and vice versa

 

It tends to be the older more established acts that constantly do well.

 

Chris

[stopgo]

When you say older more established bands which ones are you refering to.

[lostinvegas]

Alabama 3, The Blockheads, Henry Rollins, The Buzzcocks, HMHB, are 5 that are selling well at the moment or sold well very recently.

 

Chris

[stopgo]

When you were talking about older more established bands, I thought you were talking about arena bands such as Coldplay,Oasis, U2. What does H.M.H.B. stand for?

[lostinvegas]

Half Man Half Biscuit. They are a punk band who did well in the late 80's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hmhb

 

The big established acts like Cold Play and The Killers will always do well. I work mainly with mid sized band who do 300 - 3000 capacity venues. I work in house in Leamington Spa at The Assembly which is a 1000cap multi use venue, our main bread and butter is touring bands though. I also tour with bands and do festivals in the summer.

 

Some of the festivals did not do as well this year and some of the younger mid sized acts are strugling to pull any sort of decent sized audience at all. 18 months ago this was not the case.

 

Chris

[stopgo]

Thanks, I have heard of H.M.H.B. but not anything by them. Thats a broad span 300- 3000, it must cover everything from a band with a first album to promote to the Wombats. Which is the biggest band you have had play the Assembly, I would have thought that if its 1000, capacity it would be up comeing bands.

[lostinvegas]

We have only been open a couple of months but so far the interest from bigger acts to do 1 off special gigs and warm ups has been high. It was designed by lawrence llewelyn bowen and is a very very nice place. We have better in house production than just about anywhere so its a very attractive propersition capaity aside.

 

I cannot really say who we have got coming up thats not been advertised yet as this is a public forum and I would get into trouble.

 

But we do have The Enemy playing on the 10th March, who are the biggest name I can talk about. There are others though.

 

I do freelance work as well as work at The Assembly so I do cover a vast range of acts. The wombats will be here today gone tomorrow. They toured supporting The Holloways last year in September and were hardly pulling anyone in their own right. Their record label put money into a massive TV campaign and then almost over night they sold out their own tour earlier this year. That sort of Indie band are 2 a penny and the next one will be along before long. I mean look at the Futureheads they went from selling out 2000 cap venues and now struggle to pull in a couple of hundred people. Indie is like pop music nowadays you get the odd band like The Killers who go on to be massive but the majority fall by the wayside ver quickly.

 

Chris

 

Chris

[stopgo]

I would class the Enemy as in the 2 a penny mob. By its nature pop and indie are fashion driven, and like fashion things can date, and go out as well as come back in. I am not a fan of the Wombats it was just an example, but they do have a Xmas single out which should do well. Most of the bands you were siteing, are fairly old and probally have a older fan base that can afford to go to gigs more often. They are also better live as well. Everything comes down to the quality of songs in the end, the production is just shop dressing to give a up to date sound. The Futureheads got dropped by their major label, which explains their low profile. The sad truth is c/ds don't generate much revenue in most cases, and its the gigs that brings in the profit. Artists can have a run of top ten hits, and still get dropped by the label.

[lostinvegas]

I agree on the Enemy they are just a big name at the moment and would normally play bigger venues.

 

I agree with every you have said apart from:

 

"Everything comes down to the quality of songs in the end"

 

There are loads of good bands out there writing fantastic songs, but unless people hear them they will never know about them. You need the money to pay for PR, radio play, videos on TV etc.. without the money no-one will ever know those songs exist.

 

On top of that even bad songs can do welll with enough PR "Mr Blooby", "Peter Kay". Money buys success.

 

Its sad actually as your getting more and more rich mums and dads buying their kids success. I have some friends who are agents who are salaried by Rich familys to get their kids the good support slots with their heroes.

 

As you quite rightly point out the record companies are no longer making anywhere near as much money from CD's as they were so they are looking for other forms of revenue.

 

As the ressession hits the people at the top will feel the squeeze and they will look even more to sure things in order to save money.

 

Interesting Boyzone, Blur, The Faces and The Specials have all anounced reunion tours this week.

 

Chris