Well I know it’s old news, but as I mentioned them yesterday, I do want to get this one out. Although I am now far, far away, the demise of both Woolworth’s and MFI has still saddened me a great deal. These two stores were British icons.
Woolworth’s, the wonder of Woollies, is no more. MFI have had their last sale. (Did anyone ever buy anything from them when they didn’t have a sale on?) I am sorry to see them go. It’s not that I’m a sentimental sort of guy or that I had any fond memories of either of these shops. Besides, I’ve now got “Crazy Clark’s”….
Crazy Clark's Win the Woolworth's Lookey-Likey Competition
…..And “Super Amart” …
Super Amart - Australia's MFI
….to buy my pencil sharpeners and cheap flatpack furniture. Yes, our equivalent boys over here are still going strong, at least I think they are. For how much longer, who knows. So, is Australia in recession too? According to an article in “ The Australian” on the 31st of January 2009….
“THE global financial crisis has dragged Australia into recession with its economy forecast to contract by 0.2pc this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.”
But in “WAtoday” on the 6th of February 2009….
“The Reserve Bank has slashed its growth and inflation forecasts, but predicts Australia will avoid a recession, while warning the jobless rate will rise significantly as the nation suffers fallout from the global financial crisis.”
So, I don’t know! Neither do two of the countries leading publications. Things have certainly slowed up a good deal since we arrived 15 months ago. The whole area was buzzing like a boom town at the end of 2007. The “tradies” as the tradesmen are called around here, would just not show up.
It’s a bit of an Australian thing actually. When you ask for a quote, they never seem to say “ no thanks, I’m just not interested’. Instead, they would promise to be round the next day or during the week and just not show up. I even had a plasterer come round to measure up and he promised to drop a quote into my letterbox by the end of the week. Nothing ever showed.
All of the work I needed doing to my house is now done I’m pleased to say. I had to do a lot of it myself, including the plastering, because tradies just didn’t show. But last week I had a call from a tiler who asked if I had any work left. Yes, things are slowing down.
But it is sad to see how deep in the small brown kangaroo pellets the UK is right now. Only time will tell but I don’t think the recession will hit us as bad here as in Britain. When big concerns like Woolworths and MFI go down, they take hundreds of smaller firms with them. As long as the likes of Crazy Clarks and Super Amart are still selling their stuff, we’ve got a better chance.
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