The recession, in visual form...
I think this picture says an awful lot about the effect of the recession:
The Thomson Directory, for those not in the UK, is a local directory of businesses. In the photo you can see two editions for my local area. The 2008 version is on the bottom. Above it, at about half the thickness, is the new version for 2010.
This isn't a case of some businesses taking out smaller adverts, so they fit more into less pages. The A-Z index at the back is about 80 pages long in the 2008 edition, but only 40 odd pages in the 2010 edition.
Best case scenario, some businesses either feel the Thomson is not worth being listed in (either because of word of mouth, or internet advertising) or they simply cannot afford it at the moment.
Worst case? In the past two years, fully half the local businesses and services have had to cease trading. You hear about it on the news all the time, but little visual reminders like this really bring it home.
The recession bites hard, but we only deemed the ones who caused the problems to be worth propping up with our tax money. And our reward for mortgaging our futures on this gamble, is to be told they deserve obscene bonuses, whilst the little man struggles.
The Thomson Directory, for those not in the UK, is a local directory of businesses. In the photo you can see two editions for my local area. The 2008 version is on the bottom. Above it, at about half the thickness, is the new version for 2010.
This isn't a case of some businesses taking out smaller adverts, so they fit more into less pages. The A-Z index at the back is about 80 pages long in the 2008 edition, but only 40 odd pages in the 2010 edition.
Best case scenario, some businesses either feel the Thomson is not worth being listed in (either because of word of mouth, or internet advertising) or they simply cannot afford it at the moment.
Worst case? In the past two years, fully half the local businesses and services have had to cease trading. You hear about it on the news all the time, but little visual reminders like this really bring it home.
The recession bites hard, but we only deemed the ones who caused the problems to be worth propping up with our tax money. And our reward for mortgaging our futures on this gamble, is to be told they deserve obscene bonuses, whilst the little man struggles.
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