THE generation who saved up for everything and had nothing they couldn't afford will be shaking their heads in disbelief: 2,500 South Yorkshire people went through the misery of being declared insolvent last year with average debts of £27,000.
Credit card companies and banks lending cheap money must take some of the blame for fuelling the consumer bonfire we have all been enjoying in recent years. But the flames are burning us up now and the debt merry-go-round has to stop.
The moral o
f the story is the same as it's always been - don't buy what you can't afford. The practical advice is to get some help from an independent adviser NOW rather than letting debt take everything you have.
Find who is to blame for delays
THE travel-everywhere bus passes for older people are a great success - or they will be once our pensioners get their hands on them. For weeks after they were introduced, thousands are still waiting for their pass to be issued.
Some time ago, a survey showed that a staggering 92 per cent of people eligible for a pass were eager to make use of one. But more than 40,000 remained un-posted when the scheme was introduced on April 1.
That is unacceptable and we're sure older readers will agree with us that a thorough investigation ought to be held to find out who is responsible for such a tardy reaction. And they won't be satisfied with someone pointing a finger of blame at a computer system!
A personal Royal
FOR the majority of youngsters, work experience might amount to nothing more exciting than a spot of shelf-stacking in the supermarket. Even the Queen's granddaughter, Princess Beatrice, is trying out retail, though in her case that means working as a personal shopper to VIP customers at top store Selfridges. Personal shopping, of course, means she won't be stocking shelves or taking her turn with a fixed smile on the checkout!
The full article contains 338 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
