I suspect it may also be because we are all feeling the pinch a bit more with the cost of just about everything going up but salaries staying static - so in real terms, we're all feeling a bit worse off.

We have two good salaries coming into the house and are by no means poor but we just don't have as much disposable income as we used to so while we would love to be able to spend regularly on Dartmouth Road (we love the shops and cafes - although must admit, sweets aren't our thing, and we're not quite ready to let our 3 yr old loose in a sweetie shop...) for us, it's a treat rather than something we can do particularly regularly.

I do hope all the businesses on Dartmouth Road survive but please, don't berate us for not shopping - we'd love to, but it's not that straightforward!