Nearly four weeks since Christmas, and there's no trace of one of those huge chocolate bars left in the Petley household - you know, the type that were over a foot long and about 8" wide. This isn't because I've eaten one already but because you can't see to buy one for love nor money these days, not even at Christmas time.
Worse still, those chocolate bars which you can buy seem to be getting smaller - in fact, it seems like a number of food and drink companies, faced with sluggish sales on the High Street have opted to reduce the size of their products rather than raise prices. One variety of grape juice which Katherine and I enjoy drinking has shrunk its bottle size by 25%, and it seems like packets of biscuits contain less biscuits than they used to. Of course, subtle shrinkage is perfectly legal. In a free market economy, companies are entitled to do this. I would rather that our government could get a grip on inflation so that they wouldn't have to, but that's another story.
Unfortunately, one area of the economy not affected by subtle shrinkage is the motor industry. Our little Renault Clio has done over 120,000 miles, and still seems to be in good mechanical order. However, it won't last for ever and I'm really concerned about buying a replacement. Some of us who live in the country really LIKE having a small car so that we don't have to drive over any more mud than necessary when retreating into a passing place to let a 4x4 go by on a narrow lane.
But the new look Mini isn't nearly so Mini as its illustrious predecessor, nor is the lNissan Micra particularly Micra these days. Why are new cars so big and bulbous? Perhaps bearing in mind the West Midlands' history as a motor manufacturing area, the solution is to persuade Cadbury's to diversify into motor manufacturing and bring their subtle shrinkage policy into that industry. They'll have at least one satisfied customer.
Worse still, those chocolate bars which you can buy seem to be getting smaller - in fact, it seems like a number of food and drink companies, faced with sluggish sales on the High Street have opted to reduce the size of their products rather than raise prices. One variety of grape juice which Katherine and I enjoy drinking has shrunk its bottle size by 25%, and it seems like packets of biscuits contain less biscuits than they used to. Of course, subtle shrinkage is perfectly legal. In a free market economy, companies are entitled to do this. I would rather that our government could get a grip on inflation so that they wouldn't have to, but that's another story.
Unfortunately, one area of the economy not affected by subtle shrinkage is the motor industry. Our little Renault Clio has done over 120,000 miles, and still seems to be in good mechanical order. However, it won't last for ever and I'm really concerned about buying a replacement. Some of us who live in the country really LIKE having a small car so that we don't have to drive over any more mud than necessary when retreating into a passing place to let a 4x4 go by on a narrow lane.
But the new look Mini isn't nearly so Mini as its illustrious predecessor, nor is the lNissan Micra particularly Micra these days. Why are new cars so big and bulbous? Perhaps bearing in mind the West Midlands' history as a motor manufacturing area, the solution is to persuade Cadbury's to diversify into motor manufacturing and bring their subtle shrinkage policy into that industry. They'll have at least one satisfied customer.