Is this the “austerity Jubilee”?

East LondonNews: With most households feeling the financial pinch, you could be forgiven for assuming that spending on the Jubilee celebrations and paraphernalia would have been relatively restrained.  No so, according to Access Self Storage, which estimates that Britons will spend £823 million on Diamond Jubilee memorabilia.
According to the survey, the top ten items which households are buying are:
1.         bunting
2.         Union flags
3.         mugs and plates
4.         tins, biscuits and teas
5.         disposable cutlery
6.         face masks, cake toppers and paper napkins
7.         commemorative magazines
8.         tea towels
9.         t-shirts
10.       red, white, blue and Corgi balloons.
While some of these items will only last the length of the celebrations (biscuits!), it seems that others will be kept as a reminder of the event – many in self-storage facilities. Access Self Storage has noticed that previous royal occasions have seen an increased demand for storage facilities as people seek to keep their memorabilia safely without cluttering up their houses.
Some people have bought items as an investment.  Iain Michael Brunt of Antiques.co.uk, advised: “There’s certainly money to be made from Royal memorabilia. The key to making a worthwhile purchase is to buy pieces with future appeal. Commemorative plates, mugs, original paintings, coins and stamps are likely to hold their value well beyond [the Jubilee] weekend.”

•A sharp increase in the number of people who say they are proud to live in their communities is being attributed to a temporary “feel good” factor arising from the Jubilee in the midst of otherwise gloomy times. Community pride is measured by the May Gurney Community Pride Index. Whereas last year, just under half (49%) of those surveyed who said they were proud to live in their neighbourhood, this year the figure has leapt up to 58%.
The biggest jump in community pride is among the young, with 57% of those aged 18-24 years-old saying they are now proud to live in their neighbourhood (it was 39% last year).  Those aged 65 and over remain the most passionate advocates of their area, with 63% saying they’re proud of their neighbourhood.
However, austerity may also have affected the rise in community pride. Greg Michael, May Gurney Group Strategy and Business Development Director said: “It appears that as people spend more time at home and strive to reduce their living costs, they’re coming to appreciate the areas in which they live more, and are taking the time to experience the social benefits and facilities their communities offer.”
Those living inYorkshire and Humberside were the most proud of their communities with 72% of people saying they are proud of where they live. Those living in the South East showed the lowest relative sense of community pride, with just over half (54%) saying they are proud to live in their community.