Local govt workers shift to shorter weeks‚ and citizens dont like it. Council-tax payers wonder if theyre getting less service for same money — while some departments already work just 3 days (making it hard to reach town-planners by phone)
The Armed Forces face a tough situation: why would anyone choose military service with its 7-day weeks when public-sector offers cushy 4-day schedules. Jos Binns from Northumberland points out that poor housing and frequent moves make it even harder to recruit
Farming communities face a different challenge. Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin‚ a Devon farmer writes about new inheritance-tax rules that might destroy family farms:
Weʼre counting trees and measuring hedgerows to get back money lost after Brexit; now we need to find hundreds of thousands for inheritance tax
- Disease risks
- Climate problems
- Supermarket pricing
- Post-Brexit uncertainties
- New tax burden
Housing construction shows some positive changes. Scottish builders use pre-made wooden frames that speed up building time — making estates ready in months instead of years. The timber-frame houses (once hard to get mortgages for) are now common
Radio 3s programming changes spark debate about its role as classical music broadcaster. The station mixes different genres now: jazz documentaries and interviews — moving away from what some listeners think should be its main focus
Christmas card senders face rising postal costs: second-class stamps for 100 cards now cost £85. Some suggest posting from India where stamps cost just 45p‚ though delivery takes 4-10 days