Snow time for tears

As the snowflakes settled on the roofs of houses and the sun’s rays bounced off of the pure white dunes before they were driven over and turned into sludge, we betrayed a small breath of childish excitement.

Yes, it’s a month until Christmas, but we thought as this was the last edition of the _Boar_ before you head your merry way home, we’d take this opportunity to bestow good tidings on you and wish you a happy holiday.

Rip this page out and keep in it in your pocket because you’re going to need it. This year’s Yuletide season looks as if it’s going to be a depressing one: a survey has shown that Britons will be cutting their Christmas spending by 10 percent this year – men more so then women, who are planning to spend on average £100 less. So it looks like we’ll be still be digesting those turkey twizzlers come Boxing Day after all.

A grim reality check has beset Britain and people are looking round the corner to the New Year, where they expect to be squeezed financially. Earlier this month, it was found that 2.3 million had still not paid off their credit card bills from a year ago. Matt Barlow, chief executive of Christians Against Poverty, has said: “The new year is full of uncertainty: job losses, VAT will be going up, benefits are changing, energy bills are rising and we don’t know what interest rates will do.”

People won’t just be cutting back this Christmas. They may be spending it alone as well. Another study has shown that relationships are being strained by lending between family and friends. There is a combined total of nearly £45 billion of unpaid borrowing between family and friends with two in five of these spongers admitting that they will never pay back the debt.
So what are we to do? Students are getting more and more pressed for money, even if we won’t be affected by the tuition fee hike. And let’s not forget that awkward conversation with the family friends this Christmas when they ask you what you want to do after university: “Er… well I’m hoping that low-rate paper manufacturing company in the Sheppey Isles takes me on for free…”

It’s not all doom and gloom. The _Boar_ will be back next year to bring you more high-spirited japes. And a note to the freshers: though term two might mean more work and less getting smashed off your face until you can’t see, it is also a time in which friendships are solidified and you’ll feel like you’re taking control of your adult life, rather than relying on your neighbour’s alarm clock to wake you up for lectures.

Until then… let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.