THERE may not be as much money around these days but you’d never guess it if you took a look at the local festive sales.

Places like Middlebrook have been packed, with stores and supermarkets doing a roaring trade and goods flying off the shelves.

We Brits do love a good sale, don’t we? We’re prepared to queue up at 6am in the pouring rain in the real hope of bagging a bargain – like scores of us were doing outside NEXT stores on Boxing Day. Spirits and hopes were equally high, and most of us were delighted with the results.