Fun-based upturn

I read with particular interest “Are we having fun yet?” by Robin McAlpine (Perspective, 14 August), especially his comments about the dangers of the credit-based retail economy.

As part of the aged – and ageing – population, brought up in the 1950s, the idea of easy credit can still be something hard to come to terms with, but there is a further important point that I think should be considered.

The expectation of a retail-led economic resurgence is, to me, very suspect. We, the older generation, are downsizing and often getting rid of more stuff than we buy, and certainly making it last longer if we can.

We will be buying fun (probably not on credit) rather than possessions, I suspect. We don’t need new clothes and shoes that often, as our sizes rarely change.

I think we do need to re-assess the standards by which we judge economic recovery, and I would suggest that the ageing population puts one huge question over the importance of the high street as a measure of this.

David Gerrard

Spylaw Park

Edinburgh