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Radio 4,06 Oct 2025,53 mins

Thames Water Bills, Florists, Collectibles

You and Yours

Available for over a year

How safe is your data with your water company? We find out how criminals are using customer's water accounts to commit fraud - including trying to impersonate a listener and gain access to her bank accounts. It’s a difficult time to be a florist right now. Global conflicts, heatwaves and supply chain issues are causing the price of flowers to rocket, with some florists reporting increases of up to 500%. It means that florists are having to get creative to keep their business afloat, using everything from Deliveroo to TikTok. In September, a rare Pokemon trading card was sold at auction for a staggering £411,000. In fact, it is now not unusual to see modern memorabilia on the lots of some of the oldest and most prestigious auction houses alongside traditional collectibles like coins and stamps. So, are we seeing a changing of the guard, from traditional to more modern collectibles? According to government figures, more than 200 pubs closed in the first half of this year. Pubs are struggling with rising costs and changing consumer habits, as younger generations increasingly choose to drink less alcohol. The British Beer and Pub Association estimates that six pubs will close per day next year if more is not done to help them. Charlotte Nichols, Labour MP and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on pubs, tells us more.

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