Before death Follow

IN SWINDON, a town 80 miles to the west of London which thrived during the boom years now ended, the recession is biting hard. Regent Street is busy on a cold Friday afternoon, but the most favoured shops are those selling cheap goods, such as Poundland, where everything costs just £1 ($1.44). And if Poundland is busy, the government-run Jobcentre Plus in Princes Street is teeming with people looking for work after recent lay-offs.