In the heart of the Peak District, this charming market town is teeming with tourists on a bright day.
Wanderers on day trips meander around the souvenir shop, where lines form to purchase the town’s signature dish, Bakewell pudding, which has been a local favorite since the 1820s.
Sarah, though, isn’t feeling it.
The cost of food is still 25% more than it was in 2022, when I met Sarah and Paul. She refers to such times as the “dark days”.
Sarah, 53, looks after Paul, a 56-year-old man who is registered as disabled. Their two kids, William, 17, and Joseph, 17, share a leased home.
They had just received a gas bill in 2022, and it had quadrupled from £240 to £490 from the previous month.
“I instantly started crying when I saw the letter from the gas company. How we would handle this was beyond me. It was frightful,” Sarah remarked.
They put on extra jumpers and switched off the heating. They reduced their food batch cooking and shopping.
