Sales boom hope for high street

SEVEN of the last Holocaust survivors who made new lives in Britain have been painted by leading artists who were commissioned by Prince Charles.

The works will be part of the Royal Collection and go on display at Buckingham Palace from Holocaust Memorial Day, January 27 and from March at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

Charles, patron of the National Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, said: “As the number of Holocaust survivors sadly, but inevitably, declines, my abiding hope is that this special collection will act as a further guiding light for our

SHOPS enjoyed a bumper run-up to Christmas, raising hopes the high street will defy the cost-of-living crisis to stage a fightback this year.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) revealed that total sales rose 2.1 per cent in the month to January 1 compared with the same period the previous year.

Over the three months to December, food sales nudged up 0.4 per cent while other sectors jumped 4.8 per cent.

The BRC is hopeful the positive trend will continue, helped by the

Giles Hurley warned: “The top priority for most families this year will be managing their household budgets in the face of rising living costs.”

The Bank of England expects inflation to hit six per cent by spring. Analysts have warned that the energy bill price cap could leap by more than £700 in April when National Insurance rates also rise.

However, research by the Centre for Retail Research predicts that retail sales will grow by five per cent in 2022. In 2020, they improved by 0.3 per cent on 2019.

Pictures: TOM HAYWARD/BBC Honoured...Clara paints Manfred society, reminding us not only of history’s darkest days, but of humanity’s interconnectedness as we strive to create a better world for our children, grandchildren and generations as yet unborn...” Charles, 73, has been working on the project since March 2020, and a TV crew has been following its progress for a film, Survivors: Portraits of the Holocaust, to be screened on BBC2 on January 27. Artists include Paul Benney and Clara Drummond, who painted Manfred Goldberg, 91. Karen Pollock, of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “The Nazis intended there to be no Jews left in Europe – instead these survivors are honoured at the heart of British society.”