Prince Harry’s farce Prince Harry's book "Spare" is having a mixed reaction in the city -- Sheffielders aren’t admitting to buying it but local bookshops say it’s their best seller. “I am not that keen on prince Harry,” says Sabrina, 35, a manager’s assistant at The Gate, an accommodation company. “Harry is used to being rich, so he'll want to make money from other things like this book,” she adds. Andrew, 22, a third-year student in the University of Sheffield Hallam, remarks “I’m more worried about my own life. I have five exams coming up.” Mary who is retired says “The interview on television is enough really. Harry should keep things more private.” She won’t be buying the book. Penguin Random House-- the publisher of ’Spare’, which has sold over 3.2 million units across print, digital, and audio formats, says "The first full day of sales of ‘Spare’ represents the largest first-day sales total for any non-fiction book." “It is the best in Sheffield," says Ann, a shop assistant at the Sheffield Waterstones, when asking how well ‘Spare’ is selling.

However, there are many Sheffield people who are not buying "Spare". “I am not that into royal family, but it's good he's told those things,” Jane, a sociologist, says, “Normally, the royal family say nothing to the public about their private life, Harry is making the royal family more accessible, in terms of what they think,” she adds. She believes the Netflix documentary, Harry made about his life was good, but she won't buy the book. Jamie, who is just finishing a PhD at the University of Sheffield is critical of Harry over his comments on the part he played as a serving solider in Helman province, Afghanistan. “It is a shame” that Harry doesn’t feel bad about how many people he killed in Afghanistan." says James. In "Spare" Prince Harry claims that he killed 25 suspected Taliban insurgents during his two tours of Afghanistan, and he writes “In truth, you can't hurt people if you see them as people.” James who is hoping to set up a business in Sheffield adds: “I don't like the royal family."

Cheaper but not that cheap!

Cost of living rises are affecting everyone in the UK but it's 41% cheaper to live in Sheffield than it is in London, according to collaborative website Expatistan. Not all Sheffielder's agree with the idea that life in Sheffield is cheaper. "It’s frightening and it seems to be getting worse,” says Hasnain, 23, a part-time Uber driver and an accounting postgraduate student, “I’ve always tried to look for the cheapest option available, like, I really like to have a sandwich with mustard called Colmans, but it's a little expensive. I have to buy the Tesco mustard instead which is not as good, it's just okay,” Hasnain adds: “The supermarket ownbrands are usually cheaper, but maybe they're not the best.” “I noticed yesterday a bottle of tomato ketchup was￡4, but it is just a condiment not a meal, “engineer Kusum, aged 35, says, “The price is rising, even places like Aldi which are traditionally cheaper, prices have started to go up.” Dorothy Henson, 75 and retired believes: “Energy is the biggest worry. I leave the heating off, but I’ve got a sick husband at home. He gets up later and I give him breakfast while he's in bed because it's

warmer. When he gets up, I will put the heating on for a little but it’s too expensive to keep on for long. It's not very comfortable and now it's just really getting out of hand.” “My energy bills have gone up by￡200 a month, that's quite a lot.” says Kevin, an English teacher, “I’ve got a direct debit, but Energy companies don’t calculate how much I will use for the whole year. In the summer, spring and early autumn I don't use that much. " Rent is also on the increase. Sheffield City Council announced a 7% increase in their council house rents in February, which will increase the average home rent by £5 each week from April and the average cost of renting private houses has risen to £1,076 pcm in Sheffield just short of the UK average across Britain, which hit a record £1,172 a month in the fourth quarter of 2022, representing a 9.7% increase, according to personal finance magazine Money Week, they add ; 'In London tenants are being asked to fork out over twice that amount, with the typical private rent hitting a high of £2,480.' “I have to leave where I’m staying because the rent has gone up, and my girlfriend has to move in with her friend because she can't afford to live anywhere by herself,” says Tom, 32, who is working for the Crispr Data company. He adds: “A rise in prices would be fine as long as people's wages rise, which they aren't doing. Nobody is getting paid more money so people are really struggling. Inflation hits those at the bottom of society, especially the poor and deprived refugees, asylum seekers, the disabled, and the elderly. It’s like how much corporations have been indulging in what we call 'price gouging' using inflation as an excuse to ratchet up the prices of their products, so the government needs to get more involved,” he adds. One in three adults (32%) are finding mortgage or rental payment difficult according to the Office of National Statistics. However, if you are struggling with rent you can seek help from the local Housing Benefits office who offer some financial support. One in seven adults in the UK cannot afford food so they have to skip meals, according to data released from YouGov. The Covid pandemic

and the Russian-Ukrainian war have led to inflation around the world. The annual inflation rate in the UK is 10.1%, much higher than in France (6.7%) and the US (6.1%), the latest report from Office for National Statistics. In parliament last week, the March figures for food inflation were 18,2%, which is the highest in 45 years, Rt Hon Mark Spencer, Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries added: "The three most significant price increases since February 2022 are oils and fats, at 32.1%; milk, cheese and eggs, at 30.8%".