People living a mile away from Manchester Airport priced out of holidays

Planes rumble overhead in Wythenshawe, casting shadow across the streets on the Cheshire border less than a mile from the North of England’s largest airport. Many residents shopping at the civic centre will not be using Manchester Airport this year, despite living less than a 10-minute away.

A foreign holiday for a family of four often costs thousands – and families in Wythenshaw told the Manchester Evening News the rising cost of food, fuel and utilities had made foreign travel inaccessible. Elizabeth James, 31, says she and her partner Nathan will most likely take their three young children and stay with her parents in the Lake District, rather than go abroad.

The family shop for essentials at the civic centre, having seen the cost of those items rise recently, eroding the family’s disposable income. “We aren’t going away this year,” she said. “We’re not even going on a caravan holiday I don’t think, but my parents do live in the Lake District so that’s good and we’ll probably go and stay there for a week.

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“We just can’t really afford to go away this year with three kids. We used to spend about £200 on food shopping for the month but now it’s £80 for a week.”

Michaela Martinovska’s family in the Czech Republic have only met her 15-month-old daughter once. The 24-year-old, who moved to Wythenshaw five years ago, says she won’t be able to go back this year.

“I went back home to see my family a few months ago but I am heavily pregnant with my second child now so won’t be able to. Plus it would be difficult now with the cost of living,” she said.

“Everything has got more expensive especially with one young child and another baby on the way so we will probably just go away somewhere in this country.

“It’s difficult when you’ve got young children and you don’t get paid too much. I’ve already had to get rid of my car this year because of the cost of petrol and car insurance as I’m under 25 years old which made it really expensive.”

Mike used to volunteer in one of the food stalls in nearby Wythenshawe Indoor Market until it was permanently closed by Manchester Council last year – leaving many stall holders without a job.

He said he used to get most of his meals for free in exchange for working there, but now is having to fork out around £60 a week for the bare essentials to survive. He said: “I can’t even think about going abroad.

“I can’t afford it. I’ve just got the first half of my cost of living payment but it’s barely touched the side. It’s the electricity for me. I’m on a meter and once it’s gone it’s gone.

“When I used to work at the market I would get my food for free which would save me quite a lot of money a week. Now food shopping is so expensive.”

Some residents have holidays to look forward to that were booked before the coronavirus pandemic and had to be scheduled, but say they’d be weary about booking another trip abroad in the current climate.

Joan Critchley, 70, said: “I’m going away in November to New York to stay with a friend but that was booked before the pandemic. I’m really looking forward to it but I’m not sure I’d go away again next year.

“You really have to watch what you’re doing now with the cost of living. I boil one kettle in the morning and keep it in a flask so I only have to boil it once and I try to use the air fryer to cook my food as it uses less energy.”

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