‘Well, we bought a 32-inch LCD TV last Christmas, and Christmas 2007 we bought a 30-inch LCD flat-screen TV, and Christmas 2006 we got a 28-inch TV – well, for the last ten years I suppose we’ve bought a nice state-of-the-art flat-screen TV at Christmas, but this year me and the wife are thinking of giving it a miss.’

‘Yes,’ agreed Mrs Hardcastle. ‘And we really haven’t the room for a 40-inch 1080p 100Hz HD Ready LCD TV with all-around Dolby sound –you see, we’ve already got a flat-screen TV in the outside loo.

‘I know that in January we’ll both miss that sinking feeling when you get the bill and know you can’t pay it, but I expect this year we’ll put the tele and the kettle on and get over it.’

Mrs Hardcastle, 48, said she was still determined to get into the festive spirit, even if the Hardcastle family didn’t buy a 40-inch HD Ready LCD TV this Christmas. She said:

‘I’ll still take the twins Christmas shopping every weekend and walk around the shops for hours with loads of plastic shopping bags filled with Christmas presents and rolls of gift-wrap sticking out and then go and have a special offer seasonal coffee and mince pie for just GBP10. Well, to be honest, it’s what Christmas is all about, isn’t it?’

‘Definitely,’ agreed Mr Hardcastle. ‘I say there’s more to Christmas than a 40-inch 1080p 100Hz HD Ready LCD TV with all-around Dolby sound, so we’ll probably not buy one this Christmas after all.

‘On the other hand, I have to say I’m rather taken by a 42-inch 1080p 100Hz HD Ready LCD TV with all-around Dolby sound with DVD and Blu-ray technology, I’ve just seen in Curry’s. And it would look grand under our Christmas tree. I’m definitely thinking about it.’

‘It’s a sad day when society forgets what the Sabbath is for,’ said Stephen Robertson, Director General of the British Retail Consortium. ‘While many still observe the major festivals and turn out to the shops at Christmas, we’re finding that more and more people are moving away from the traditional Sunday shopping experience. Organised, communal consumerism is what keeps societies strong, but it no longer seems to be relevant to people’s lives, and our economy is weaker for it.‘

Yet despite the general public’s growing indifference, a small band of born-again shoppers are rowing against the tide of deserters. ‘I was never a regular shopper in my youth, if I’m honest,’ said Dave Wilkins, a fervent Sunday shop-goer, ‘but my wife got me back on the straight and narrow. She’s always insisted that Sunday shopping provides a focus to the week and a chance to reflect on what’s important. Each week we spruce ourselves up for a trip to the shops and she gives the kids the usual lecture about how they should be grateful for the opportunities for Sunday trading that she didn’t have as a child.‘

‘It’s just a pleasure to spend Sundays together in large retail complexes,’ agreed Dave‘s wife, Mel. ‘The architecture is awe-inspiring and never fails to remind me that I’m in the presence of omnipotent forces I can only begin to understand. I just love to take myself off to the fitting rooms for some quiet reflection, before putting something in the collection at the tills on the way out. It’s our way of saying thanks. And its so reassuring to see the security guards keeping an eye out for those who’ve lost their way.’

Although the outlook appears bleak for retailers, church leaders are much more positive about the return of religion as a guiding force in people’s lives. Churches have reported a rise in attendance at Sunday evening mass as those unfortunate enough not to live near an all-night Tesco Express pop in on their way back from Ikea to top up on bread and table wine.