Is the UK economy on the up?

I'm not convinced the UK (where I live) is anywhere near back on the economic stability track. Are house prices really rising? I think not when I see REDUCED in the estate agents windows only this week. Is retail on the up? I think not as many of the shops and pubs in my town are now boarded up. I feel people are still stuffing money (if they have any spare) under the mattress for better times, as even the banks are still ripping us of with interest rates many times over the base rate being charge for loans. Everything to look forward to then I suppose.