Hi Lee,
From what you've said I'm just glad I'm not currently looking to buy a new
radio!!
Unfortunately the UK has been the proverbial 'gold pot at the end of the rainbow' for some time now, businesses run on the model of "charge what you can get away with" and boy do they seem to get away with it!
I blame 'minimum wage'....even as a time served or qualified worker you find yourself earning not much above the most intelligently challenged of society and the old adage of 'a fool and their money are easily parted' comes to play

Joking aside, it's the same with everything especially fuelled by the current situation.
You tried buying a bicycle recently? You won't get a new one anytime soon, secondhand prices are rocketing and you'd be hard pushed to get spares for that secondhand bike anyway!?!
Weirdly it does seem to be madness with any type of
radio, I saw an old Lowe HF225 receiver sell recently for over £400 on a popular auction site!!!! I'd be a "numpty" not to dig out my old set and try the same wouldn't I? Except I'd rather keep it and not add to the madness.....
I hope you manage to get hold of a
radio at a sensible and reasonable price Lee.
All the best,
Victor