It's a conundrum, really. Everyone sees it differently. More trees. No more trees. Ban traffic. Don't ban traffic.

Whether the whole centre is paved over or not, it's no use if there are fewer and fewer shops for people to actually go in.

Winch and Blatch is an encouraging beacon of stability and growth in comparison to the fate suffered by many smaller family businesses over the years.

Overall, the town centre has lost a bit of its zip – like its counterparts all over the country – as shopping fashions change. Small traders, the backbone of a country town with their quality and variety, fall by the wayside as multiples move in.

The trouble is, many of us talk about how we want to see thriving town centres ... and then drive up to Tesco to do the shopping.

I hope somebody spends something on the bus station right now. It has to be one of depressing spaces anywhere. If you've ever stood there waiting for a bus in the dark, wind and rain, with only two stupid, open ended, chewing-gum spattered "shelters" to perch in, you'll know what I mean.


A friend of a friend, from around here, came home with the third or fourth replacement iPod, after all the previous ones failed to work.

He'd had to take them back, one after another. Everyone agreed he'd had particularly bad luck. Not surprisingly, he was by now especially looking forward to playing his music at last.

So he loaded it with his favourite tunes, plugged it into his ears, pressed go, and heard ... nothing.

He knew exactly what to do. Being from a farming type background, he had just the tools he needed. He took the iPod out into the yard and shot it.

Feeling suitably avenged, he contacted the manufacturers. When they asked him to send it in for repair he explained how he'd taken it outside and put it out of its misery with a 12-bore shotgun.

Despite the people at customer services believing that buckshot was not recommended treatment for a faulty product, apparently they did see the funny side.

If the next replacement doesn't work, watch this space.