In praise of independent shops

This year, we spent Christmas in Morpeth, crossing point of the River Wansbeck and homeland of the Boy. Morpeth was one of the biggest cattle markets in England and now is a largish market town in beautiful Northumbria, with lovely architecture including a 13th century chapel, lots of characterful old inns and a riverside which suffered from heavy flooding in 2008.

It also has (unofficially) the smallest park in Britain, a Costa Coffee (the excitement!) and an interesting Friday night social scene (think police vans in Market Square at chucking out time) ...

And, subject of this 'In praise of', plentiful independent shops, including:

• John Smail and Sons, purveyors of every item of ironmongery your heart could ever desire and just the slightest bit 'Are You Being Served?'

• The fantastic Cheese Shop, with 47 million local cheeses and some damn fine quince and rosepetal jam
  

• A labyrinthine second-hand bookshop, with floor after floor of gems, literary and otherwise, and a superb, tiny vintage clothes store in the attic
  

• And a knitting shop, which I was devastated to see remain closed over the holiday period

and many, many more, all seemingly thriving despite the close proximity of Newcastle's bustling streets of identikit high street chain shops and department stores, and upmarket boutiques, such as Central Arcade.

As you can imagine, I was happy to spend my threepence-ha'penny in Morpeth.

I wonder, though, what effect the brand spanking new Sanderson Arcade mall - modelled on Burlington Arcade in Piccadilly, opened in November by none other than Joanna Lumley and such an attraction in the area that a park-and-ride bus scheme has been laid on - will have on the independent traders of Morpeth.

Blessing or curse?