They have an important site, in the heart of town, and have never been frightened to innovate. Whether by creating a huge online business or developing the leisure side of retailing with their "Maxwells" brand, they are still contributing to the town's progress. Long may they continue to prosper!

They have launched a campaign to encourage us to shop locally. It is something I am sure we all want to do. None of us would drive to the crowded, soulless towns around about if Clitheroe could meet all our needs and I, for one, will support every effort to make sure it does.

It's sad, of course, to see old established shopkeepers in the town closing their doors, as they are doing in larger and larger numbers, but no one has a God-given right to make a profit out of us and, if they do not offer what we want, at a price we want to pay, that is their inevitable fate. The really good news is that people like Sainsbury and Homebase have decided to come here and have been determined enough to fight the obstacles put in their way by our backward-looking council. I just hope it does not deter M&S from opening a food hall. I am already salivating at the prospect of shopping there.

As well as the public campaign, launched by Judith and Mandy Dawson, there are other forces at work in the town to improve its retail offering. This time it is two men, Rupert Swarbrick and David Ingham who are leading the field. Respectively the chairman and director of Ribble Valley Strategic Partnership, they are pegging away at changing attitudes. In a nutshell, what they are trying to do is to develop a culture in which, when a big prize like M&S comes along, it is welcomed with open arms rather than a series of narrower and narrower hoops through which to jump.

Retailing in Clitheroe, as I am sure the Dawsons will agree, is a funny old business. Most of us, at some time in the last few years, have needed something at Homebase and, whenever we have, we have had to drive out of the Valley and take our money with us. The only reason for all that driving – and for depriving Clitheroe shopkeepers of our trade on the days we left – was the behaviour of our local councillors who voted against giving planning permission. Thank goodness Homebase persisted and got their daft and damaging decision overturned!

We must all hope Rupert and David succeed in changing attitudes on the council so more of us can do more of our shopping in Clitheroe. It's a town we love and we want to shop there.