As you will all know, I have been preoccupied by the possible closure of Leila’s Shop, which I have grown to love particularly since lockdown – a place to buy bread and cheese and apples and often unexpected treats as well, including introducing me to Macintosh’s ale.

Leila is unbelievably knowledgeable about where to buy produce and her shop is what I would describe as a community asset; but not Tower Hamlets which threatens to close it down by a massive threefold rent hike, as if it was a fashion store.

I have written about some of the problems and issues surrounding smaller shops in the September issue of The Critic which has just gone online:-

https://thecritic.co.uk/no-longer-a-nation-of-shopkeepers/