Fatface - Kirkby Lonsdale

Apart from the three and a half years when my family lived in Hong Kong, I spent my childhood living about three miles from Kingston-upon-Thames. I seem to remember that we did most of our shopping on New Malden High Street - known in my family as 'The Village' - but sometimes we'd go into Kingston, which as well as having loads more shops, was home to Bentalls department store. (It was, I think, rather reminiscent of Grace Brothers in the BBC's 'Are You Being Served?')

In my teens, I went school in Kingston and in the sixth form we were allowed to go into town at lunchtime. It was during that period - around 1984 - that I remember the one-way system was reversed. I also remember one of my friends, 'Puch', commemorating the fact by reversing his car all the way 'round the town.

By the time I was coming back from university for holidays, Kingston had, allegedly, become the third largest shopping centre in the country. Or was it just London? I can't remember. But certainly by this time, we had all the major chains and I think it might have been around this time when Bentalls became a shopping centre. I assume the price of the rents went up and maybe that was why the individual, privately owned shops lost their presence there.

I thought of that today because this sign has gone up in Kirkby Lonsdale. Country Cousins, which has been there for as long as I can remember and where Izzy worked for a while, has closed down (voluntarily!) and now Fatface are moving into the premises. This is no doubt a shrewd move by the chain: Kirkby has no empty shops and has a very high footfall. On a road that's about a quarter of a mile long, its visitors support eight pubs and bars, numerous restaurants and tea-rooms, as well as gift shops and one 'Lifestyle Emporium'. 

This will be our third 'chain' - Boots has already bought out the pharmacist and we have a Booths supermarket - and I must admit I'm a bit disappointed by that. I find the homogeneity of Britain's towns incredibly boring and I don't really want this to extend to smaller places, too. Ultimately, I hate to see the variety disappearing.