By the decade of the nineties supermarkets were widely used but there was still a sense of community in Blackpool and the surrounding areas with clutches of shops dotted around the places we knew well. And we needed them. Whether it was running out of milk and bread, catching up on the news with a paper or kids calling in for sweets after school, they were vital.

Bakeries, greengrocers and butchers were anchored firmly in suburbs. There were signs of change though as some were already facing renovation, as larger supermarkets increased their prominence. Others were still an integral part of serving the tight knit communities.