In Real England I followed the on-off tale of whether or not the Norfolk town of Sheringham, one of the last towns in England without a superstore, would be able to fight off a giant Tesco planned for its outskirts. At the time the book was published, it looked like being bad news. Tesco had stitched up the local council good and proper; for the full story, of course, you need to read the book.But here comes some good news. For it seems that, at the long-awaited public enquiry, Tesco has been told in no uncertain terms to stay away.
As ever with these situations, it may not be over yet. Tesco has a history of grinding down local opposition. But this looks like it could turn out to be a test case and - who knows - maybe even a turning point in the battle to stop the destruction of England's high streets by the global behemoths. Fingers crossed.
