Close encounters

While many businesses will have suffered significant disruption and financial losses owing to last week's Arctic weather system, that's not true of all. On the contrary, some positively thrived, making hay while the snow fell.

Take Pettigrew in Canton, for instance. While the bread aisles in the local supermarkets were empty, the artisanal bakery kept on producing delicious fare to keep heart and soul together. Our haul of a sourdough loaf, pains au chocolat, croissants, gourmet sausage rolls and an enormous slab of impeccably gooey chocolate brownie saw us through the worst of the weather. They were even able to help out fellow locals Brod when the latter ran out of yeast.

On the subject of community spirit(s), it was also great to see the Lansdowne, almost directly across the road from our house, heaving with people too. After an afternoon of sledging and snowball fights, it was the perfect place for a couple of pints. Despite the elements, the demand and a couple of power cuts, they continued to keep everyone fed and watered.

The Lansdowne was one of four places hosting the Canton Beer Festival at the weekend, together with Chapter, St Canna's Alehouse and Pipes. The organisers may well have feared that the weather would ruin the event, but actually it probably helped, with people much more inclined to stay local and investigate what was on the doorstep rather than venture into what was a strangely deserted city centre.

It all goes to show the value of independent businesses based near customers, with staff who live locally and suppliers who don't have far to travel either - as well as underlining, once again, how lucky we are to have pitched up in Canton.