MARY ‘Queen of Shops’ Portas has made a living by trying to revive Britain’s failing high streets and putting local people at the heart of the solution. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not, so perhaps Ms Portas should have called in on Johnny Hayes when she visited York.

Mr Hayes is chairman of Bishopthorpe Road traders association and now the street has been named one of the top three shopping parades in Britain, he is about to share his experiences throughout the country as as a champion for high streets.

Not by accident is Bishy Road a success story. Dubbed the Notting Hill of the north, it has a fantastic community feel and is famous for small shops where customer service is king. This may be an old-fashioned value, but it never goes out of vogue and that’s one of the reasons this street has showed how to take on the High Street big boys – and win.

It’s a far simpler formula than those propounded by Mary Portas.