I DON’T recognise the Bishopthorpe Road shops your correspondent describes (Letters, November 13).

Since we retired and moved to this part of York, we’ve given up our car, as we can get most of our daily shopping locally. There are butchers, greengrocers, bakers and two supermarkets. We’re very lucky to have a traditional hardware shop and a brilliant cycle shop. We also have a great pub.

A few foreign food cafés? Most of are traditional English cafés but we also have Indian, Thai and Sicilian restaurants, which add a welcome diversity.

There’s a strong community spirit demonstrated by the recent fundraising for the Christmas lights and participation by people of all ages in the street parties.

As a member of Clements Hall History Group, I’ve researched the history of these shops (see clementshallhistorygroup.wordpress.com for some fascinating images and stories). We had great success with our memory wall at the July street party.

We should celebrate the old while embracing new shopping habits.

Shopping has changed considerably over the past 70 years.

We don’t need seed merchants and launderettes any more, but we do want shops where we can get good service and buy as little or as much as we need at reasonable prices.

The street was blighted in the1970s by the threatened inner ring road and it is only in the past ten years or so that it has started to thrive again, benefiting from many independent traders.

It is important to encourage people to shop locally at independents, in the face of increasing competition from large supermarket chains taking over neighbourhood pubs.

Susan Major, Millfield Road, York.