The closure of the greengrocery in Halifax Road, Cullingworth, is another nail in the coffin of village shopping around Bradford. Over the years the number of shops has shrunk steadily in most local centres. Greengrocers, butchers, bakers, post offices and general stores which have failed to compete successfully with the supermarkets have seen many of their customers drift away.

As Cullingworth newsagent Russell Clare points out today, the danger is that there can be a knock-on effect. Without the greengrocery there is one less reason for people to shop locally, increasing the chances of them defecting to the supermarkets and consequently undermining the remaining local shops.

It is not only the local economy which is affected when shops close. The sense of community is also weakened. It is while they are doing the rounds of local shops that people traditionally meet for a chat and keep in touch with what is happening in the area. That sort of parochial networking is not to be found in a large supermarket.

There seems to be a sad inevitability about this steady erosion of village shopping. While such shops win hands down against the supermarkets in terms of friendly personal service, it is hard for them to compete on a cost basis given the limited buying power of most small retail businesses. Nor can villages match the convenience of having everything available under the one roof.

But ultimately the fate of village shopping lies with the customers. Cullingworth parish councillor Diane Marshall warns that if people don't use their local shops, they will lose them. The choice is ours.