A couple of weeks ago I was sitting with my wife in St George's Hall enjoying a splendid concert of popular classics by the Halle Orchestra.

Now I know that classical music isn't everyone's cup of tea, and that young people generally find something more energetic, alcoholic (or both) to do on a Saturday night. Nevertheless, I was struck with how many empty seats there were in the Hall and how many Bradfordians there must be who would have loved the marvellous music if only they had made the effort to support a premier Bradford cultural tradition. Anyway the weather outside was awful!

Then I got to thinking: how many people who live or work in Bradford consider supporting Bradford events as a principle? Or buying Bradford services for that matter? Or doing their shopping in Bradford?

What if, in 1999 all Bradford businesses challenged their buyers to find local sources wherever possible, and shoppers in Bradford demanded a better range and quality from the multiple chains in the city? Wouldn't it be great?

Chris Wontner-Smith is a business adviser partner at Grant Thornton in Bradford.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.