The Station typifies what is great about historic market towns like Richmond. A strong community effort enabled the closed station to re-open as a mixed use centre, combining a café/restaurant, wonderful artisan food producers, small businesses, a cinema and an art gallery.
Now the Station attracts over 350,000 visitors a year who shop at an award winning bakery, see great independent films or (like my family and I this weekend) enjoy the jazz brunch on a Sunday! I particularly loved the historic station benches that have been preserved on the original platform. After the station I wondered around town, meeting small shopkeepers and learning about their businesses.
Market towns are special and need careful nurturing. In order to survive in the age of the internet and out-of-town shopping, it is vital that small independent stores do not have to contend with a lot of government regulation and tax. On their end, they have to offer something distinctive to compete effectively. And for all of us, if we care about the vitality and diversity of our market towns, we must support them when we decide where to shop, eat and enjoy our leisure time.