I've just spent the most marvellous long weekend in Paris. It was my birthday and my wonderful husband whisked me off for a romantic two nights. We were carried away by the charm and sheer joie de vivre of the entire place so I am, I admit, looking throught rose-coloured spectacles when I say that Paris really has London beaten when it comes to character. It was so wonderful to walk down the boulevards and see such a variety of shops and restaurants. Admittedly there were some chains and far too many fast food outlets like Subway, but nothing like as many as in England.Our high streets are becoming complete clone tones, with the same chain stores everywhere you go. Bring back individuality and diversity! I'm afraid I think it's already too late to reverse the trend and I'm sure greedy commercial landlords have played their part in the dwnfall of the independent retailer and we have surely lost so much in the process. Appropriately, it was Napoleon who called us a nation of shopkeepers. Sadly I fear we are now a nation of chain stores!