A CONVERSATION with a friend has summed up why town centre trade is going down the plughole.

She happily told me how she’d gone into a bathroom shop in Darlington and had some computerised designs produced for a new shower room. She’d then taken the designs away and used them to buy what she wanted, at a much cheaper price, on the internet.

And that’s what town centre shops are becoming – showrooms for internet shopping.

I heard a similar story from a Darlington town centre jeweller. He’d discovered how a customer had come in to his shop to try on a Rolex – and then bought it online.

The internet is having an impact on every business – newspapers included – and traditional town centres will die unless local people support them and the authorities make it easier and more attractive to shop.

It was sad last week to see that respected florists Nattrass had decided to close its shop which fronts Darlington’s indoor market.

The flower trade is moving to the internet and the firm is managing that transition very successfully. But Katie Bennett, who recently became the third generation of her family to join the business, also blamed the “nightmare” of town centre parking and over-zealous wardens for putting off shoppers.

.It’s a complaint heard all too often.

ON the subject of blossoms, I'm delighted to have received my sunflower seeds so I can take part in Stockton's community project to commemorate the centenary of the First World War.

Stockton’s Book of Remembrance lists 1,245 soldiers who died in The Great War so 1,245 sunflowers are to be grown in their memory. Between August 2 and 4, the sunflowers will be cut down to form a “memory garden” at Stockton's Parish Gardens. At 11pm on Monday, August 4 – the 100th anniversary of the start of the war – a 1,245- minute vigil will begin.

It’s a lovely idea and my sunflower will be grown in memory of a fallen soldier called John Thomas Matthews.

Regular updates on how my sunflower is progressing will be uploaded on The Northern Echo’s North East At War website – www.thenortheastatwar.co.uk.

To find out more about Stockton’s blossoming community project, visit www.1245sunflowers.org.

IN last week’s column, I asked whether readers thought my “Legs before wicket” headline on a story about the Duchess of Cambridge playing cricket in a skirt was sexist.

It followed stinging criticism of the headline by a female member of my staff. To my relief, the majority view of readers appears to be that it was harmless.

I am particularly grateful to Mrs I Dunn, of Crook, who told me in a kindly way not to worry, and to Alice Bowman, of Ferryhill, who was more concerned about whether Kate could actually have been given out LBW.

The umpires of the North-East have given a clear ruling: “Not out of order.”

THE week ended with a reception at the Dolphin Centre in Darlington to celebrate the memorable mayoral year of Charles Johnson and his wife Carol.

They have been outstanding ambassadors for Darlington, injecting energy, invention and a sense of fun into their civic duties.

On Friday night, they announced that their efforts have raised £13,500 for local good causes.