At the top of the town, around the corner from my grandparents house, Mr Fishers’ photographic shop used to be an Aladdin’s cave of delights.

Shiny new cameras, way out of range of my pocket money (something that still seems to be the case), and old, loved, second hand cameras and lenses used to pack the shelves. Out of date film was sold off cheaply for people who couldn’t afford new film and, best of all, when the shop was shut a large camera on a tripod with a flashgun was left pointing at the door in case someone decided to break in.

It never occurred to me why the burglar didn’t steal that camera as well to prevent his picture being used to track him down.

Many years later Fishers moved to a newer, larger shop at the Market Square. Mr Fisher (who had grey hair and a grey beard which, along with is large tinted glasses used to make him look like an owl) was still in charge and offered help and advice to people who struggled with ASAs and F stops.

Then, one day, it was taken over by Jessops and things started to go down hill. To make matters worse another Jessops opened at the other end of town with dubious staff and a lack of stock which made one wonder if this really was a photographic shop at all.

Now, thanks to some dubious dealings and as newly appointed chairman David Adams admitted recently :

“We will put our hands up and say we could have done some things better.”

Jessops photo chain bailed out by HSBC | | Guardian Unlimited Business

Mr Fishers’ photographic shop has closed forever.

We used to have three photographic shops and a couple of decent bookshops now we are down to one of each and these shops are rather bland, middle of the range affairs with people in them who seem to have no interest in what they actually sell.

I’d much rather that Mr Adams had shut the other Jessops and left us all with a place where you could go to look for out of date film, pick up a second hand bargain and stand and admire the latest lens that perhaps one day you may be able to afford.