On Friday 1st December, the day before Small Business Saturday, I took the opportunity to visits some of Colchester's excellent small businesses.
I popped into see my friends Ralph & Carol at Ralph & Rita Martin's Florists on Layer Road, Colchester. Not just for flowers and plants but also your Christmas trees.
I've wanted a cheese advent calendar for a couple of years now so this year I treated myself to one from the cheese stall in Lion Walk Shopping Centre Colchester.
It is always good catching up with Colchester's Street traders to discuss some of the challenges facing the city centre. I also got to pick up some beautiful fruit and veg for the weekend.