In your corner

Corner shop photograph by Massimo Ianetti, via Roman Road London.

We have a corner shop that is, undeniably, the heart of the neighbourhood. It is a tiny establishment that, despite bursting at the seams with stuff, is a place where the proprietor holds court, aided by a rotating council of three or four sage regulars.

He dispenses advice on local schools, the state of the roads, the relative quality of the local takeaways, and much more. He knows my entire family: what we eat for breakfast, when...