As visitors to Croydon my partner and I drifted off a market street to see a castellated old waterworks.

In the area we came across a cafe complex, the like of what I have not seen anywhere in this country. It contained an art gallery, theatre workshops and IT work rooms.

As well as great service the place had an entrepreneurial buzz, people exchanged ideas and helped each other on matters as diverse as online publishing to business plan writing.

Matthews Yard is no ordinary cafe.

No way are the likes of Starbucks ever going to provide such facilities, but other local authorities can copy and stimulate new businesses.

DR DAVID HALL
Kettering, Northants