By Vivienne Paterson

Last updated 12:09, Sunday, 10 February 2008

There's a rumour going around Maryport that Tesco is eyeing up a plot of land in the town.

But the rumour goes that the supermarket giant has no intention of building on the land - it just wants to make sure nobody can set anything up that would be in opposition to the new super-duper shop it has planned for Workington.

I don’t know if the rumour (any part of it) is true or not. I’ve tried using my super sleuthing skills and discovered they are not as super as the I thought.

The people of Maryport would love a new supermarket and many of them envy Workington’s major new development. But even here, where Tesco would be welcomed, the rumours about the mighty retail empire are unpleasant ones - that it would buy up land just to stop competition.

I have had two main concerns in the whole Tesco debate. The first, and most important, is the effect the new development would have on the Uppies and Downies.

It is only a game, but it is part of Workington’s history and I get really fed up at the way history is ignored.

It is especially bad when beautiful old buildings are destroyed to make way for hideous modern structures, but any tampering with history is unforgivable. The Uppies and Downies are so much part of Workington and make it so unique. I have had visitors from the United States, Italy and New Zealand here and they have all absolutely loved the Uppies and Downies. In fact, next to egg dumping, it is the thing that makes Easter in Workington the most fun.

The second concern is the fact that millions have been spent on redeveloping Workington town centre. I had my complaints about that. I felt that some small, independent shops were squeezed out and life was being made harder for businesses in towns such as Maryport and Cockermouth.

But they went ahead with the development without asking my permission, although I use Workington town centre as much as anybody.

Now they are going to build a huge Tesco supermarket with hundreds of parking spaces. The supermarket, from what I understand, is going to sell pharmaceuticals, clothing and everything in between.

And the chances are it will all be slightly cheaper, so why will I bother going into the town centre?

On principle I don’t use the town centre multi-storey because I think it is too expensive and because I objected to the number of car parks that were taken out of the town to feed that money gobbling car park.

Who is going to use it now? It will be quite easy to walk from the Cloffocks up to the town centre - if anyone can be bothered making the journey.

Social conscience bothers me too. Tesco is such a huge concern. I worry about how much it pays its suppliers. I worry about what it does to smaller shops. I blame shops like Tesco for the fact that milkmen no longer deliver to my door. I blame it for long queues and trollies that never go the way you want them to (with all the wealth at their disposal SURELY they could develop a trolley that goes the way you push it!). I blame it because it seems that profit is more important than any other consideration and the only thing more important than profit is Greater Profit.

On the other hand there is the Co-op with all its Fair Trade products and it’s green bank and its bio-degradable plastic bags.

The Co-op really makes an effort.

And guess what? I do the bulk of my shopping in a shop I believe has little conscience. I go there because it has a larger variety of goods and is cheaper.

I will hate the new Tesco and I will be one of the first through its doors. And while there are hypocrites like me in the world we will get exactly what we deserve - and to heck with Uppies and Downies or Fair Trade because in this world all that really matters is ME.