Published: 5 January, 2011
by JOHN GULLIVER

I VISITED Peterborough over New Year and marvelled at its 12th-century cathedral which must be one of the wonders of Europe by scale and design.

But railway chaos delayed trains on Tuesday and in the station buffet I got talking to a man in his early 70s who enjoys running his independent building firm – and sees no point in retirement.

But it is what he said about the building trade that made me think. Unlike the big companies, such as Barratt, that are struggling, his is doing well. “We make a return of 5 per cent, and that’s enough – the big firms have to satisfy shareholders with big dividends.”

He had just built two-bedroomed semi-detacheds for £105,000 in Spalding – and they are selling. It made me think of why the New Journal is still bucking the trend – we, too, are  independent, and can weather the storm.