SADLY two more local Salisbury businesses have become victims of high rates and low foot-fall.

Luxury goods store The Strawberry Fox in Cross Keys shut down less than two weeks ago, and tapas restaurant La Mollina is closing its doors on September 21. They follow in the footsteps of many other local businesses.

We need to start supporting the remaining ones, or by this time next year they could also be gone.

Whether shop, restaurant, salon or bar, they need our custom, so if there is anywhere in Salisbury that you’re fond of and you would rather it stayed, pay them a visit or they will disappear.

Local businesses are what make a city unique and, although we have our beautiful old buildings, and it's crucial to look after our history, we need to focus on the future as well.

It was encouraging to hear that Salisbury Punting was launched this summer by two resourceful local young men. They are still running trips for the next week before returning to university, and have done so well that they will be operating their service again from next April.

Another young local entrepreneur Victoria Ponsford set up a supper club with MYO Pizza, and this year also saw a pop-up art gallery in the old Santander building. There are hundreds of diverse and important local businesses currently running in Salisbury and, in cases like the Post Office on High Street, it can sometimes be surprising which are actually the local ones, as they may seem like a chain. The website salisburyindies.co.uk has a pretty comprehensive list. The forthcoming Salisbury Fashion Week is a good way to support some of them. It starts on September 25 with a launch at City Hall that includes a fashion show, pop-up shops and entertainment.

Over the following days, there’s a Cecil Beaton evening with fashion historian Dr Benjamin Wild at Leaden Hall School, a vintage fashion show and afternoon tea party in Salisbury Cathedral, and Casa Fina is hosting a Pearls for Girls discount shopping evening on the 30th with goodie bags and fizz.