Despite having a soft spot for the Isle of Bute, it doesn't extend to the folk that gripe about the cost of living there. Locals (those and their families who have lived on the island most of their life), even though they are most likely to be low income, are not usually to be found in most of these moans, and point the finger at incomers - generally wealthy mainlanders who have moved to the island and enjoy it at the weekend, but spend their week working on the mainland.

I spotted a news item that suggests life might be that bit more expensive over there than I'd like (if I ever did up stick and re-establish Apollo Towers across the water), as Rothesay's only big supermarket has gone through the hands of a Presto when it opened on March 14, 1995, then Safeway, briefly Morrison's and latterly Somerfield - until the Co-operative Group purchased the Somerfield chain for £1.56 billion.

I walk to the shops, and Co-op is the closest to me, situated in the main road - but I walk past the door now, and even with a Dividend card in hand, the place is just too expensive to draw me in, and I have not seen it busy for years. Across the road and only minutes away in a back street is Tesco - nearly always packed and busy. Add another 25 minutes to my walk (say 20 minutes or so), and I can be at Asda, also usually packed and busy; or I can then opt for Morrison's (also usually packed and busy).

Need I add that the three alternatives are all measurably cheaper than the Co at the moment, and offer a vastly wider choice. And at the moment, Morrison's is almost giving the stuff away, and I have laid in month of supplies from some of their offers.

If you read the article about the new Co-op being installed on Bute - which is a bit of multiple personality at the moment, as it's branded Somerfield, but selling Co-op, then the biggest gripe is about the Somerfield checkouts not being able to handle the Co-op dividend system. That will be fixed with the revamp, but will the shoppers then start looking at the other big name supermarket prices, and claim that the islanders are being taken advantage of?

Rothesay set for full Co-op conversion - Buteman Today

It always amazes how people seem to be happy to pay up and gripe about supermarkets - instead of voting with their feet and taking their business (and money of course) next door.

And there still is plenty of alternative, local produce, smaller supermarket chains, and local shops to be had on Bute, and even the odd weekend market (but if you read the local paper, you might find out that they already seem to fight amongst themselves, so that's maybe not to hopeful).

I'm beginning to think the tourists are the only ones that support them!