It is not an unexpected decision, but it is still a cause of sadness for some and anger for others, including Leeds MPs who had campaigned to save branches.

The debate over closure has rumbled for a long time and it has tended to polarise those involved.

On the one side are those who believe post offices have had their day, that the business they used to carry out has gone elsewhere.

On the other side are those who feel an almost emotional connection to our network of post offices. These are the people who believe that every village should have its postmaster, that post offices are part of the fabric of British society.

Reality, as ever, lies somewhere in the middle. Yes, post offices have lost much of their core business and, yes, they are a valued part of our British way of life.

So it is a pity on a grand scale that a middle way could not have been found: that ways of making post offices a viable part of modern life could not have been thrashed out.

Then we could have had the best of both worlds – a loved institution with a future as well as a past.

A vital force

A hundred years ago the Territorial Army was formed and its centenary has been marked at a ceremony in Leeds, so If ever there was a time to reflect on the changing nature of this organisation it is now.

At periods of time in its history, the TA has had a cosy image, more reminiscent of TV's Dad's Army than a real fighting force.

But no longer. These days the men and women in the TA can find themselves serving alongside regular soldiers in war zones, a vital part of the fighting force.

As the centenary is celebrated, we should acknowledge that the Territorial Army is not a hobby any more for its members, but something much more serious.

Flower drama

The best laid plans can always go wrong, as the organisers of the Morley in Bloom entry discovered. Flower lovers were convinced they had everything spot on – right down to the flower beds outside the Town Hall, but they had reckoned without the cast of Emmerdale.

A plotline saw a fight take place outside the town hall and rehearsals meant a cast member was thrown into the precious flower bed not once but five times.

For a moment all was not rosy between the Morley contingent and Emmerdale - until the programme came to the rescue with an apology and a cheque for £100 and good relations have bloomed once more.