City slickers

Is it any wonder that there was trouble at this week's Plymouth Argyle vs Exeter City Johnstone Paint Trophy match, when the week before the Exeter Express & Echo had - with a sugary front page headline and a staggeringly childish editorial - been goading their rival city over the thorny subject of... shopping centres!

As someone who lived in Plymouth for six years and also worked in Exeter for another six years, I'm perhaps better suited than most to discuss the various merits of each city. Each have their own qualities, but I've always found it a little strange how Exeter has always seemed so paranoid about its larger rival down the A38. During my time in Plymouth, and during many subsequent visits, I honestly can't recall the Plymouth Evening Herald ever taking a similar stance against the (self-appointed) 'Region's Capital'.

Thing is, if you add together the very nice, new Princesshay (shame about the lack of roof across most of it, though), the rather tired Guildhall Centre and the eery white elephant that is The Harlequins, the combination would still be inferior to Drakes Circus in Plymouth. And I suspect, deep down, Exeter know this. And so do Plymouth - which is why they don't get involved.

So, whilst Exeter understandably gets excited about its impending new John Lewis, albeit a rather pokey one (I had to smile when an Exeter councillor described the former Debenhams building as 'iconic'), and less understandably excited about its new Wilkinsons (Wilkinsons, I ask you! Show me a decent-sized town that hasn't got one!), Plymouth will just keep quietly going about its business.