Interesting footnote on Brigg People today about growing opposition to the proposed expansion of Tesco's in Brigg. Especially concerning is that the application looks like it may interfere with a potentially important bronze age site, where in 1886 the Brigg Longboat was discovered. The Brigg Longboat was thought at the time to be one of the largest and best specimens in the country, and was transferred to Hull museum in 1909. Sadly in a bombing raid on Hull in 1943 the boat was destroyed, leaving just the site at Brigg to remember this important artefact by. The evidence of the Brigg Longboat shows just what an important and historical town Brigg always has been. This is especially poignant as many similarly local settlements in the area lost due to open cast mining and steel production (see Conesby North article). Further evidence of Brigg's importance in prehistoric times is the second boat found there in 1887 is now in the Greenwich Maritime Museum in London. Modern day Brigg already has a Tesco Express, which offers a wide range of supermarket products and fits well into the community. This store is well established and has been there for many years. Scunthorpe, just 6 miles away boasts on of the largest Tesco Extra stores, and between the two lay your usual cacophony of supermarkets including Morrisons, Asda and Sainsbury's. The proposed extension of the Brigg Store would encroach on the site where the original Brigg Longboat was found. This site is thought to be of significant historical importance as it resides the outcropping of a shale bank on which the settlement of Brigg was originally built. This Shale outcrop literally stood up out of the Ancholme flood plain which at the time was tidal, providing an island on which early settlers first lived. Local residents are concerned that not only will a site of great historical importance be destroyed by a large multinational retailer but that the supermarket will be alien to the small market town and local traders in that area. Last night in Stokes Croft, Bristol, rioting actually broke out over the opening of a new Tesco store. According to people living in the area, police moved in to clear protesters occupying a vacant building opposite, causing trouble to flair. 160 officers were involved and were shipped in from as far away as Wales, in order to enact 4 arrests. As a direct result, around 300 local residents took to the streets in protest, which resulted in substantial damage to the new store as shown below: In total there are over 350 local campaigns against the incursion of Tesco stores into small communities like Brigg. Brigg already has a Tesco store, and lots of good local shops, those wanting to use larger stores, there are plenty within 6 to 8 miles away. Considering the impact that this expansion would have on other retailers, it really is something which should have the breaks put on, as any additional jobs created at Tesco's would doubtless impact on smaller shops and result in closures.