The news that the fortunes of greengrocers might be improved by a new independent lobby certainly stirred a few of my memories.

Some 40 years ago they had the opportunity of being a force with which to be reckoned. Certainly they were never ignored, mainly thanks to a fiercely protective national secretary Tommy Matkin at the Retail Fruit Trade Federation (RFTF).

Appearing twice in the Honours List, he had the ear of government. He was also treated with considerable deference by the major marketing boards and promotional organisations and was seen as a route to greater credence for their products.

Yet the one sticking point even at that stage was that the RFTF was always coy about revealing precisely how many members it had.

There seemed to be two basic reasons: first that many fruiterers were somewhat transient, moving from shop to shop as short leaseholds came to an end. Second, that because of their nature, many simply did not care about the more rarefied atmosphere of trade politics.

Meanwhile, the RFTF to be fair, put on an extraordinary show once a year with its annual conference lasting three days, even though it catered for probably no more than one per cent of the total number of independent retailers.

Yet on paper - structured like a trade union with regional branches and presidents wearing chains of office which would do credit to a Lord Mayor - it possessed a gravitas which, in those days, attracted considerable sponsorship and support.

Maybe it was also fear. Independent retailers are slaves to no one. Then they were quite capable at their annual gathering of standing up and publicly - even bitterly - criticising speakers for poor quality and bad packaging or merchandising material that was the wrong size to put in their windows.

They were good at buying and selling fruit - converting counts to retail prices with the ease of the most accomplished dart player. They knew good product, would smell a bargain and next week could look after itself.

What appeared to be sensible moves by the retail and wholesale federations to try and develop some form of joint-market, pre-ordering and volume discounting came to nothing. Perhaps because simplistically the gap between buyers and sellers is always there regardless how well it might be disguised.

So it will be interesting to record over the coming months whether attitudes have changed, apart from numbers being far smaller and without a vociferous central point.

In fact, the remaining retailers may well have already become the forgotten sector. As far as those that supported them are concerned, the multiples have become the power in the land. Ironically, probably they are closer now to the wholesale trade, also fighting for survival, than ever before.

A smaller voice crying in the wilderness, however well-meaning, will have to find a way to create greater resonance not only if it is to be heard, but to make any lasting impression.