If you want to understand the Devon town of Totnes, in south-west England, then stroll along Fore Street, the quarter-mile hill that bisects the town. Are there chain stores or big-name coffee shops? No. Or tourist tea shops and souvenir stores? A few but not many.

Instead, you see a microcosm of 21stcentury alternative society. The Riverford Farm Shop is across the road from the Green Café, both dedicated to serving local organic produce. Close by is Rhythm and Light, selling new age crystals. Past the posters for the solstice healing evening and the centre for reiki lies Green Fuse, a shop that sells alternative funeral services and offers tips on decorating coffins with biodegradable paint.