Frome is often hailed as one of the UK’s best high streets, flourishing as so many other places are struggling. But even here there are vacant shop fronts, including a former Shoe Zone, the faded lettering of its logo still just about visible. One resident lamented during The Express’ visit that locals now have to travel elsewhere to buy footwear. Another gripe is that people from the capital have moved to the area – known as FILTH (failed in London, try here) – and have tried to alter it. One business owner, who did not wish to be named, said: “We like it as it is. When new people come in they want to change everything.”

She added that outsiders want to make Frome “cafe central” with alfresco dining and more pedestrianised streets. A man in the store added: “We don’t want any more Londoners. We’ve fulfilled our quota, now we’re feeding them to the pigs.” “People born here struggle to stay here,” Alice Cleaver, 29, manager of the homewares outlet The Shop Next Door said. “Rent is absolutely crazy.” It took her two years to find somewhere affordable through word of mouth.

“If you try and go through estate agents, you’re f*****,” Ms Cleaver added.

The average sold house price in Frome is £346,382, according to Zoopla, way above the UK average of £282,776. In the first four months of 2024, 168 Frome properties came onto the market for rent, with the average £1,123 per month, according to Rivendell Estates. This was a slight drop of 0.09%. You can at the moment pay between £800 and £900 a month for what the businesswoman calls “s***holes”.

In 2023, Frome Town Council declared a housing crisis as rents soared out of reach for locals.

But the area’s wealth is good for independent businesses. Ms Cleaver said: “There’s a lot of money here… business is going really well.”

“There are a lot of people moving here all the time from London,” she added. “It’s totally understandable.” The manager has a lot of friends from London, and she sees Frome through their eyes.

“It’s a great town,” she says. “A lovely place to live.” But she added: “It feels like we’re not the ones that are supposed to be living here.

“I’ve found somewhere affordable, but this is not the town for us. I don’t really make enough to afford to live here, you just have to find someone you know.”

Despite the town’s relatively well-off inhabitants, some stores are still finding the going “tough”, and a monthly market, which attracts 12,500 visitors, boosts businesses’ takings.

Garry Yoxall, 60, who owns the Pedestal Gallery and PostScript, which offers printing services, also mentioned that shop owners have a Whatsapp group, and do not hesitate to offer each other advice, and warn when certain characters are about.

“You know everyone in the town; there’s a network,” he said.

Down from London (DFL) money means Frome has “definitely evolved”, Mr Yoxall added, as Frome attracts folk “looking to get away from the town”.

“You just have a look around the town. The geography, the architecture, the scenery. It’s just the right size, and not too disparate.”

“Success breeds success,” the former Shell worker, and now fully paid-up member of Greenpeace, said.

His gallery – which offers contemporary paintings and sculptures, some of which by Peter Hayes, whose works, Garry said, have been admired by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich – has not had a loss-making month since it opened last year.

It has been a dream of his, and when the outlet opposite his first business became available, Mr Yoxall jumped at the chance.

Before that, the town “wasn’t ready” for it, he said. On market days, Mr Yoxall can make up to £1,000.

He added that the middle-ground purchases, usually made by younger people starting out, is “just not there anymore”.

But high-end buys are still there, and he can still depend on low-end gifting.

The businessman also enjoys low staff costs and “reasonable” rent.

Truly Sopel, 46, who runs an evolving underwear design house has had a business in Frome for 19 years.

“Over time its sort of independent shops have actually attracted a lot of forward thinking creative individuals who are really passionate about what they do,” she said.

“Retail sense, I think that’s what makes it work.”

People have moved to the area, bringing their friends and families, Ms Sopel added, and plenty of Airbnbs and a good connection with the capital means it has become a “tourist attraction”.

She said: “Certainly until 2016 or 2015 it was me selling stuff to local people.

“But everyone I’ve sold to today is a visitor. I nearly left six years ago. Thank God I didn’t.”

Andy Le Grange, 64, who is the boss at Just Ales 2 micropub, says the town’s success is down to its independent councillors, who are not affiliated with a political party. “If you don’t work for Frome, you won’t get elected,” he said. “That makes a hell of a difference.”

Instead of top down, the town works bottom up, the publican added. But Frome has not always been like this, as John Szymanski, 40, a fashion designer and clothes maker who is hailed as one of the town’s greatest successes, said.

“I’ve known Frome when it wasn’t like this at all – basically a s******e,” he said. The businessman added that those who rent out shops are reasonable.

Mr Szymanski said: “Landlords understand it’s not easy having a small business; they just want to help.”

During the pandemic, they operated on a basis of “pay when you can”.

“If you can’t, don’t worry,” they added. He also talked about an influx of Londoners.

Mr Szymanski said: “Normally they first come in [to his shop] when they’re looking for a house.

“They say, ‘We’ve seen something we like’. I say, ‘Put an offer in. If you don’t, it’ll be gone within three days.”

He added: “Celebrities live around here as well. That’s the draw.”

Babington House – a Georgian manor in the heart of Somerset, with bedrooms, a spa and cinema for members, operated by Soho House – also attracts new people, the designer said.

He often sees people running for the train to London outside his shop window, where he still does most of his business from, perhaps swimming against the tide of buying online that has impacted other high streets in the UK.

He still has success on the web, however, including selling his flower bag on TikTok.

23 have been sent around the world, John said, including to America, Japan, Hungary, Norway, Switzerland and South Africa.