No, I don’t want a plastic bag!

2 litre milkI know that plastic bags aren’t the biggest environmental problem, but it still beggars belief that people leave supermarkets laden down with them.

My local Tesco is one of those small ones where people only tend to go in for a couple of items. I regularly stop in for some milk, bottle of wine or similar small purchase.

Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but modern milk cartons have a built-in handle. It makes it easy to pick up. It also means that you don’t really need to put it in a bag.

So why do the till operators try to give me a plastic bag for it every time I buy one. It’s got its own handle! I don’t need a bag!

The guy in front of me last night, bought two chocolate bars and they were put in a plastic bag. Why?

M&S has made a huge step by charging for plastic bags. I sincerely hope that the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury’s start doing the same soon.

What the Dickens…!?

Little Dorrit CourtWorking in London Bridge area can be quite entertaining if you go for a wander at lunchtime.

Yesterday I went to get my shoes reheeled and found a wonderful old-fashioned cobblers.

Anyway, the point is that while I was walking to the aforementioned cobblers, I spotted lots of references to Charles Dickens, proving just how closely this area is linked to him.

Little Dorrit Court is just off Borough High Street, while Quilp Street (character from Old Curiosity Shop) is just round the corner.

There’s also Marshalsea Road – named after the debtors’ prison where Dickens’ father was held and also the focal point for Little Dorrit.

None of this is terribly new for some people, but I just like it because it shows that we at least try to preserve heritage in this country, even if most people don’t know it exists.