Before the ubiquitous plastic bag arrived we always took our own (non-plastic) bags – a string one for the greengrocer – to collect the shopping which, of course, used to come without loads of packaging.
I try to recycle plastic bags, using them as bin liners, or for clearing up after the dogs when we are out – although I not sure how environmentally-friendly either of those are.

Sometimes I even remember to take them to the supermarket to use again. Well it saves the embarrassment of trying – but failing – to get bags off the roll and open at the till as you battle in vain to keep up with the conveyor belt.

Perhaps the supermarkets are deliberately making it hard, and this is a bid to make us go a little more green, out of frustration if nothing else.

Or it could be that this is for the benefit of the CCTV cameras. Footage of people being defeated by carrier bags at checkouts will, no doubt, one day appear on YouTube or something similar, with a suitably sneery commentary.

THE old spring-heeled Hamish is back with us following his cataract operation. Although it will take a few more days for his right eye to settle down completely, there's no doubt he can see again, and that's brilliant. Biscuits can now be held at long distance rather than right up against his nose.

He's just finished a month-long course of tablets and still has to have a number of drops in the eye each day until early next month. And while he's still on medication he has to be kept quiet. Well, that's what we were told.

Have you tried to keep a terrier quiet? The labours of Hercules are as nothing compared to that task.
But we're not complaining. The operation has given him back a life, and he's so obviously enjoying it.

Not bumping into things, seeing what he's barking at for a change, chasing Bluebell around the house and pinching her chews without getting his nose bitten. It's great to see him back to normal.

AND finally... walking to my car after work recently I noticed a van parked nearby, advertising "Aperture
Solutions for the building trade". In English that's replacement doors and windows.

Reader J A Lorkings emailed this comment: "Maybe Ken would like to know that Tesco has solved the problem and has been using 100% degradable bags for some time now and maybe someone should bring it to the attention of other supermarkets.

"I discovered this when I put some garden netting in a Tesco bag in the autumn and by spring the next year the bag crumbled into
a white powder."