How can I persuade my authority .....

What a good idea! I've lost count of the times I've almost had an arguement with checkout staff because they only put two or three items in each carrier bag, or when you (rarely) only come out with something like a birthday card and they want to put that in a carrier bag!

Also - my dad was a grocer and when I helped him prepare the orders on Thursdays and Fridays, I had to pack carefully so eggs (in paper bags then) didn't get broken. Stuff like that. But if the checkout staff pack for you, they just toss things into the carriers willy nilly, tins on top of soft fruit or bread. Drives me mad!!! My dad would turn in his grave!

 

One of the reasons when visiting a supermarket, I take my own bags, and pack myself.

Now I shop on line - less expensive, cos I only get things I need - and they take the carriers back. But I must remember to take bags with I go to the butcher and greengrocer locally.

 

I like LIDL because they make you pay for your carrier bags its only 10 or 15 pence but you do notice that it makes people take their old bags back. Its a small thing but it makes a big difference.

Attacking peoples pockets seems the way to go in most things.

 

As a renter i'm usually limited to garden space when looking for a home, i have to take what comes. I know there is some lovely allotments in Exeter, but they're so far from me. I'd love an allotment, and i'm keen to learn more!

I must admit that i actually hoard carrier bags. And i always get through them and reuse them all! When you have animal cages to clean out it all goes into a carrier and then into its own bin. Keeps the smell down until bin day! :D

 

I've dragged this back up to the top again - I've been rather busy over the past few months working on persuading our Council about the subject. That's why you haven't seen much of Dendy lately! Sorry folks, if I've missed anything aimed specifically at me. (Questions, that is! :eek: :rolleyes: )

Situation so far is that a group of us have got together, formed an allotment association, have written to the new councillors, got a constitution so we can get funding, written to the paper, been to visit various allotments, been in touch with all sorts of people for advice and help, located various potential sites, and are about to put together a full-blown proposal for what we want the council to do....... and occasionally I sleep!

We have hopes that maybe by next spring we'll have a little site as a pilot project, with a community garden as part of the project. Wish us luck, people!

 

I wish you lots of luck. May you get everything you want from "them".

 

Good luck Dendy hope all your hard work pays off.

 

Oh yes.The best of luck to you all.
I was wondering where you`d got to dendy.

 

Thanks, folks! I'll keep everyone posted.... but may not be around all that often for a bit longer, then it'll be back with loads of questions!

In the meantime I've been enjoying the fruits, or rather the veg, of my own little raised bed inside the cottage garden, having had a rather nice cauliflower and calabrese last night, a few onions, loads of potatoes, and am keeeping fingers crossed for carrots and parsnips. Turnip was all top and no body, so better luck on that next year, maybe. :D

 

Heard this great quip on tv last night.

Overheard on a train as it was passing an allotment area, one American saying to another "That? Oh that's the Brit's subsistence farming for their poor." !!

 

I just felt the need to curtsey. :D

 

Who to, Elaine? To the Americans? :D

I've just made some veg soup - not all my own, but the potatoes and onions are! Really looking forward to being able to do more veg and stuff, and get it really fresh for more of the year. MIL does beans, and she has better conditions for fruit in her half of the cottage garden, so we get her strawberries too, and my gooseberry "tree" produced 4lbs of fruit this year! :eek: Wonder if the kiwi fruit ever will - it's rambling free in the hedge! Isn't gardening fun :D :D :D