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18.


TALES FROM THE HARDWARE STORE After a disappointing July we had all been eagerly awaiting a return to sunshine in August…..but it didn’t work out did it and certainly the first half of the month was predominantly wet and grey! Frustrating for all those people hoping to have outside jobs completed during the summer, and even more frustrating for those tradesmen who were planning to complete the work! Parents and Grandparents have been kept on their toes entertaining the younger members of their family during the ‘long’ school holidays. They always seem longer when the weather is bad, don’t they. But there is always an upside to everything and, once again there has been a return to the kitchen with many local children being kept occupied by Grandma, learning how to bake. Sales of baking trays, sandwich tins, piping sets etc, have been brisk as children are taught how to make cakes that taste like proper cakes. Sales of enamel bakeware have also been good as plate pies replace salads on our tables. So maybe this disappointing summer will have indirectly helped many children appreciate the benefits of home cooked food, and given them more of an insight into how to cook. That’s got to be good news hasn’t it. Apart from the benefits of taste and quality, home cooked food usually means less waste going into landfill as there is no and cardboard packaging. Unnecessary packaging continues to be a major issue. So everyone who is doing their bit to cut down on waste by re-thinking their housekeeping arrangements has to be applauded. It was interesting to note that many retailers received a letter from Burnley Borough Council, asking them to join in and support the Government initiative and charge a minimum of 3p for every disposable plastic carrier bag used. I do believe that the majority of people are carrier bag conscious, (some customers are even known to reel backwards in horror, as if they have been poked in the eye, when asked if they would like a carrier bag) but as with anything there will always be room for improvement. I worry that the emphasis on carrier bags is maybe misguided as it is only the tip of the iceberg, but I do accept we have to start somewhere and if we can minimise their use that’s great. Whilst we might gain some comfort from the feeling ‘we’re doing our bit’, just look around and you will see how almost everything we buy is now pre-packed into thick plastic packaging. Replacement heads for electric toothbrushes are a prime example of small purchases being overpacked, as are the majority of fruit and vegetables bought from supermarkets. But whether they are ‘overpacked’ in the interests of security, or simply for the consumer’s and the supermarket’s convenience, there is so much packaging which simply goes into general waste because it isn’t accepted in the recycled waste. Surely, to make a meaningful difference we have to get to the root of the problem and ban over packaged items. Sounds simple enough doesn’t it. So maybe, in the future if and when unnecessary packaging has been banned, we’ll see a return to consumers buying loose fruit and veg from traditional independent greengrocers ….and our children and grandchildren will look back and think ‘why did it take them so long to realise their shopping habits were unsustainable?...what were they waiting for? Anyway, back to the here and now….since the gloomy weather hit, people were obviously thinking ahead to winter and buying in the essentials. No, I am not joking, we actually sold 2 snow shovels in August! Amazing! Interest- ingly, both customers said; ‘It will probably not snow now we’ve bought one, but that will be the best £8.50 we’ve spent this summer!’ Finally, the other day I was left speechless as I witnessed a taxi driver ignore an elderly lady’s repeated request, for help to put her shopping into the taxi. I’m not sure whether he just couldn’t be bothered to get out of his car or whether he too felt very strongly against carrier bags, but I was left totally speechless and ended up lifting it in for her. I’m sure there are many brilliant cab drivers who really care about their customers and hopefully this was just a one-off?? If you regularly get good service from a taxi firm let me know. Every town needs a good taxi service to ensure their shoppers get home safely and without fuss….we’ll spread the word! Carol Broadbelt


Tel: 01282 777607 Fax: 01282 779111 Web: www.mj-supplies.com Email: sales@mj-supplies.com 7. Van Der Valk


On Dance. Dancing with her was like moving a Piano.


The trouble with nude dancing is that not everything stops when the music does.


Start with your left foot…….Which one ? Dancing is a perpendicular expression of a horizontal desire.


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