On occasions an image flashes across the television screen bringing back a vision of the past, in this instance it was a picture of Colman’s Mustard on a dining table. I was not very old at the time when my parents introduced us children to the wonders of the yellow paste, of course it is only ‘in wonderment’ if you approve of it.
I can remember being puzzled that after smearing a portion on the edge of the plate you then dipped your food in it and at the end there was part of it left on the rim.
I do not recollect now why I asked the question, perhaps we had had a recent lecture about waste, however I asked “why did we have to leave the part on the plate only for it to be washed away at clean up” or similar words.
My father, a Shop Steward and a proud Union man promptly replied, “Because it is Mr Colman’s profit!” He was right in some ways if the part left on the plate was not there then he would not have sold it.
Thinking about the response now it was very profound, comparing the instance with today it is so different as in that period shopping was done on a planned daily basis for food to be consumed on the day of purchase, there was very little left-over.
The arrival of the supermarkets changed all that where now in most cases the grocery shopping is done on a weekly or longer basis resulting in every home with surplus food on a shelf or in a freezer – in other words the profit of the mecca conglomerate’s that sell the nourishment.
There is another waste, the ‘Sell by date’ which is printed on every item, a useless deceiving addition, and profit somewhere when unopened and unused items are thrown away whilst they are still in pristine order, only because the date has passed. It is understandable for fresh foods to have such a reminder when it should be consumed as a safety precaution, but why are they there on non-erosional stuff? Surely the numbers are only there as a stocking record of which to sell first?
It has been said many times, and on numerous occasions concerning the use of plastic and the waste it creates, there are a number of schemes being operated around the world to stop synthetic objects being washed into the oceans.
I have another idea!!! Go back to items being in jars and glass containers, nothing pe-wrapped and the client orders exactly what they want. ‘Quarter of a pound of boiled sweets please’ or perhaps ‘two rashers of back bacon’ (don’t forget the broken biscuits) then the person behind the counter would measure the item out or weigh them and ask for the money.
What a difference! Life at a slower pace – items bought as needed – no rushing around with a trolley snatching pre-packed objects off a shelf. The supermarkets would have to employ more staff as they would need somebody behind each counter to serve the customers, who would be queuing, waiting their turn, smiling and chatting to each other about this and that.
Also, the store would need others to collect the emptying jars and containers to return them from whence they came, for re-use.
A vision of little waste and people relaxed buying the quantity they needed – a dream, it is not to be had!
In the meantime, we continue to buy prepacked articles in plastic, all looking fresh and nice inside their containers, but sometimes when opened the lower one of the group is not as nice as the top one.
There is an ongoing discussion in the British Parliament concerning whether to have a passport or not to show the state of your Covid jab. The following headline, not my words but taken from the heading of an article in the Daily Mail, 1st August.
‘Enforcing vaccine passports is ‘not a British way to behave’, Jacob Rees-Mogg has warned the Government’.
I do not understand the logic in this statement. Most of us have other documents proving who we are, so what is so dangerous about a document showing you are free of a dreadful disease and at low risk of passing it on.
Why is it that a Driving License is acceptable to prove you are capable of driving a vehicle but not a similar item to show you are free of Covid 19?
To be perfectly boring – there are bank cards, social security documents, club membership cards, and a host of others to prove who you are. Try getting on a plane or a ship without a passport!!!
Every precaution should be taken to contain this disease – vaccine jabs, documentation or whatever to fight this invader and if anyone has a doubt then they should look at Sydney in Australia which at the time of writing is in total lockdown for the next five weeks. This virus is in attacking mode.
Finally, I am tired of seeing ‘A List’ people on the front pages showing off their new-born as if they had done something clever. Take care.
Facebook.com/percy chattey There are fifty one books in the ‘Story Telling’ series of short stories, stunning poems, also complete full length works, published on Amazon and Kindle through Percy Chattey.
