While we sat in the car the man who washes his car every day parked his vehicle in the garage and walked through his tiny garden to his house, pausing on the way, three times, to pick up three pieces of rubbish and throw them over the wall and into the street. Once the door closed behind him a sudden gust of wind scooped them into the air, under his gate and back into the garden.

One of the main causes of rubbish here is the supermarket carrier bag, handed out with every purchase and often abandoned outside.. I am delighted to see the rise of the jute bag, and have a growing collection. It took a little while to habitually leave the bags by the front door as soon as they were empty, ready to be placed in the car for the next trip. I can remember having to pay 1p for a Tesco bag and now, through Clubcard, Tesco pays me 1p not to have one. What a wonderful world this is!

When I visited my grandmother we would walk to the village shop with a sturdy wicker basket which we placed on the counter while we read our list to the shop- keeper. On a Sunday we raced to be there by noon to buy frozen peas, sweet as the moment when the pod went pop, to have with a roast. For pudding we had something home-made: rice pudding was a favourite, or jam roly poly.

I wonder what today’s children will remember with a smile? Hopefully something more nutritious than cheese strings and Aunty Bessie’s Yorkshire puddings!