How about about telling us how the plastic bag charges are spent? – Verity Lush

Unless they start charging £10 a bag, then is it really deterring anyone? 

And where was the evidence that the 5p charge helped pollution given that plastic pollution seems to be at an all-time high?

If it has helped at all, where was the, ‘Well done UK! We’ve made this massive effort, you’ve pulled it off, we are getting there!

‘Here’s the physical evidence of what the 5p charge has contributed to, so let’s raise it to 10p and see what we can do when we do it together!’ 

Nowhere, that’s where. A bit of encouragement for us all really wouldn’t go amiss.???????????????????????????????????

Good quality service gives you such peace of mind

I wrote a column last year about how my car needed some major expenditure. 

I was determined to keep her on the road for another year and refused to call it a day before something finished her off, like the engine dropping out.

The thought of buying a new car after having such a reliable one was daunting, and things have changed considerably in the past decade.

I’ve been playing CDs for the past 10 years when everyone else has moved on to touch screens and Bluetooth.

Well now, thanks to Snows Fiat in Farlington, I too have joined the rest of the Southern Hemisphere and am no longer driving the motoring world’s equivalent of a pony and trap.

As the daughter of a 1970s’ second-hand car salesman (sheepskin coat anyone?), I can still recall the days when the Glass’s Guide was used as a price guide.

I did my online research carefully and finally bit the bullet.

Fortunately, what could have been a stressful experience was made plain-sailing by Snows.

Jake Harris and the team there couldn’t have been more down to earth; a world away from the stereotypes of car sales.

Little did I know that you no longer have to use the postal service for any aspect of car buying at all.

I didn’t need to fiddle around with anything online myself, tax all sorted for me – including the automatic cancellation of the previous tax – and the service was impeccable and smooth. 

Shame the insurance companies don’t follow suit.

If you too need to trade in your old motor then, as a local lady, I’d totally recommend Snows.

And no, I’m not ‘advertising’ them (as a reader once suggested just because I praised a local company!). I’m simply reviewing a local service. Five star service at that.

This has also led to progression in my on-going metamorphosis into my mother. 

I’m now driving at 10 miles an hour and parking in the empty spaces furthest from the shops so as not to risk getting bumped by another driver’s door.

If I could ban the kids from my lovely new car, I would.

Perhaps parenting education needs to start in schools? 

I read this week about Clarks shoe shop staff being roped into improving children’s vocab and communication skills.

This is part of a government scheme that claims lack of conversation at home is leading to too many pupils struggling at school.

Surely both parenting and use of multi-media also need to be targeted? All we seem to do in the UK is tackle the problem and never the cause.

Prevention is always better than cure, but our figures and targets seem to lag behind other countries, whether it’s health or education.

Do today’s kids need to be taught how to parent before they even become parents themselves, if we are to stop this continual slide into the social doldrums?