There has been a lot of buz about supermarket plastic bags where I'm staying to-night in Preston, Lancashire.

If you're interested you might want to try searching on 'Banish the plastic bag' to find an article at www.guardian.co.uk on the growing campaign to stop the use of plastic shopping bags. The whole business was inspired by a young wildlife camerawoman whose outrage at the pollution of the Pacific ocean marine life by plastic bags led to shops in Modbury Devon stopping using them.

Manchester tomorrow. It will be good to spend a day in 'my city'.

1978. Newport Collage of Art, South Wales. The Documentary Photography Course taught by Magnum photographer David Hern. I was honoured to be part of that ground breaking course for one year. David gave all the students a signed copy of one of his black and white photographs. I've just had mine put in a proper frame.

Even before I'd become involved in Buddhism the picture I chose spoke directly of the human condition, in a gentle and compassionate way. The line from one of our scriptures fits it so well. 'Here born we clutch at things, and then compound delusion later on by following ideals'. The photo depicts a smartly dressed elderly gentleman reaching up to a balloon floating above him. On the back of my print is written, Happy times at the MG car owners' ball. Edinburgh, Scotland. 1967.

You can see this photograph and many other truly beautiful black and white photographs by David Hern on the Magnam web site. I discovered the link to Magnam here last evening. Many thanks.

The Magnum site is probably better with a fast connection, however well worth the wait with a slow connection.