Now I'm sure Peter Sellers would be on board here. The thing is - it seems to be getting more and more difficult to find darkness these days. Mind you there are three street lights in the village where I live and the one nearest our house has packed up, which has improved this little bit no end. Driving at night around here I often turn the lights off to more fully appreciate the landscape - hedgerow shadows produce a different view and lend a more gentle topography on a clear night. Walking at night is even more rewarding, the eyes soon become accustomed to reduced light levels and at this time of year a really hard frost on a moon-lit night needs to be felt, occasional relief offered as you pass through a wood or under a thick Hawthorn hedge. It is still possible to find dark backwaters but all too often our skyline is a-blaze with sodium glare. Much as I marvel at our fine churches (we are particularly blessed in this part of the world) I prefer to see them lit naturally by day and in their ghostly shade at night.
9 comments:
I'm right with you on this one Diplo. I was thrilled to hear that a council was switching off it's street lights to save money. Out with the Maglite and lets start bumping into strangers again.
street lights and bloody road signs - ther's a roundabout thingy in rural Northants in the middle of sodding nowhere with a dozen street lights and acres of aluminium road signs - so many that it's actualy difficult to see the traffic, what's the point in that ?
Great blog and pictures Diplo, even though it does stir a disturbing memory of being driven by you in a car at night with the lights off and the doors open. I wish I could find a link, but it's worth taking a look at NASA's satellite shot of earth with the lights on. About the only place not lit up is Ron Combo's potato patch.
aaah....those heady days when a good Christmas present from Santa Claus was a new torch - or better yet, a new front bicycle lamp. And shining it into Christine Ashcroft's bedroom....
Just re-read that post - of to find some Robert Frost to read instead.
Was it the torch a Pifco Alois? And did you have to screw down a little silvered knob to get the bike lamp on? With those double-headed Every Ready's? And was Robert Frost thinking of his Edward Thomas bicycle when he wrote "I have many miles to go before I sleep..."
HAD to be an Ever Ready bicycle lamp...and yes, with the screw down switch!! One for sale on ebay even as I write!
Don't even mention e-bay to me. I think I'm about to take delivery of two more catering-size 1975 Ovaltine tins again.
I have just such a light on the back of my 1930s Electric Bicycle. The version with the red lens, obviously. It was abit rusty inside so I had to solder the wires onto the battery. Emits a dull red glow. Good luck with the Ovaltine tins Peter. Irresistable.
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