Summer Nights

How I pray for rain these warm summer nights. Why? So that I can get to sleep, that's why.

Throughout the summer, when it's absolutely essential to have my bedroom windows open, Cove Green, which is adjacent to my house, is a popular spot for young people to gather, often until the early hours of the morning, and often with alcohol to drink. As the evening draws on, and the ambient noise fades away, the noise levels from these young people increase at exactly the same time that people in nearby houses begin to turn in. We find ourselves trying to go to sleep to the sound of shouting, swearing and, worst of all, girlie squealing. Why must they do that? I don't think this is anything more than thoughtlessness, but lack of sleep is making me pretty cranky, and there's a long way to go before the merciful relief of winter.

And while I'm on the subject of Cove Green, why must people leave litter all over the place? Even when they're sitting just a few feet from a bin, they simply get up and walk away from their mess. No wonder we have such a problem with rats. Rushmoor Borough Council is fantastic at cleaning up, arriving really early in the morning and leaving the green spotless, but they really shouldn't have such a huge task on summer mornings. We must somehow bring about a change in attitudes, but that's going to be a challenge. One suggestion I've put forward is that sports teams using council grounds be required to ask their players to do a litter-pick after each game. I'm hoping that when young sports fans see players they admire taking a lead in cleaning up, they might change their attitudes. One can but hope.