In one way I was lucky, only six years old when WWII started, so I had six years of very dark skies, and I think that this is what led me into Astronomy, and the reason why I do not like bright lights.

  The person who lives next door to me has three 500 watt floodlights and the moment I go into my garden he switches them on, even if it's raining and I cannot use my telescope, and sometimes he leaves them on all night. They not only light up my garden, but everyone's.

  Why can we not make light a trespass, then if you have floodlights it's up to you to point them down and keep them low so that all they light up is your garden and not everyone else's, and also blocking out the sky. I do have the Channel Tunnel one kilometre from me and a sports ground near, but the sports ground light goes off at 2200 hours, and the Tunnel lights have a good cut off.

  As for my Astronomy, I am now working solar events as I can do that in daylight. I have also had a roof window fitted so that I am a little above next door's lights.

16 May 2003