I HAVE always found the visible stars which humanity has used to tell the seasons of the year and to guide its travellers, sufficient on a clear evening.

A telescope might be useful, however, to discern the face of the Town Hall clock at night.

If we, like the French, placed downward reflectors above the street lights, electricity consumption (and the attendant pollution) could be cut, leaving the night sky dim enough for the most amateur of astronomers to gaze quietly.

And we might save enough money for colour to be added to the Town Hall clock face.

Ray Pearce

Hawthorne Road, Deane, Bolton

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.