Sometimes, when I look out across Cant’s rose fields and beyond, I notice the sun setting.

It is quite surprising how quickly it slips down over the horizon. Then, if I am lucky, the magic begins and the sky slowly takes on the wondrous colours that any artist would spend his life trying to capture on canvas.

Motorists passing by quite often stop in the layby and grab their cameras.

But, apparently, that is all to change, or so I was told at a meeting held at the church hall to advise us on a grandiose scheme entitled “Local Development Framework”.

A young man, who told me he lived and worked in Milton Keynes, explained, with the help of several colourful drawings, his company envisaged replacing my beautiful landscape with what he called a “Community Hub” – a euphemism, I understand, for a shopping centre.

So, no more sunsets to marvel at. But not all is lost, as in reading the proposal the company does seem to be in favour of reprieving some of our countryside so we and those who follow us will be able to get in our cars and drive out and find those beautiful sights.

I also believe plans are afoot to preserve some trees for our future generations, reminiscent of those wonderful lyrics by Joni Mitchell: “They took all the trees and put ’em in a tree museum; and they charged the people a dollar and a half just to see ’em.”

But what of my sunsets?

Perhaps Shakespeare would have written: “Ah sunset, how can I compare thee to a beautiful neon Tesco Express?”

Paul Richwood
Nayland Road
Mile End