On Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:30:47 +0100, Tim Watts wrote:

Andy Burns wrote:

The Medway Handyman wrote:

Up to 75% of councils are dimming the lights

Only dimming? Round here whole swathes of them have been "unplugged",
some have even had their heads removed and most of the rest go off after
00:15

They've been considering that round here. It's already pretty black at night
(village). Certainly seems to be a retrograde step WRT accidents and
crime...

Never had any in this village and I think it is better for it.
I like to walk down the road at night and be able to see a starry
sky. With modern LED torches giving a reasonnable light from a small
source it easy to have one on a key ring to alert approaching vehicles
to your presence . In most conditions after my eyes have adjusted I
can see well enough by ambient light some of which is coming from
house windows or a Porch lamp. Failed once on a really dark night with
thick cloud, I could hear steps coming close and turned to see a chap
walking up faster than me,stepped to one side to let him pass and trod
on his small dog which I had not seen. The Howling woke half the
street.

G.Harman