A View from Scrooge's Bunker

Communal childishness

As young children we say “moo-moo” and “tummy” and are enthralled by bright colours and lights. But some people never grow up: they continue to say “tummy” well into adulthood and never lose their fascination with bright lights. They marvel at Catherine wheels like a three year old. They festoon their mid-winter houses with tacky decorations in a misguided sense of tradition, slavishly following cultural conventions in a self-conscious act of communal childishness. This is a slippery slope: one minute you are a normal intelligent adult, the next you are watching Strictly Come Dancing.

Shadwell Library is a testament to community spirit. The council would have closed it but for the concerted determination of many villagers and for the continuing effort of many more volunteers running the library and maintaining the building. It remains as vibrant book lender, cultural centre and delightful Grade II Listed Building in steadfast opposition to the philistines. It is totally inappropriate to despoil the stone building’s charm with flashing Christmas lights. Ironically those responsible have started to think down the right road and used white lights rather than hideous coloured ones. For that mercy I am very, very grateful. What a pity they didn't follow the logic through and realize how much more tasteful it would be not to put lights up at all.

Our parish church is dedicated to St Paul who famously wrote “when I became a man, I put away childish things”. Is there any chance that we could be guided by this precept, so that next year when I walk past the library on New Year’s Eve I can muse on the plain stone facade before having my soul bruised by the Christmas decorations in the pub?

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