DESPITE protractedly prodding Bury Council and a letter published in the Bury Times circa June, 2013, 'highlighting' this nonsensical saga, Tottington's 'eternal' street light is still blissfully burning daylight.

This old, neglected lamp, loftily located in Turton Road midway between Woodstock Drive and Meadow Nook Farm, has been permanently illuminated for more than seven years now at a loss to Bury Council Tax payers of approximately £1,500 in wasted electricity.

Almost 40,000 hours, pointlessly illuminating daylight. Why? is the blindingly obvious question.

In recent times our off-road housing developments and estates have been subjected to the ignominy of shadowy, low intensity street lighting in the name of electricity conservation. Unfortunately, the monochrome pools of LED mediocrity, shadily projected beneath these new-fangled street lights, has ushered in a seedy return to a burglar friendly, "Fanny by Gaslight" environment.

An atmospheric twilight zone environment, conjuring mental images of legendary Hollywood femme fatale, Marlene Dietrich. Sultry, platinum blonde Marlene, plaintively warbling her melancholic wartime lyrics, grainily silhouetted beneath one of these nondescript, utility 'lanterns' . . . 'Wie einst Lili Marlene' . . . your gloomy, posthumous backdrop has been unwittingly revisited.

What next for Bury's beleaguered residents?

Street lighting blackouts, perpetrated in the guise of extended penny pinching austerity.

Blackouts, farcically contested by the ethereal amber glow emanating from Turton road's, incandescent Folly.

Pete Haworth

Holcombe Road

Greenmount