Personal

What a treat

The message read, "What a treat, not a car on the street."

It was written in chalk on the kerb near where we lived when I was sixteen. Woodfield Road was being resurfaced so anyone who valued their car had parked elsewhere.

My employer is digging up Angel Lane this week. Rather than provoking the usual anger born of inconvenience and frustration, the disturbed earth has fallen as a peace on our houses. My neighbours told me they overslept this morning as there was no passing traffic to wake them up.

So today I understood that message from 1987. And I'm inclined to get out my own stick of chalk, pass the message on.