‘Twas the night before Christmas and all round the downs
the people of Guildford were walking their hounds
Taking a break from the festivities
Enjoying the quiet, the air and the trees.
And up in the woodland, deep down in their sett,
The badgers were wond’ring, “was it twlight just yet?”
The dormice were sleeping beneath owls on the wing
And the people of Merrow felt blessed by this thing,
This green open space with views over town, and on – right to London! – you can see from the downs.
And as they were thinking, “How lucky we are, that the Surrey Hills reaches into Guildford’s back yard”
A sudden bright light rose from out of the ground
then several more, till they shone all around.
What was this extraordinary illumination? Was it Santa, a spacecraft, or a new constellation?
Looking out from his window some distance away
A boy cried out “Mum! Is it Santa’s bright sleigh?”
But as he was watching the sky shine so bright
he realised that Santa wouldn’t spoil the dark night
With floodlights that reached high above the treeline
destroying the sense of a landscape so fine.
And the nocturnal wildlife that relied on the dark
moved away from the downs, with its intrusive sports park.
And the people yelled “Who on earth put those lights there??
Are they clueless, or heartless, or do they simply not care
for the natural world, animals and plants
in a National Landscape, we’re supposed to enhance.
For the two schools who chose to sell out Merrow Downs
for money, for prestige, it’s clear they have found
the locals more vocal in standing their ground.
When all’s said and done and the question is asked,
Did the future you build take account of the past?
Did you sacrifice wildlife and landscape so treasured?
Did your ego and arrogance drive your whole headship?
Yes, history will judge those who made the poor choices
Who sacrificed wildlife and ignored all the voices
who argued for longer term thinking, and not they
who saw an inalienable right to play hockey
On their own plastic pitch that was once a green field
But is now rented out to those much better-heeled.
So the people of Merrow who loved their dark skies
have a compromised landscape, and bright lights in their eyes.
But when we meet on the downs, face away from the blight,
wish Happy Christmas to all
And to all a good night.
Katherine Atkinson
Christmas Eve, 2024.
