A SMALL group of us recently went to the festival of light at Coate Water.

The place was thronged with people, all quietly enjoying the moment. There must have been thousands of lights, drifting slowly across the lake as the sky grew dark, twinkling in their various colours on the still water in the peace of the countryside. It felt quite magical.

What a shame, then, that there are proposals to build houses right up to the present country park boundary, with the University and science park a little further off.

I stood for quite a while beside the cafe, and watched while people queuing there, noticed the display about the proposals, and signed the petition in their dozens.

Nobody, but nobody, dissented I was particularly impressed by the number of young people who were all too keen to sign it.

If you care about Coate Water and its rural nature, you can sign the petition online, at www.savecoate.org.uk all it's asking for is a 1km protection zone around Coate Water. The university? Yes, we all want one in Swindon but is it really beyond the wit of man to enable it to come anywhere but on Swindon's most precious asset?

Dr Chris Barry

Chiseldon