Radio 4 Today presenter John Humphrys often has to wake up early for his work but appreciates the chance to sleep in on other days. Sadly, at his home near Ravenscourt Park the chance of doing so has been severely diminished of late.
“I am being deprived of my sleep,” he complained to his local councillor. “If you get up as early as I do, sleep matters — especially at weekends. It’s nice to have a little lie-in.
“But it’s no longer possible. At precisely 7am on Saturdays and Sundays a man drives into the square, unloads a petrol-driven leaf blower and spends the next half hour (sometimes longer) blowing leaves around.
“It is absurd. This being spring and not autumn there are no more than a dozen leaves on the tennis courts. They are not removed, simply redistributed, with the result that they blow back again by the time he has driven off.
“He could do the job far more effectively with a broom in five minutes, assuming he took his time. He’s a contract worker so I assume the cost to be at least £100. I’d do it with a brush for a fiver.”
Happily, common sense has prevailed. The local Conservative councillor, Harry Phibbs, successfully intervened. In future brooms will be used instead.
The dynamic duo now plan a wider crusade. “I’m happy to join you in a campaign against these ridiculous machines in general,” a grateful Humphrys tells Phibbs. “Brooms work and they are much cheaper and infinitely less annoying. I suspect the nation would cheer. I launched a modest campaign a few years ago against patio heaters and I pretend to myself it had some effect.”
Well done, Councillor Phibbs.
