Flocking together

THE FRIDAY THING: POTENTIAL for genuine good neighbourliness and togetherness presents itself in Saddleworth following the establishment of several gated communities where residents lock themselves in and lock the rest of us out.

I suppose it’s community cohesion, Saddleworth style.

I have no problem with people who wish to live their lives behind bars. There are folk in institutions all over the country who do the same thing, only without the money, flash cars and ability to come and go as they please.

But we should not deny the right of folk who wish to fence themselves in every day to do so. In fact, in a spirit of good neighbourliness those who lock themselves in behind electronically powered gates could be the answer to a major problem that has blighted many areas of Saddleworth.

As regular readers will be aware, there has been a spate of attacks on farms by folk who enjoy lamb dinners and enjoy even more the money they can make by rustling a few dozen, or even a few hundred sheep from unprotected fields.

It is, of course, difficult to protect sheep when they are out and munching grass and plants and generally having a good time with their noisy mates.

But safety for the sheep could be at hand. If those who have locked themselves in behind big metal gates to keep the riff-raff (that means you and me and definitely parish councillor Alan Roughley) out, took in the sheep, it would allow them to dine on no doubt quality grasses without the fear of being slaughtered or stolen by the unscrupulous rustlers, 20th century style.

It would also save the gated-dwellers from having to invest in a lawn mower to keep the grass in pristine condition and would do wonders for convivial Saddleworth togetherness. Win-win...