DEVIZES has suffered a bit of a graffiti epidemic recently. I have seen “Stop social cleansing Disabled Parking Spaces” over an out of date parking suspension notice in the Market Place. The week before there were three examples. On a no stopping sign outside the HSBC we got “Stop spying on The public Big brother Taxis.” A lamp post in the old Tesco car park (yes, I know that’s not the proper name – but that’s what everyone still calls it) saw “Homeless people Are welcome Here. Stop the War on the poor” and a sign in the same car park carried the simple demand “AXE THE BEDROOM TAX”. Please note that I’ve kept the capitalisation as it was to avoid damaging the fundamental integrity of the original posts.

Perhaps you haven’t noticed these strongly worded and heartfelt slogans that have been daubed around the town? I admit that they lack the immediate visual impact of the works of Banksy, although, in my opinion, they are no less worthy from either an artistic or a humorous standpoint. But I’m not surprised if you haven’t seen the thoughts of this political activist as they’re not crudely writ in painted letters a yard or more high. Nor are they, like a couple of other local examples, the result of someone buying a can of spray paint but not having the faintest idea how to use it.

If you haven’t seen them I guess it’s because they’re written with a pink pen on three-inch square yellow Post-it notes. And I find that charming. This young person (the age is an assumption, but it’s one I’d be willing to put a few bob on) is angry at the injustices they perceive in our society. They care about many causes. But they’ve also been well-brought-up so they don’t want to vandalise the place. There’s no real clean-up operation required. I left the notes in place.

Some might argue that I am colluding with the protest but I say what’s the real harm of leaving them there? The author has made their point and will have found it cathartic, some people might have been prompted to consider the issues raised but most will have remained blissfully unaware. After a day or two we do have a bit of litter but, in the grand scheme of things, a negligible amount.

Speaking of litter, we’re into that season again. The sun’s out and youngsters like to gather on the Green, relaxing and having a bit of a laugh. It’s just a shame that so many of them leave that public open space, an asset to our town, bestrewn with litter.

Some say the kids of today have no respect but was it that different 30 or 40 years ago? Maybe Wiltshire was litter free in those halcyon days but I was in London then and it was a right dirty old dump. There were old newspapers, fag packets and sweet wrappers blowing around everywhere. That was by no means just down to the youngsters. Maybe certain types of littering, as on the Green, is, was and ever shall be a way for the young to wind the old folk up. My old mum would’ve said, If the young ‘uns want to sit in a pigsty, let them! Perhaps the town council could get rid of the mess on a Saturday morning when the families come out but leave it the rest of the time.

Littering on the Green is just one minor skirmish in the age-old battle between the young and the old. We were all young once, just as they should all get old in their turn. And that’s just one reason why there should be a special circle in hell reserved for the sort of low-life who wants to murder children when they’re having an evening out.