Such are the workings of my subconscious that whenever I see one of the controversial communal bins, which have begun heading this way, I am reminded of the time when splendid library books were consigned to a skip (The Argus, March 15, 2005).

Meanwhile, would these bins not better suit the upper reaches of Dyke Road? They would save the dustmen a lot of time going up and down long driveways – unlike such places as Brooker Street, off Blatchington Road, where the wheelies are within arm’s reach from the pavement with no need for communals.

What’s more, with growing demand for statues in the city, let us hope Brighton and Hove City Council does not redesignate the communals as “installations” in an attempt to pass them off as “public art”. Although a squashed communal might be popular, the first statue should surely celebrate the heroic Unknown Builder who saved those books from the skip and made several journeys with them to a charity shop.

Christopher Hawtree
Westbourne Gardens, Hove