I can tell it’s Christmas as Tesco has started playing what it calls Christmas music which will be incessant from now until Christmas Day.

It has been doing it for some years now. Each year I have complained and have never received a satisfactory explanation. I do not believe sales go up because they are making noise on the loudspeakers.

I appreciate many people like it and I do not want to stop them having their fun but I asked recently, as I do every year, if it was possible to have at least one day a week without music (perhaps a Silent Monday in the tradition of Silent Night) so those of us who loathe it, can shop in peace.

I was told a couple of years ago, the music is also played in the staff areas as the speaker system is not zoned, and it is therefore impossible for the staff to escape the music while they are on duty.

For some it must be a cruel and unusual punishment.

R Parsons
Mill Path, Ringmer