With the autumn equinox behind us, I find myself walking the lanes in a high viz jacket and a torch in my hand, ready to turn on so as to be seen by car drivers. I don’t need to use a torch to see where I’m going. I adore the dark nights, especially ones with clear skies. I’m not an expert on constellations, recognise just a few. But I’m aware that when I can spot the Pleiades I’m in an area with little light pollution. And that feeling of vastness all around me, of being tiny in this immeasurable universe, puts problems in perspective.

There’s a Dark Sky Park in Wales, the Elan Valley. I went there on a short stay a few years ago, didn’t go for the dark but for the dams. They are impressive and the reservoirs too but I was very disturbed by the constant noise of motorbikes cruising the narrow lanes. At the visitor centre I bought a book about the history of the Elan Valley, the reason for building the reservoirs and the incredible engineering involved. I felt a sense of reverence was due; residents lost their homes, their farms, even graves were moved. Of course the people of Birmingham received much needed clean water. Cofiwch Elan Valley memorials should be erected next to the Tryweryn ones.

Dark skies and peace go together in my head. In the dark my hearing is more acute.  I like to hear owls hooting and screeching, sheep grazing and branches rustling. I love watching bats flit across the hedges and moths attracted by evening primroses. But human made noise is all pervasive and human made light invasive, spoiling the experience. For me it’s just that, an experience, for animals that depend on darkness and quiet, it’s a matter of life and death.

I would love to see, not just the Elan Valley, but the whole of mid and west Wales become a Dark Sky Park. From my garden I can identify settlements along the coast, Aberystwyth, Tywyn and more along the Lleyn Peninsula. There’s so much unnecessary lighting, office blocks showing off every window and security lights where they’re really not needed. I came through Llandysul on the coach this week, past Ysgol Bro Teifi, a massive warehouse of a building next to a roundabout. Not only is the whole of the roundabout lit up like a football stadium, but the school carpark has around 30 lampposts, all shining bright lights on an empty space. It made me wonder who is paying for this light pollution; I guess it’s us, the council tax payer. What an utter waste!

Most modern cars have their lights on all day now. These headlights are often high up and shine into pedestrians’ eyes at an awful angle. Their brightness at night is blinding. I guess that most drivers are completely in the dark about the problems these lights cause.

I urge all readers to go out for a walk in the dark one evening this autumn. Try and figure out what you can see without a torch and listen. You may come home and revel in the experience you’ve had. From my lane this week I saw the sunset over Cardigan Bay towards the west and the full moon rising in the east. The whole countryside was bathed in a beautiful glow. Where else could you be so lucky to live! You will truly appreciate this on foot. Wouldn’t it be great if together we could create an expanded Dark Sky Park? We’d be able to teach our children to pick out the Pleiades. Let’s turn off excessive lighting.