WHEN my wife and I first moved to the North-East in the Seventies, we deliberately chose a village location.

In order to do some research we initially rented, and based our final decision on scenery but mainly the tranquillity afforded by peace and quiet.

That was then, however.

The location is still rural but the peace and quiet is a long lamented memory.

The noise level on a typical day in our village is akin to the level experienced on an industrial estate and is almost entirely due to the racket from powered garden tools.

I think urgent legislation is needed to ban the use of such equipment in rural locations.

There should be an enforced move away from powered lawn mowers, hedge trimmers and leaf blowers to scythes, sickles, clippers and rakes.

Other than, perhaps, an increased incidence of single shoe donations to charity shoe banks I can see few drawbacks to my suggestions.

Let’s return the countryside to its bucolic roots.

V J Connor, Bishop Auckland.