I used to hear them on a regular basis as they travelled to feed on the field opposite.

That was until work began on the road linking Kingsmead to London Road.

The geese are just one of the losses to my neighbours who have a direct look over the new development. We have lost our glorious view.

What used to be trees, followed by the River Weaver, followed by green fields, is now trees, followed by the Weaver, followed by a demolition site.

What used to be a quiet and tranquil area has now been disturbed, probably forever.

In the summer of 1997, loud thumping noises from the 'construction' site shattered the peace as the work got into full swing.

I now fear that the peace, which was once only broken by birds singing and the sound of the rowing instructor as he drove his team on along the Weaver, will be gone forever.

Instead the sound of rumbling cars (and no doubt lorries), choosing to take the short route, will become a factor in everyday life.

I just hope that Sir John Deane's College is happy with what they got from the deal - because this Riverside resident is not.

And neither are his 40 feathered friends who no longer have a place to feed.

CASTLE RESIDENT

Address supplied

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.