THAT multi-talented entertainer, Bernard Cribbins, once had a hit single — a witty, highly perceptive song — 'Hole in the Road'. Among the lyrics, two lines especially linger in the memory — 'don't dig it here, dig it elsewhere, you're digging it round when it ought to be square.' These words encapsulate, so much, the attitude of so many of us towards change and progress (not, it must be said, that the former guarantees the latter). Certainly, though, the first seven words really resonate regarding the reaction to it of many folk — at times an unreasonable, perhaps even hypocritical one. For example, there are few people in our country who do not carry, and use, a mobile phone; some seem to have more such devices on them than coins in their pockets and appear to spend a sizeable portion of their waking hours speaking into them, listening or texting. Yet so often, if the phone company — in order to maintain or improve their service — seek to site an essential mast near to where there is major use of their product, the 'barricades' are so often manned (or womaned). The mast, it is claimed, will be 'unsightly' — 'a danger to health, to that of children especially' — 'not in keeping with the area' (whatever that means). Thus, often it will be suggested it is sited elsewhere — out in the countryside perhaps where few live; the weakness in this, clearly, is that if there are sparse numbers to upset, then there will be few in need of the reception it will provide. Our need for energy — electricity especially — becomes greater by the day, yet in this direction, also, the spirit of 'give and take' appears often to be dominated by the latter. Modern society devours energy in such vast quantities that the danger becomes ever more real that in the future — the imminent one — demands will no longer be satisfied; modern life as we know it could be, at best, disrupted, at worst, brought to a halt. Governments, at last, do seem to be aware of such possible calamity and are laying down plans to boost their supplies. Yet, in most directions, opposition to such schemes is immense. The cry goes out from environmentalists that 'renewable energy' is the way forward; yet mention to a community the possibility of a wind farm being set up in their vicinity, the reaction is often akin to a collective nervous breakdown, followed rapidly with a posse of folk taking to the streets brandishing placards of protest. Nuclear power has increasing numbers of advocates — it does not contribute towards global warming nor does it desecrate the landscape; and it is efficient. Yet no matter where it is proposed a nuclear plant be built, large numbers of residents within a sizeable radius of its proposed location will say it would be far better located elsewhere. The price of energy — high, and growing higher — concerns most of us; thus if a way can be found of obtaining fuels which will hold prices steady (possibly even reduce them), then it would bring much benefit and, one might think, be welcomed by all. Not so; for while most folk see virtue in 'fracking', too many have a reversal of opinion if it is suggested the process takes place near them. Suddenly, then, rather than bring a plus regarding the energy needs of the nation (and a possible boost to the beleaguered pockets of long suffering customers), fracking becomes only marginally less calamitous than nuclear war, allegedly creating everything from subsidence of houses to abortion in cattle, from decimation of property values to earthquakes. Rarely in any such situations will there be a mention of the 'not in my back yard' syndrome. Yet if we in this prosperous, sophisticated, high-tech nation are not to move backwards towards the dark ages (literally), then 'nimbyism' cannot be allowed to triumph; there must be compromise. All progress, surely, involves such — always has; most forward steps for the majority have been to the disadvantage of a minority. If over the centuries, such progress had not happened then we would still be living in hovels made of wattle and daub, our mode of travel would be a cart pulled by oxen and all energy would be supplied by open air, wood-fuelled fires. Mind you there would be few 'nimbys' about — most of us would not have a back yard.