Minutes:
A Meeting of Nights
Wednesday 27 May 2009
Studio 96, The Galleria, Pennack Road, London SE15 6PW

In attendance:
Triumphant Night, Fasting Night, Bonfire Night, Drinking Night, Picturesque Night, Bank Robbery Night, Bitter and Twisted Night, A Night When You Take Important Measures, Sleepover Night, The Night Before Coronation, Rainy Night, Britain’s Got Talent Night, Scary Night, Tropical Night, Blackout Night and Singing Night.

Apologies:
Traffic Jam Night, Sleepless Night.

This most unusual meeting had been called by a small group of concerned nights, with a view of discuss recent and worrying developments in humans’ enjoyment of night-time.

Triumphant Night’s offer to chair the meeting caused a little bit of a stir with several other nights that complained about his tendency to dominate and co-opt the agenda. Tropical Night proposed that Fasting night chaired instead, given her well-known restrain and moderation. Bitter and Twisted Night seconded it.

The meeting progressed to outline the situation that had brought the nights together. Several nights reported that humans had been gradually withdrawing into the privacy of their homes during night-time. Picturesque Night was particularly distressed by this, and said - What’s the point of me being out there keeping composure and beauty when there’s no one to see it!  The Night Before Coronation remembered how in the old days people of all ages would be out and about having fun, making the long shift of a hard working night worthwhile.

There was a general consensus amongst all nights that the main reason behind this disengagement was the development of new media technologies and the availability of home entertainment. Bitter Night complained (bitterly) - With all that broadband, video consoles and rubbish reality TV shows, how can we compete? This caused offence to Britain’s Got Talent Night, and it took all the persistence of Rainy Night to cool things down. Drinking Night insisted that he was doing his best to keep punters out, but with 24/7 stores open up and down the country, it was proving harder and harder to entice otherwise reliable night-lovers to leave the comfort of their sofas for a trip down to the local pub.

The Night When You Take Important Measures pressed on the need to find a solution without delay, or else the magic of night-time would be lost forever for humankind.
 
  So what? - said Scary Night, We can always influence other species.
  I don’t think so, that will be the end for me - said Bonfire Night.

The group agreed that humans were actually important to them and spent a minute remembering the times when they were driven out for a taste of excitement or in search of an adrenaline rush, a touch of the uncanny or the mystique that darkness offered.

 

Singing Night and Sleepover Night, both of whom had extensive experience of providing high quality night-time experiences, put some ideas forward but nothing seemed good enough or powerful enough to counteract the fatal damage of technological progress.

After several minutes of frustrated silence, a night that had been quietly listening to the arguments, produced a little cough and said - I have an idea.  Everyone turned around and noticed Blackout Night smiling coyly. Contrary to what most humans think, they can see further at night with no light at all, they can see the stars and the Milky Way…

The gathering of nights agreed unanimously to support a worldwide Blackout Night. After approving the motion, the meeting was brought to an end, with a cautionary note to Bank Robbery Night.

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