The other day I met up with two friends in Oxford, and after separating, we went our individual ways to shop.

I am used, by now, to background noise, even in supermarkets, but the noise from music in one shop was unbelievably deafening.

It was a pleasure to come out into the comparative quiet of the city centre.

As usual, there were some buskers, one particularly good one-man band collecting for charity.

I stood for 10 minutes and willingly donated.

Further along, a gentleman was playing a saxophone – not at all my thing, good though he was.

However, to my amusement, a man was having great difficulty in getting his dog to move along.

He was obviously captivated but it and was not in any hurry to leave – evidently music to his doggy ears!

One assumes the workers in the shop are either immune or partially deaf at the end of their working day – I couldn’t get out of there quick enough and my hearing isn’t exactly brilliant (I use an aid), but I wonder why this has become so necessary a part of daily life?

Many years ago, I silenced a workman who had had a blaring radio all morning.

I went and got my tape of a bellringing practice with 120 changes of grandsire doubles at full volume through an open window.

Message understood – peace at last!

DOROTHY HOLLOWAY, Wenrisc Drive, Minster Lovell