Painting the town red

These two were providing the railings around the town war memorial with a fresh coat of paint this fine morning. I think it was a self-appointed task, it did not smack of officialdom in any way.
"We wanted to make them look a bit cleaner like," they explained when I stopped to admire.
"Lovely job" I said - the usual response in these parts to anything that meets with one's approval. The colour was a perfect match with the plastic poppy wreaths which hang here, year in year out.

Optional rant
Up until 10 years ago there were no railings around the war memorial. Then a letter in the local rag complained about youngsters sitting on the steps, chatting, eating and making a mess - it was disrespectful. Others agreed and suggested it should be put out of bounds. I wrote a letter too, regretting that exclusion was felt to be the solution. Why shouldn't people sit on the steps? Why demonize young people for doing what they naturally do? By getting up close to the memorial they might recognise their own family names among the dead, many of whom would have been little older than themselves. Etc. But the railings were erected along with a padlocked gate. Around the same time the single seat outside the pub close by was removed because people other than customers were using it. This leaves one public bench in the square, on the opposite, shady, side. The bus stop where I wait has no seat and sometime I sit on a tomb in the churchyard behind; so far no one has objected.
Today I learnt about 'hostile architecture'. It follows on from the revelation that spikes are being used to deter homeless people from sleeping outside apartment blocks in London, together with skate-board proof street furniture and benches you can't lie down on. It's all part of a move to exclude homeless or unemployed people, youngsters and 'undesirables' from lingering in public spaces, in public view. Other amenities such as public toilets and seating have been removed altogether to deter criminal activity. A new style of urban design that takes control of the street, albeit a little more passively than a water cannon.
Of course, if you can afford it there's nothing to stop you lingering at a table outside a cafe or a posh little Italian restaurant where you can abuse your wife or girlfriend at leisure - I refer of course to the odious Mr Saatchi.
Rant over. For now.