Once upon a time there was a beautiful town, a town one would have been correct to say was then "a sought-after town". Beautiful houses, gardens, nice clean streets, a lovely neighbourhood.

Residents were rightly proud of it and some had an air of superiority to the extent that all or most residents earned the nicknames tal-pèpè and tax-xelin.

Since the early 1970s this town has been, is still being and will remain the victim of developers and development.

The beautiful houses and gardens have been replaced in a lot of cases by ghastly high-rise buildings, an insult to architecture.

For these last 30 years or more residents have been subject to demolition, unbearable noise, sometimes even on rest days, clouds of dust forcing people to shut all in any weather condition, cranes, very heavy machinery, blocked and damaged streets and pavements, even more parking restrictions, a veritable hell on earth and a health hazard if ever there was one with no one caring a hoot about what was happening.

Added to all that, how about workmen not giving the slightest heed for their own health and safety?

I salute all those who years ago saw the writing on the wall and left. I salute and offer my commiserations to all those in other towns who thought they would be living in peace and quiet and who suddenly are now finding that development has also caught up with them and reached their areas.

Just in case someone hasn't noticed, the town I have in mind is called Sliema!