Many people tell me � particularly the elderly and families with children - that they do not like being in the city centre in the evening, especially on Fridays and Saturdays.
When I walked through the city late on Saturday evening, it was thronged with young people. It was good natured but loud. Some would have found it intimidating.
I got into a discussion with a group on their way to one of the clubs on the Quay and they complained about the poor night life in Exeter.
So how do policy makers square the demands of the young with the yearning of others for peace and quiet and a city centre they feel comfortable in?
Part of the answer was provided by a city taxi driver when we discussed the issue. He talked of his experiences in Spain. There the local city square at 11pm was filled with families enjoying the ambience and each other�s company.
I know in Britain we don�t always have the weather for the evening promenade � but there must be some things we could do better.
That brings me back to a subject I have gone on about repeatedly in this column � our attitude to alcohol.
The reason people feel intimidated on weekend evenings in Exeter and the reason late night punch ups are on the increase while most crime is down is alcohol.
Continental style licensing reforms coming in next year should help. They will allow pubs and clubs to stagger their closing times so people are not all spilling out onto the streets at once. New powers to immediately close down premises that cause trouble, serve the under aged or the already legless should also make a difference.
But the feel of our cities at night will not match those of the Mediterranean unless we ourselves can develop a more sensible drinking culture.
