Bob Hobden wrote:
When I was at school there was a very large Privat hedge one one side of the
small local playing field, it was about 10ft high and 100 yards long and
every summer we would look for those huge beautiful caterpillars and the
moths flying about. Don't know if that hedge is still there but considering
the work involved I doubt it. Most people seem to have removed their Privat
for something else with less maintenance.

That's the odd thing, there is no privet near where I found it - it was
sunbathing on the grass by my bean sticks. If I'd known what it was at
the time (I just had to google* "big pink moth" until I found a photo
that was similar) I'd have taken it to find something suitable to munch.