Thursday, June 05, 2008

In Praise of Neighbours

Neighbours From Hell? I think not, at least not on either side of Millbrooker Towers. Neither next-doorer is computer literate or savvy, so this posting will never even pass into the remotest regions of their consciousnesses.

What's prompted me to write this little paeon is Margaret calling around this evening bearing a bunch of pinks and a card for Wizzers' 18th. Here's Mrs The Millbrooker doing the arranging as Wizzers isn't confident with chopping stalks and sticking things into a vase; hey we all have our little foibles - lack of chopping and sticking skills happens to be one of Wizzers'.
On the day after Mrs The Millbrooker and I moved into Millbrooker Towers, Gay from the other next-door brought around a bottle of wine and said "welcome to Millbrook".
A few weeks after that birthday season began with Dozybean's 14th (good God, doesn't time fly?). Margaret, whom we'd barely met was around with a present, some money, a card AND a little something for the other two in case they felt left out! This has been repeated ever since on every younger person's birthday - even Dozybean, who no longer even lives here gets remembered.
On top of all that, Louis (late and very much lamented) never failed to offer lifts when needed and to lend tools if asked. Gay has allowed access across her land more times than I can remember so workmen at Millbrooker Towers can get to the back without traipsing everything through the house.
Sometimes you just have to admit that you're very very lucky to have landed on your feet. I know some people suffer dreadfully from neighbour trouble; I'm so glad we don't. They never even moaned when Deputy Dawg was learning the cornet; Margaret's comment was that it was nice to hear lots of activity!
So, here's to decent neighbours. I hope yours are as good as ours and that we're all as good as we can be. It really does make a difference.

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