Everybody loves good neighbours… Don’t worry, today’s post is not going to be about the Australian soap opera of the same title; actually, I was thinking about my own neighbours here on the terrace.

It was about three o’clock this morning and I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t have the heart to wake Chris so I slipped out of bed and went upstairs to the big guest bedroom (not necessarily for big guests). As I drew the curtains I looked down at the very familiar sight of the men in orange working on the seawall. The repair work is not so noisy now and the lights, which are even brighter and more numerous than previously, hardly bother us anymore; nevertheless, I lay in bed thinking for a long time, waiting for sleep to come. I was thinking how lucky we are to have good neighbours.

It wasn’t such a strange line of thought as you might imagine because Chris and I had just spent the evening with Catherine, Martin and the girls over at number seven (two doors down) for a bit of a send-off before we leave for Australia at the end of the week. They have been good friends of mine ever since I moved into the terrace twenty-two years ago (in my single days) and I’ve known their three daughters all their lives. Now, of course, they are OUR good friends.

Last week we had a similar send-off from Alan and his daughter Caroline at number three (two doors up). Alan and Wendy, his late wife, also predated my arrival on the terrace; we became friends later, some time after Chris and I had married (nearly seventeen years ago), and when Wendy was ill in hospital with a tumour. Wendy recovered but remained quite frail until her sad demise three years ago. She was one of those people who look even better close up; she had beautiful skin and a wonderful smile.

“Oh you do make me laugh, Sally,” she used to say laughing. And I would egg her on to make her laugh even more…

Alan is an older gentleman much admired by females of all ages. Miri, Catherine’s sixteen-year-old daughter, refers to him as “My Alan”; and last night, when I remarked that I thought Alan would have been exceptionally handsome when he was young, Miri responded:

“I think he’s handsome now!”

Gorgeous blonde Caroline moved in with her dad last year to help him out after a bout of poor health and now he’s spry and healthy, which is just as well because we’re planning on going to Spain with him in the summer.

Margaret and her daughter Carina have lived next door (at number six) for donkey’s years. They are Scottish but George, Margaret’s late husband, was Dawlish born and bred. Margaret, at ninety, still has the most sparkling blue eyes. The ladies enjoy an occasional chat from the balcony or out by the steps but we don’t really socialise.

For nearly two years the house next door on the other side of us (number four) has remained vacant. It was always Reg and Hilda’s place, but it has been passed down to their son. Julian lives in Essex so now the house is up for sale. A few days ago a nice couple who had been viewing the vacant property came to our door to find out more about the place – I guess they also wondered what the neighbours were like. We hit it off straight away and showed Andrew and Clare over our house so that they could see how much lighter Hilda’s house would be if they knocked through some of the walls as we have done. During the course of their visit I told them about a conversation I had had with Reg eighteen years before, when Reg was in my kitchen and I was expecting a visit from my new lover – Chris! It went something like this….

“What do you reckon Reg?,” I asked, “Do you think the place is tidy enough as it is or should I run around with some bleach and polish?”

“Well, Sally my dear,” began Reg, stroking his white beard as he spoke, “I wouldn’t bother unless you can keep it up for the next thirty years or so!”

Neighbours, Everybody needs good neighbours
With a little understanding
You can find the perfect blend
Neighbours…should be there for one another
That’s when good neighbours become good friends
Ooh Neighbours, should be there for one another
That’s when good neighbours become good friends.

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