neighbours
Confessions of a lawn obsessive
For the past few days I’ve been frantically watering my lawn in anticipation of the London hosepipe ban. True, there…
Dear Mary: Is it vulgar to give money as a wedding gift?
Q. I work at a desk by a window which looks out on to the street where I live. I…
Dear Mary
Q. Our best friends own a house in Morocco which sleeps about ten. They rent it out but go two…
Dear Mary: What can you do when your new neighbours stiff you on a restaurant bill?
Q. We moved recently and new neighbours invited us to join them for dinner at a nearby restaurant. I planned…
Making friends with the axeman next door
What happened when I tried American neighbourliness in London
The gloves are off with the Brothers Turnthetapoff upstairs
The gloves are off in my battle with the two brothers who live in the flat upstairs. They have just…
How to Measure a Cow — and escape the shadows of the past
Margaret Forster, who died on 8 February, excelled at writing about complex relationships between women. Even old friends, she demonstrated,…
Dear Mary: new neighbours want me to provide a ready-made social scene
Q. Former colleagues, with whom I got on very well in the context of the office, are buying a house…
Dear Mary: My neighbour is planning a girls’ night in — how can I escape?
Q. Although I have met most of the fellow occupants of my building at residents’ meetings, we don’t socialise. However…
Dear Mary: why are young women dyeing their hair grey?
Q. I have lunch once a month with an old university friend. Over the years we have both thickened out…
Dear Mary: I don’t want perfumed people to hold my baby
Q. Is there a polite way of not letting someone hold your baby? I love giving mine to people to…
It's my duty to expose my children to the moral depravity of Acton
A few years ago, I got a bit fed up with receiving Christmas cards from my friends designed to show…
Dear Mary: What can I do about my neighbours’ downmarket recycling?
Q. Since recycling was introduced in our village, the wall at the end of our drive has become the depositing…
Dear Mary: Do I really have to take my shoes off indoors?
Q. There has been a marked increase in the number of people who have pristine flooring and are so keen…
Dear Mary: Can I ask for a lift on my friend's private jet?
Q. We have moved to the country and my husband often prefers me to drive — not because he wants to…
Dear Mary: Is there anything that can stop companies throwing away my CV?
Q. I graduated this year (I got a first) and have written more than 70 letters to potential employers. Those…
Warning: upspeak can wreck your career
Upspeak can damage your career prospects
Melissa Kite: Spare me from successful neighbours
At last. I’ve waited a long time for this moment. I’ve been through years of torture at the hands of…
