Love thy neighbours

I've never been hugely lucky with neighbours apart from a lovely older couple in Ouston, Chester-le-Street, who had the downstairs flat. Although they fought all the time and I could listen to what they watched on TV they were really friendly and always concerned for me. I like to think that I reciprocated this neighbourly friendship (well not the arguing and loud TV).

Here in New Zealand I think we may be luckier with our neighbours. Last night we held a neighbourly get together with 10 of the neighbours around for drinks and a nosey in the house.

Here's the roll call so you know for future:

• Jim and Kathleen - the people who sold us the land, a wonderful Irish couple . Jim is a self confessed nosey neighbour when it comes to house building and kept a close eye on development during the build. Kathleen is a very useful person to know, she works at the local council!
• Ross and Janet - the people who own the first section off the road, parents to our immediate neighbour Doug. They keep sheep that keep escaping and the beef cattle that lived in Doug's paddock for a while.
• Mike and Andrea - he's from Essex and Andrea's a kiwi. Their house build is underway on the middle section of the sub division.
• Doug and Shilo - Doug's a real country boy and spends hours hunting wild boar in the Rimutaka hillsides. He's currently living in a bach (looks more like a garden shed) until he starts building his house at the end of this year. Shilo is is long suffering girlfriend who puts up with his wild hunting ways.
• Lee and Keith - the neighbours whose trees set on fire a few weeks ago. Keith's parents are British, from Redcar and London.

Jim and Kathleen took some pictures of our house from their section and brought them with them to the neighbourly soiree. I thought this was a deeply thoughtful thing to do as it would be rare that we would otherwise be able to see this view.

I know I am biased but I do think the house looks really cool - nestled amongst the landscape in a sympathetic way. Good to know that they can't see into our bedroom windows!