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You never know which intermediary will bring you guidance. I arrived back from work at quarter to seven this evening, parking up carefully because we’ve had a scattering of snow that has since turned to ice. Closing the front door behind me, I headed straight for the kitchen to turn the boiler up and put [...]

Something tasty was cooking on the hob, its vapour slurped up by the extractor fan and exhaled across our driveway. Amidst conversation the following day, our neighbour smiled. ‘Dinner smelt nice last night,’ he said, ‘I almost knocked the door and invited myself in.’ Just then that hadith hit me: ‘Do not oppress your neighbour [...]

People of my generation tend to have a little ditty secured firmly in our minds thanks to an Australian soap-opera that ran for the duration of our childhood: “Neighbours: everybody needs good neighbours.” It was never going to win anyone a Grammy, but it was a word of truth all the same.