Neighbours

It's more than a little disconcerting when the sounds of passing fire engines grow louder and then fail to grow quieter again.

An alarm clock had been going off since 6pm in the flat through the wall from ours in the neighbouring tenement. I took it as a further example of their un-neighbourly behaviour (why do people with the worst taste in music always play it the loudest?), and as a sign to give up work for the day.

At the back of nine, four fire engines pull up outside, and it didn't take them long to come to the same conclusion as we had. Bit of a waste of resources.

I always feel slightly sad that the range in the kitchen only gets used for storing booze, but its chimney is breached. In honour of Canada Day, some rye and gingers were drunk. Sitting there in all its purple finery, the second best thing to come out of Canada.