January, Sick and Tired you've been hanging on me

When I was little, I lived in a street full of people i knew.

From the bottom of our street of cottage flats - Upstairs - Mrs R, who had a grandaughter who often came to play. Across the road there was Dougie and Kinley... who kept their front blinds drawn and the plastic on the furniture.

Mr and Mrs G stayed over the fence from Dougie and Kinlay and had a dog like ours - we would go over of an evening and play in the garden, or play cards or dominoes with them.

Mrs S through the wall had a piano, and a melodica, and a stylophone and we would go through at least once a week,and batter away on the piano, and blow the blazes out of the melodica.

The Daw-Daws upstairs,(Big and Little), were there from when I was born, and were always around, and when we didn't have a telly,(for yes, we were that poor); we would run up stairs on Friday Night at Five to Five....

Mr and Mrs Young, and Mr and Mrs Grey lived over the fence - with the appropriate amount of Grandchildren who were our friends "over the fence". At the other end of their block, Mrs Frater lived. And she made the best toffee in the world.

Across the road, lived Nana, and her dog Matta, and Matta loved cuddles.

All of these people without exception knew who I was, and who they should go to if I were to make a step out of line. All of these people, without exception, I knew I could go to for help, if the need arose.

I wonder how many of us have that reassurance today?

Although - the other night I popped into a neighbour a couple of doors down - a parcel had been left. I introduced myself (yes, I don't think I had ever spoken to that neighbour before), and presented the label from the post man.

She handed me the parcel, and said "anytime", and then as I wandered away, she said "before you go... can I ask how Steven is?".

I turned surprised that she knew who I was, and that she knew I was "Steven's mum".

"How is he getting on in America?"

I gave her a brief run down, and told her that I would tell him that she had been asking. She smiled at me and said, "He's such a lovely boy, we used to love him coming round for his paper money - always so cheery and polite".

I had no idea that my Boy had spent time speaking to folk I hadn't even spoken to but how nice that he left such a good impression.