neighbours
Turf wars
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…
Your problems solved
Q. We moved recently and new neighbours invited us to join them for dinner at a nearby restaurant. I planned…
The axeman next door
What happened when I tried American neighbourliness in London
Real life
The gloves are off in my battle with the two brothers who live in the flat upstairs. They have just…
Neighbours and strangers
Margaret Forster, who died on 8 February, excelled at writing about complex relationships between women. Even old friends, she demonstrated,…
Your problems solved
Q. Former colleagues, with whom I got on very well in the context of the office, are buying a house…
Your problems solved
Q. Although I have met most of the fellow occupants of my building at residents’ meetings, we don’t socialise. However…
Dear Mary: I always end up subsidising my greedy friend’s lunch
Q. I have lunch once a month with an old university friend. Over the years we have both thickened out…
Your problems solved
Q. Is there a polite way of not letting someone hold your baby? I love giving mine to people to…
Trouble withthe neighbours
A few years ago, I got a bit fed up with receiving Christmas cards from my friends designed to show…
Dear Mary: Your Problems Solved
Q. Since recycling was introduced in our village, the wall at the end of our drive has become the depositing…
Dear Mary: Your problems solved
Q. There has been a marked increase in the number of people who have pristine flooring and are so keen…
Dear Mary
Q. We have moved to the country and my husband often prefers me to drive — not because he wants to…
Dear Mary
Q. I graduated this year (I got a first) and have written more than 70 letters to potential employers. Those…
It has to stop?
Upspeak can damage your career prospects
Real life
At last. I’ve waited a long time for this moment. I’ve been through years of torture at the hands of…
