There goes the neighbourhood

I love the close I live on. We all seem to rub along pretty well together. United in adversity some might say.

In the last couple of weeks however things have been a little strained. Two families have fallen out (I have no idea of the details); the set of kids from one end of the close won’t play with the set from the other; neither set will play with the two young kids from the house in the middle (in fact there is open antagonism at times) and Tony, who has been on the close longer than I have, has just moved out.

At least the latter one I understand. Tony battles valiantly with MS, but he’s not getting any younger and his son and nephew live on the north side of Manchester, so he’s decided to move close to them. I’ll miss him though.

As for all the various fractures in the neighbourly relationships, well let’s hope it all blows over. I hate having to tread carefully, remembering who is talking to who. Also it’s one thing for ‘Aunty L1z’ to get pounced on by kids when she gets home, but to mediate in their squabbles I can do without right now (“Attika – I don’t care if she did try to push you off your bike earlier – put the hockey stick DOWN!”).