An upside

You know about the plans to demolish our neighbour’s house and build ten flats don’t you?  That’s more of a rhetorical question than anything because I’ve not been bleating about anything else except that for the last few weeks.

It’s tough and stressful because there’s a lot to do and organise and there’s the added complexity of uncertainty.  We don’t know what we’ll be living next to next year.  We could be living next to a house with planning permission, a building site or a shiny new block of hideously out of proportion flats.  But I don’t want you to think it’s all bad.

Since the plans have been made public I’ve had local residents knocking on my door wanting to help me with the campaign to prevent the flats achieving planning permission.  I’ve knocked on lots of local residents doors and spoken to many kind and lovely people (and a few less kind and less lovely) and made connections with people with whom I’d normally just exchange a cheery hello (except the less kind and lovely ones because they’re not very good at eye contact.)

I’ve even taken to approaching complete strangers in the street and asking them if they knew about the plans and telling them how to find out more and how to object.  I actually enjoy doing this.  This may seem strange because it’s something that many people aren’t comfortable with.

It almost makes me feel that perhaps I was born to sell double glazing or preach the Lord’s word because I enjoy cold calling. 

I blame my Mum, she started it.  We used to go door to door collecting money for the RNLI and the Royal British Legion in the run up to Poppy Day or as it should be known Remembrance Sunday.  It was a great way to catch up with people and discover the latest gossip.