Foolish Parish Polish Polish Controversy / April 4 2008
It was still a little dark at six this morning when Audrey and I veered toward the shops during our early morning walk.
As we neared the market place, I recognised one of the local Polish newcomers sitting on the pavement outside the post office. He had with him a wooden stool and beside him on [...]
Fabulous Animals / October 5 2007
I popped down to the shops last night to buy porridge and apples and was confronted by an unusual sight. There is no night-life to speak of here in the village so I was astonished to see a gaggle of heavily made-up and garishly dressed young women standing around outside the pet shop.
They were being [...]
Stars and Garters / April 16 2007
The young migrant workers who have been living in the house opposite are to leave next week, and I for one will be sorry to see them go.
They have been excellent neighbours, very quiet and courteous. I believe they are moving eastwards, to Lincolnshire, to toil in the fens and fields in their new capacity [...]
Gangmaster Flash / March 21 2007
The new people who have moved into Bernard’s old flat across the road from Audrey and me are from Belarus; six young workers in a one-bedroom apartment with hardly any furniture (there is no room for any!) and no curtains, in a village in Derbyshire.
I was talking to one of them, a bluff and amenable [...]
Neighbours / March 13 2007
This morning, Audrey and I are spying, through our net curtains, on the new tenants who are moving into Bernard’s old flat. (Bernard was the idiosyncratic old man who we used to occasionally meet in the street and who died recently - unexpectedly and completely alone.)
Unfortunately, they have a boom-box playing loudly in the uncarpeted [...]
