The suburb
Surbiton, Surrey
Catherine Black, 40, full-time mother
My neighbours are all great. They are quiet and they keep themselves to themselves, but if we need help, we can always knock on their door. We live in a small apartment building and some of our neighbours are students, some professionals and some are old. But they are all fantastic. We are very good, even with our little one – he doesn’t bounce on floorboards or anything. The neighbours say to us they would like us to stay.
Margaret Banks, 70, retired
We all get on well, but it’s not exactly Coronation Street around here. My neighbours are quite reserved but they are nice. I just fed one neighbour’s cat for a fortnight. I think that I’m a good neighbour, but then I am old now and I don’t get out and about as often as I used to.
Mitsy Greenwood, 64, freelance bookkeeper
Mine are good neighbours. They’re no trouble. They are very supportive; I’m on my own and if I need something lifted or done, there’s always someone’s husband around willing to give me a hand. I think I’m a good neighbour. Maybe once upon a time, when the children were young, we weren’t, but there are no problems now.
Miroslav Perovic, 38, teacher
I do know my neighbours, but we don’t really get on. I have two young children, including a 10-month-old baby who can scream the house down. We get complaints from them about noise, but they are just as bad. They live above us and march all over the place and play loud music. I think that as neighbours we’re fine, but the noise is something we can’t help as the flats have hardly been soundproofed. We do talk about the problems, but it’s not a nice thing to discuss.
John Newman, 60, retired
I know and get on with all my neighbours and we meet up socially at least once a year. There are no problems with them really. I certainly don’t have any bad habits.
Catherine Gee
As featured in the Guardian on April 12, 2007.
