Astro,

I am genuinely, sincerely happy for you.  It's a wonderful thing knowing one another - there must be a real community spirit in your area.  However not all"communities are the same.  I live on a main road - a long main road I hasten to add.  My house number is 213 of about 400+  I'm also "blessed" to live in a Conservative area.  Oh, don't get me wrong.  I have tried.  One of my earlier properties was in Leytonstone, East London, a real London suberb.  After having moved in I looked over the back fence who was relaxing on a recliner.  She glanced up at me.

"Hello,"  I said in a friendly, non-encroaxing manner.  "I'm your new new neighbour."

"Yes,"  she snapped.  "I can see that!"  She then got off her seat, and went inside her house slamming the back door with such force, it damn nearly broke the glass.  They were the ONLY FIVE WORDS SHE SPOKE TO ME IN 5 1/2 YEARS!  Now where do you go from there?  I did absolutely nothing wrong.  I just laughed my head off.  I could understand it if it was Chiselhurst or Surbiton, but not in the heart of the East End.  The only other time I'd heard of her was when she immediately telephoned the council to lodge a formal complaint that I'd secured my trailer to a lampost - outside my own house, to prevent it from being stolen while I was on holiday for a few days.  She was a nonentity.  I'll happily offer the hand of friendship, but if it is not received, that's it.