The New Fence

Patience is a fleeting virtue with me. I've learnt from doing up my first house that things take time, especially when you don't live there full-time to pester potential contractors. So it's extra rewarding when something begins to take shape and you can actually see progress.

When Mme B sold the house, she divided her land in two. Roughly half of it went to me with the house; the other half was sold to my neighbour Jerome. I wish I could have afforded both parcels, but I think she was on an ancient family promise to do it this way in any case.

So a new fence was required, if for no other reason than to stop me dreaming of the huge pool I could never have afforded to build there. Jerome suggested he and Freddie work on the fence together and we split the cost of materials. In the meantime, Michelle, bless her, dug the holes with Jean-Pierre.

I was delighted when work began at a cracking pace first thing the gloriously sunny morning of 7 May. Nothing like a churning cement mixer to bring out the neighbours. They were all as charming and welcoming as they could be. Lucky me.

Here is the work in progress. The posts are in. No longer visible is the red and white tape the geometre had used for delineation. I was glad to see it go. Living in Hoxton for so long, to me it said just one thing "Crime scene. Do not cross".

I had to catch my plane before the fence was finished, so Lizzie sent this picture of it up and running. She and Josh have already begun to plant the natural boundary with these laurier roses. It's going to be beautiful. Lettuces aren't doing badly either!