It’s been interesting to hear Simon Holt’s ideas about what it means to be a good neighbour.  Do you know your neighbours?  If so, what kind of relationship do you have?

There’s a few different categories of neighbours, aren’t there?

• The Silent Neighbour – the ones you just wave at across the street, or you nod to each other as you walk past, but you don’t really chat.
• There’s the three sentence weather report neighbour: “Beautiful Day.” / “Sure is.” / “Could do with some rain though.”
• There’s the “Over the Fence Neighbours” that you only chat with when you’re both in the backyard.
• There’s the Neighbourly Neighbours – those people in the street that always host the Christmas party or the New Years’ Drinks.
• Then there’s always the “Part of the furniture” neighbours, the old lady that has been there longer than anyone can remember – she’s the one who knows everything that’s going on in the street.
• (There’s also the Body Corporate Nazi who gives everybody grief about their renovations, or their washing line or their parking space, but we don't have to talk about them :-)

Have you ever become lifelong friends with your neighbours?  If so, how did it happen?

How does it work in your street, or unit block?

And does the street party still exist, where the whole street comes together for a BBQ?