Last year Richard trimmed my hedge which divides our homes. There's a wall between us which is covered by the hedge. Not having been trimmed for a very long time, it had grown to over 10ft high and it was blocking a lot of the sun for both of us. So while he was having fun with his amazing "toy" - a petrol driven hedge cutter, he also pulled most of the ivy away.

Well over the year the hedge hadn't got the ivy holding it against the wall anymore and so started leaning dangerously away from the wall. Richard said he'd come round and trim the hedge and somehow tie it against the wall - wire and nails probably.

Yesterday saw him come over with his "toys" and I already had a visitor here so I couldn't go out and bother him. I'd already had the lounge window open and so we could chat through the open window. He cut away a huge amount off the top of the hedge but it just wouldn't go back against the wall. So he sorted out the dead wood and there was hardly any hedge left!!

This is what the hedge had looked like before he got at it....

How it was before Richard had a go

Then I noticed that Peter had popped over and was clearing away the cuttings. Eventually I suggested to Richard that maybe it would be a better idea to chop the whole hedge down and let it regrow. So he did just that!!!!

The wall between us, first time I've seen it in over 30 years!!!!

Now I can see the wall that has been covered for years and years - at least 30 years since I last saw the top of the wall anyway. Now the wall needs me to get it cleaned and then painted.

Well what a difference it's made to the light in the room. I'm so grateful to them for doing this for me and as a little token of appreciation I've bought some wine for them - they wouldn't accept anything more, they said that they just ask for my friendship in return, which I assured them that they already have that "in buckets".

Oh I am so lucky with my wonderful neighbours