good neighbours and bad neighbours - continuation

I started a story, some years ago, and never finished it, so I might just get back to it now -
it was the one about good neighbours and bad neighbours.

I was overwhelmed by kindness when I first arrived in my new home, neighbours helped me - gave me odd bits of furniture, helped me lay a carpet, when I asked for advice about work that I wanted to do on the house, they recommended people - well OK - they were mostly friends and family members, but I was free to look elsewhere to.

I also knew I could knock on any of their doors for any reason, and one old fella, who used to drive a coach, helped me fix my car, and serviced it for me.

In return, I went to the library for 'Aunty May' and changed her books for her - she liked Catherine Cookson as I remember.  Its awkward choosing books for someone else -  I never really know what I want to read until I see it on the shelf!

I looked after the other neighbours young children, when they couldn't find a family member, and enjoyed their company.

I sometimes gave lifts, or picked up shopping.

I was so happy to be part of a community.

30 years later, its all changed and I am really sad about that.

All but one of my original neighbours have either moved or passed on.

The only one left is the grown up version of the 5 yr old I once babysat, but his mother (my friend) died young, his father didn't like me much and so we hardly ever saw each other.  He's on his own at the moment, and works night shifts - on the odd occasion we see each other we wave, or have a brief chat, and even tho' I'd like some help to change a lightbulb, say, I'd never think of asking him to do it, whereas his mother (had she lived) would have seen I needed it changed, and dragged him over 'forthwith', if she couldn't do it herself.

The people living in this row of houses are now strangers, mostly come from outside wales, as I did, but are not interested in fitting in, or even, it seems, making friends with each other.  They don't understand the 'rules of neighbourliness'.

There have been many of them, come and gone, over the years, some worse than others.  But all of them seem to have come here because they have secrets they want to hide - living together whilst married to others - bankruptcy - drug use - alcoholics.

The houses are cheap, some buy them to sell on, and get caught because they are not going to make the profits they thought they would, one couple bought next door as a holiday home, but all they did when they came here was work on the house!  Then they rented the house to a parade of tenants, none of whom stayed long.

Each time I tried to introduce myself and tell them about the area, I was snubbed, so I stopped trying.

When they eventually sold the house, the new neighbours did the same, and looked shifty when I was being friendly.  The 'husband' did talk to me once, the 'wife' did everything to avoid encountering me.

I found out, several months later, why this was - they opened up a B&B!  Not many takers, cos its not an obvious area to stop when touring around south wales, but they do sometimes have crews of workmen, parking their cars in my "slot" and making a noise.

I'm a very tolerant neighbour, but honestly, to open a B & B and not make friends with your neighbours is really stupid!

I encounter their 'guests' occasionally, and if they do say hallo,  I stop to chat and,  I'm sorry, but I tell them what awful people they are, and hope that I lose them some business.

It's petty, I know,  and probably pointless, because these people have already booked and paid, and probably wouldn't come back anyway.   The 'wife' has a terrible temper, I hear her through the walls, and is the last person who is suited to running a B & B, so there will probably be new neighbours soon!