Blurb About Alice and Loudon. A Summary.

Blurb About Alice and Loudon.  A Summary.

Alice and Loudon have lived in Hatch End fifty years, since March 1965. Their house is number 8, which is a lucky number in Chinese.Their gabled detached house has wisteria draped across the doorway, a front garden and a long back garden.

Their back garden has apple trees, a pond and, hidden at the far end, a fox's lair. The Parkins used to have two cats. Now they put out food for the foxes.

Loudon is keen on gardening. And DIY. He enthusiastically makes coffee.

Alice cooks in the kitchen designed by her daughter. She serves coffee and biscuits at a table in the window overlooking the garden, with the fig tree on the left and the garage on the right.

We moved next door to them in 1980 or 1981. From neighbouring houses we can often hear Loudon playing the upright piano and Alice's peels of laughter. Alice used to be busy in amateur dramatics. Loudon used to be a keen player of squash. They are still enthusiastic supporters of the local Conservative party.

Now Loudon likes to sit in the sunny Conservatory. He reads The Telegraph newspaper which he collects every morning, with the American international herald newspaper. 

He strokes his little beard and tells long stories about people they know and places they have visited, sometimes interrupted by Alice.

They are great neighbours. They do all the things good neighbours should do. In the old days they would help you jump start your car. In later times the job of a neighbour was to lend a ladder, take in a parcel or look after keys. Plus of course taking you in when you were locked out.

We are always invited in, never left standing on the doorstep. I only stand on the doorstep when they are out. In their covered porch you used to be able to stand looking at the singing frog. (Not a real English frog. Probably made in China.The real wildlife is at the back on the pond.)

They used to have a flat in Malta on timeshare, which they eventually sold after some difficulty. They love to go to America to visit the family, whose photos decorate the side tables in the living room. 

Angela Lansbury 2015