Age old wisdom

Preserving, darning, going to work, camping in the caravan, watching the 6 o’clock news. Roast meals, knitting, reading the newspaper, neighbours popping in to say hello.

These are the memories and experiences of my childhood when visiting my grandparents. Through my young eyes, I learned that this is what it was to be a grown up. Undoubtedly things have changed in our society – newspapers have been replaced with smartphones, while mending is replaced with fast fashion. Is this progression? Some would say yes, others would say no. One thing that is clear to me though, is that being neighbourly is no longer the norm it once was for my grandparents. I believe this is a shame. Pat and Kitty Brown were the youngest couple on the street when they moved to Christchurch in December 1963, where they quickly got acquainted with their neighbours: Pat recalls: “the older people came and introduced themselves, brought us fruit from their trees, vegetables from their gardens. It was great”. He recounts that the children played together on the street, and everyone knew who each other was. It felt safe. In 2004 Pat and Kitty formalised their community spirit by joining Neighbourhood Support, where Pat became the street co-ordinator; a role in which he remains today. Pat explains: “it didn’t put any extra pressure on my life, you felt like you were part of the community and it was a good way to know your neighbour.” Furthermore, he pointed out that Neighbourhood Support is the first link between your community, and the police. He once had 10 households within his group however, as of 2020, there is now only one other household in the group. Aside from friends passing on, or sadly passing away – what has changed? Unfortunately, it seems the new generation of homeowners and renters are not interested in getting to know their neighbours. As a result of this, the street is no longer the idyllic haven it once was. Burglaries, speeding cars and unfamiliar faces have become the new norm. My husband and I are now part of the next generation of homeowners. I do believe it is now up to us to disengage from social media and engage in reality by extending a greeting to the neighbours, and either forming, or joining a Neighbourhood Support group. As Pat correctly puts it – “you don’t need to live in each-others’ houses” - but you can certainly get to know faces to be part of a community. I am happy to report that thanks to our own Neighbourhood Support group, we have already gotten back to the stage of neighbours popping in to say hello.