Some answers, and Christmas

 Thank you for all the comments regarding the neighbour problems with our current lack of privacy and the potential for being even more overlooked once he converts the barn into holiday accommodation.  I'll try and answer some of the points raised here.

The neighbour has, as far as we know, already got permission for the holiday let business.  We understand the current building, a former stable (single storey) will be converted to a 2-storey, 2 bedroomed holiday cottage - and no the gable end won't be facing us.  In any case, the plans he's submitted show windows - and an upper small balcony - on all sides of the building - again, it's what we've been told, we haven't actually seen the plans ourselves.  He first submitted plans several years ago, then revised plans on several occasions since then, the last application being submitted and approved before we even moved in here.  From what we've been told, several neighbours put forward objections, although it would seem that none of these were taken into account.

The waist-high old wooden fence (the only thing left between our two properties now the neighbour has removed all the trees and shrubs from his side) is owned by our landlords.  They will only replace fencing with waist-high metal chain link fencing now (cost cutting), so no privacy there whatsoever.  We are free to put up fencing ourselves, at our own expense of course.  The trellis we are considering putting up on top of the wooden fence won't be the cheap flimsy expanding stuff, it'll be good quality hard wood trellis panels.  I've done plenty of research into climbing plants and tall quick-growing shrubs, the ceanothus (Californian blue lilac) shrubs I've chosen and ordered are large 5ft high plants - our next door neighbour has a couple which she planted last April when they were also around 5ft, they're now 6 or 7 ft high, so I'm confident they'll do the job we want them to, they should be arriving towards the end of next week.  Ceanothus come in both deciduous and evergreen varieties, I've chosen evergreen ones.  One of you suggested Leylandii - no thanks, we had them in a previous garden and they were total thugs, outgrowing the space very quickly and proving to be a huge headache.  

As I said, we had big neighbour problems in the distant past and have no desire to get involved in any problematic stuff now - at our ages we just want a quiet life.  So I think that resolving the privacy issues in our own way and from our own side of the garden is the way to go.  And, yet again, it's only me able to deal with things like this, husband is no help and nor do we have any friends or family to help, so I can only go about it in ways I know I can cope with.  Incidentally, our next door neighbours have apparently already been in touch with our landlords about the issues, but they've been no help at all.

Getting off that subject....as I've said before, December is not my favourite month as it holds so many sad memories, especially at Christmas time, which is why I'm so ambivalent about it.  I haven't been feeling remotely Christmassy thus far, I didn't even think I'd put up the Christmas tree this year.  Husband has always been very Bah Humbug about Christmas, but, somewhat oddly, in the past couple of weeks he's been talking about getting gammon, pork and lamb or beef joints in, along with several bottles of booze - so far he's mentioned he'd like whisky, ginger wine, port and red wine.  It beats me why - with regard to the meat joints....he's the only one who eats them so just how much meat does he think he's going to eat?  And Christmas is only 2 or 3 days anyway, so why does he need 3 or 4 joints of meat?  As for the booze - neither of us drinks alcohol except for possibly a glass or 2 on rare special occasions - I haven't drunk alcohol for several years now, and husband isn't supposed to drink anyway, in view of the 15 medications he takes daily, mostly for his heart issues.  I can just about understand him wanting a couple of glasses of wine with his Christmas dinner, but not a selection of assorted bottles of the strong stuff.  

Yesterday evening we went into town for the Christmas stalls and entertainment and the lights switch-on.  Town was absolutely heaving, as we knew it would be, but there was a lovely festive atmosphere with lots of families - many local crafts, gifts and foodie stalls, lots of Christmas tunes blaring out from speakers, carol singing and street entertainment.  It was all very friendly and happy, absolutely no trouble spots.  The lights switch on was great, with lots of oohing and ahhing....we didn't see the tree, far too many people to get near - once the switch on had been done, we made our way through the crowds back to the car and went home.  It actually made me feel quite festive, so I will put up the tree - I even bought a bagful of tree baubles to add to the ones I've already got.