Describe a neighbour you get on well with.

I’d like to talk about my neighbour, Mr Patel, who lives just across the corridor from my flat. He’s in his late fifties, I’d say, and he runs a small printing business in town. On the surface we don’t have that much in common, because there’s quite an age gap between us, but he’s honestly one of the people I feel closest to in my building.

I’ve known him for about four years, basically since the week I moved in. On my first day, I was struggling with a pile of boxes and he just appeared out of nowhere and insisted on helping. Since then, we’ve gradually gone from polite small talk to having really meaningful conversations and even doing things together at the weekend.

Most days we bump into each other in the hallway or near the lifts and end up chatting for ten or fifteen minutes. We talk about everything from football and local politics to work problems and family life. Every couple of weeks, if we both have time, we sit on the little bench outside our building with a cup of tea, just catching up on what’s been going on. In the summer he sometimes invites a few neighbours over for a simple barbecue, and I usually help him set things up.

I think we get on so well because he’s incredibly genuine and easy to talk to. He never judges, he just listens carefully and gives calm, practical advice when I’m stressed about something. At the same time, we have a similar sense of humour, so we end up laughing a lot, which makes everyday life in the building feel friendlier and more relaxed.