Jan lived in the flat next door. You would hear her before you saw her: the thump of her footsteps down the stairs, the clanging of her metal walker. And then there was the floral skirt and sandals she wore each day, even in winter, her legs bare and mottled.
In her mid-70s, she lived alone as her husband was in care, but she didn’t seem lonely. Holding court on the bench at the bottom of the market, she was a teller of outrageous tales and a possessor of a wicked sense of humour. She was what people euphemistically call a “local character”.
The important role neighbours play in our wellbeing is surprisingly under-researched
您已阅读5%（632字），剩余95%（12479字）包含更多重要信息，订阅以继续探索完整内容，并享受更多专属服务。