Probably August 2004 (processing date.) This must have been taken before Shirley laid the new car area and before the the second renting tenant cleared the area to lay grass further to the right, at the start of which there is a lovely privet hedge. This shows the front of the garden, with rhus suckers, and many tall shrubs.There was also an almond tree,and a walnut tree slightly further back. , Beautiful rhododendrons, camelias, and a massive bay tree still line this side of the path which leads from under the arch of hedge not shown, but just to the right. The hedge eventually meets our hedge at right angles. Just in front of the telegraph pole runs the very neglected hedge leading down the side of the driveway to the garage on the left. Opposite is Abbeyfields Old People's Home. It was necessary for me a few years later,to cut back many shrubs to make it passable for my painter, and myself, to access our garage wall for painting. The whole periphery had had to be cleared beforehand in order for me to trim the hedge when the very first tenants had come - students with no time for gardening. Probably taken well before the second renting tenant arrived. Perhaps the scene for a few years as the land at the front had been completely overgrown in the last year of Shirley's ownership. Shhortly after Shirley came, she had the previously grassed area in front of the house (not visible) and that in front of the garage completely resurfaced with a modern textured composite that resembled reddish brick. This replaced the poorly surfaced drive and overgrown front area. I think the front has always had a path to the door nearest no 19, and that was very large paving slabs. To the left of this were a few thin grass paths, leading in amongst the roses and shrubs, which had to be tediously mown or hand sheared. The second renting tenant laid a proper path along the front hedge, and all down the side of the hedge as far as the rockery in the back garden, and this replaced the intermittently placed large slabs that Shirley's son had laid to aid hedge maintenance.. The hedge was actually quite difficult to access from all points, for many years before the property was sold to Davis's , and the maintenance of the area up to the narrower section at the back was stipulated as part of the agreement. I did actually help garden for all the time the first renters were there as they were students and did not have the time to do it. The hedge was a particularly difficult task and although it is only the joint side hedge which is ours, I did trim the whole hedge several times. After the drive and car park area had been established, the main road's paving was tarmacadamed, and Shirley arranged that a dip in the paving be made, in anticipation of the removal of a section of the hedge leading to the middle part of the back section of orchard,

Don't ya just love it when a barber so thoroughly trashes your hair that the only way to disguise the odd bits of stubble and bald spots is to take everything down to roughly a similar level? And even then there are still shorter bits, but I refuse to actually shave my head to be rid of them. And yes, I did forget to do anything with the collar after pulling on the shirt.