Let’s do this together

Jesus may have instructed us to “Love thy neighbour” but that message seems to have got completely lost on Nextdoor, the not-so-friendly neighbourhood app for local gossip, news and moaning about cats that go “hump” in the night.

If I thought the fuss about bin-gate in my local park kicked up a stink, I was shocked by what the locals were complaining about when I downloaded the app for the first time on my phone at the weekend.

I’d wanted to catch up with any updates on the bin situation, but instead I found myself reading rants all about vicious leaf-blowing, leaky Velux windows, and the howls and cries of mating cats that owners had irresponsibly let go out dating at night. I had no idea I lived among so many Victor Meldrews.

I’m also beginning to see my neighbours in a different light since I got a letter from the local council’s rat catching service complaining that a giant rodent had been chewing at my wooden garden gate.

I had to read that sentence over again, before going to knock on my neighbour John’s front door to ask what the rat problem was all about.

The family next door are moving – probably having had enough of The Dark Lord’s deeply disturbing teenage rants – but it turns out that the bloke doing the survey on their house had decided that a hole at the bottom of my gate was caused by marauding rats, and I have to cough up for having them removed.

“But they’re not MY rats, John,” I explained politely. “They’re community rats so I can’t be responsible for having them removed.”

We went out to the gate and he pointed at the perfect little rat door that had been gnawed in the black-painted wood. “Well,” he said smugly, “they seem to have taken up residence in your garden.”

And indeed, it seems like while others have a granny flat, we have a ratty flat. I just hope they keep the music down…

Email me at siobhan.mcnally@mirror.co.uk or write to Community Corner, PO Box 791, Winchester SO23 3RP

Who would have thought a box of washing powder could be so… filthy?

Reader Kaye Beswick, of Hoghton, Lancs, has revealed a dirty secret.

She says: “I had to laugh at Saturday’s Ye Olde Shoppe as I also remember the cleaning products.

“However if a woman was having an affair with someone else, it was well known for her to leave a packet of OMO on her kitchen windowsill. This was code for the coast was clear as OMO meant ‘Old Man Out’.”

The smell of laundry day from his childhood had Robert Sambell, of Bristol, reminiscing.

He writes: “I can clearly remember my mother using the products in your article in the 1950s. She also used washing powders, Rinso and Oxydol. Those were happy days.”

And Elizabeth Park in Coldstream, Scottish Borders, emailed with her pick of cleaning products from back in the day. “My mum used to use Duraglit, which I seem to remember polished most things, and Dreft Soap Powder for wool items which supposedly made them skin soft.

“She also used Vortex bleach, which was supposed to be an astounding upgrade to all bleaches gone before. Not sure if any of these are still available.”

Well, perhaps the products didn’t quite live up to their advertising slogans after all…

Send your memories of retro cleaning products to siobhan.mcnally@mirror.co.uk

Planning a Midweek Staycation check out the Clanree Hotel Conference and Leisure Centre in Letterkenny.

The Clanree Hotel offers the perfect base to explore Donegal. With 120 luxurious and spacious bedrooms to choose from which include double, twin and executive suites the Clanree Offers something for everyone. During your stay you can enjoy complimentary access to our Leisure Centre with a 20m swimming pool, sauna, steam room and fitness suite in addition to the added bonus of free parking.

Dinner is served in Mcgettigans Bar on a night of your choice. For larger groups please don’t hesitate to contact us and we will happily negotiate a great value package to accommodate your group.

Please note at present due to COVID 19 restrictions only the Pool and Gym are open all other facilities in the leisure Centre remain closed until further notice. Please check with the Hotel team for further updates.