As an early bird I’ve always worried about waking up the neighbourhood

What’s the earliest time you can start making noise outside your home?

My job means that in the week I get up at four. My brain and body are rather set in that regime. It’s hard to switch off for the weekend and so I tend to just roll with it. I have some great neighbours where I live and I think hearing my car leaving every weekday has already marked my card. Although saying that, one neighbour claimed they hear me pulling away just after four and at that point, they feel rather thrilled they have hours of cosy sleep left to go. On Sunday, I was up again at the crack of sparrows and was keen to get hacking at some evergreen hedge-type thing that we have at the front of our house.

What I do know is that nothing can kill it and the more you attack it, the more it seems to come back at ya!

I’ve learned that if you put off the attack, then it produces so much more that you have to book multiple visits to the tip. Also, it would require getting a step ladder and even at that height, I’m a wimp. The ladders know that any more than three or four steps up and I’m vulnerable. I waited this weekend until eight thirty in the morning. I thought that was fair. I was out and plugged in by then.

I had to slightly trespass on my neighbour's garden and the social etiquette rules dictated that I ring the doorbell first. Permission. After quite a wait, my neighbour appeared still in their dressing gown. Looking tired. Dishevelled. Not impressed. I stood there looking like a BTEC version of the Texas Chainsaw movie, extension lead trailing. Permission was granted.