Good showrooms make good neighbours

We've just had some new neighbours move into the house across the street. Now, I know this is not normally the most exciting thing, and probably not something you want to spend time reading about - but it gets better...

Our new neighbour came over on the weekend to introduce himself, and ask us to sign a planning statement as he'd like to do some alterations to his property. Firstly, this struck a chord with me because this is normally the last step in the drawn-out process of doing alterations - most people hate the idea of begging for their neighbours' permission, and some even circumvent the process entirely by bribing city officials to approve it without the necessary consent! What really hit home, though, was when he said he was a classic car enthusiast.

Now, for those that don't know me, I am a complete nut-job when it comes to classic cars, and I have a serious soft spot for spending money on them! The last one I owned was a 1974 Mustang - it was a fully imported left-hand drive, and I just couldn't resist it. I didn't have the money for it, but somehow scraped together a deposit and financed the rest. Now I lost a little bit of money when I sold it (because I'd spent a small fortune redoing the engine), but it was worth absolutely every penny - for the sheer enjoyment I got out of owning and driving it, not to mention the long, envious looks I got from nearly every man (and often the woman on his arm) when driving past.

Anyway, back at the ranch... So, while chatting to the neighbour, he mentions that the alterations are actually for him to build a showroom onto the side of his house - for him to showcase some of his classic car collection! What a guy! Now, we don't live in the semi-rural area on the outskirts of town, or in the commercial hub of the city. We live in suburbia, just as you see it in the movies. And this guy wants to build a showroom for classic cars across the road from our front door! I'm sorry, but somebody up there is definitely looking out for me, and clearly wants me to stay put for the foreseeable future :)

Now, if only all my neighbours wanted to build classic car showrooms - I'd sign the consent forms faster than you can say Shelby GT500...