Dear LPG readers,

When I was a young girl, I had a neighbour I thought was old, even though she was not as old as I am now. This was back in the mid-1950s, and my siblings and I often talked to her about her version of the good old days.  

She had many stories about things that happened to her during the war and the neighbours who lived in the street before we were born. She told us that during the blitz, they would drop everything and make a dash for the air raid shelters, and we had a converted one in our back garden. As you looked out from the upstairs bedroom window and over the fences, you saw a line of very deep fishponds in several of the neighbouring back gardens. 

Mrs V, as we called her, would tell us of her days in service. One of our favourite stories was about the day she and her then-young daughter walked into One Tree Hill when they heard the air raid sirens. 

Interestingly enough, she would also talk about the days when she thought nothing of popping to the shops and leaving her front door wide open.  She told us that by the time she got home, one of her neighbours would often have gone in and put the kettle on so that she could be welcomed into her home with a nice warm cuppa, adding that she usually was the visiting neighbour.  She said there was no real need to lock the doors, and anyway, many of the houses had been victim to bomb damage, and while they were not complete piles of rubble, the locks and windows were not that secure.  

Can you imagine leaving your front door open for an hour or two while you go out now?

Over the years, I have managed to lock myself out of my house a couple of times, and though it is foolish, I have learned that I am not unique. I found a website that informs me that last year alone, roughly 2,000 people also managed to do it.  

Our modern locks are better, and there is much more to protect in the average home, but we all know how easy it is to misplace our keys. We might need to get in without a key for many other reasons, especially if we live alone. I hate to mention it but imagine ending up unconscious after a trip down the stairs or popping out to put some rubbish in the dustbin and dropping it in as you hear the wind blow your front door shut.  

It is worth remembering that many pieces of online advice are written by people who want to attract your attention and sell you their products. Still, I found online evidence that about a quarter of the front gardens surrounding the building they are meant to secure contain a hidden key. The modern solution might be to have a Key Safe outside your house, although it is accepted that you must be housebound if you have one. Key Safes are not that expensive and must provide one modern-day solution.

But my message has turned full circle. It is all very well knowing that your daughter or son, who most probably lives miles away, has a copy of your front door key. However, even though you have treasured things that you like to keep private, or even if you would worry if they were to see how untidy your home can be, the best place to hide your spare key is with a trusted neighbour. Perhaps swapping spare front door keys is the answer…

LC, Honor Oak Park

LC offers some related information…

(►►►)   (►►►)      (►►►)    (►►►)     (►►►)