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www.ilkestonlife.com ILKESTON LIFE August 2021 22

L to R: Richard Arbon’s birthday party;
Kris and his wife, the guy who made
the titcote and delivered it come in
It takes a village Michael Rosenblum for a coffee; Tim Summers repairs the
front step.
hen we first told friends vast numbers, New York is, in fact, said. “I cannot believe you did craftsman, and he built the gates Finally, Lisa had ordered a hand-
Wthat we were leaving New a very lonely place. Dale Abbey, that. Now we will never get rid of and fences that are in front of our made titcote, a small house for the
York to go and live in Dale Ab- as it turns out, is not. him!” small cottage. He served a fine garden birds to live in. Kris, the
bey, a small village in England, Years ago, when I was married to This is how one lives in New York. meal and we all sat in his garden man who made it, and his wife
they were aghast. my now, thankfully, ex-wife, we In your own bubble. Isolated and and chatted. hand-delivered it. They appeared
“Are you insane?” they would ask. lived in a classic Soho loft. These very much alone, as it turns out. I Earlier yesterday, I heard a noise with their dog, Brian. When
large apartments were once indus-
they came, Lisa invited all three
recently read in the same census
in front of our home, and I walked
“What are you going to do with trial spaces where rows of wom- that 52.3% of New Yorkers live out to find Tim, another neighbor, of them, Brian included, in for
yourself? You’ll be back in six en sat at sewing machines from alone. I am not surprised. fixing the brick steps that lead up a cup of coffee and one of her
months.” dawn to dusk. When the clothing When I came to Dale Abbey, I im- to our home. He had brought over home-made muffins. Trust me,
Eight months later, I don’t think business went to Asia, these giant mediately felt the difference. This a wheelbarrow with cement and in Manhattan we don’t invite the
so. In fact, I can fairly say that we spaces were turned into artist’s was not a residence. This was a was repairing our broken entry- delivery people in for a coffee, and
are never going back. Life in Dale lofts and then massive apartment, community. This was an extended way. To him, this was simply the they don’t come with their dogs.
Abbey, as it turns out, is far richer, often with 20-foot ceilings and family. This was a village. right thing to do. He saw it was The security people in the building
more fulfilling and interesting than several thousand square feet of liv- For most of human history, we broken and he came over to fix it. would never allow it. If we ever
life in Manhattan ever was. ing space. I lived in one of these. have lived in villages. Village life Tim’s dog Alfie is a regular visitor engaged in such shocking behav-
It is true that Dale Abbey has no In my building there were two loft is, in fact, our norm. It is in our to our house. He generally just iour, we would get a stern letter of
Broadway shows, but truth be spaces per floor, and the only way DNA. It is how we are supposed lets himself in, as we generally reprimand from the Board. I would
told, we rarely went to Broadway in was by a keyed elevator. Each to live. City life is not normal, it is keep the door open. He is happy also say that our neighbors would
shows, even though Broadway was loft owner got a key to their floor, not nurturing and it is not healthy, to see us, and we are happy to see probably refuse to make eye con-
only five blocks away. Broadway and there were two doors on the Broadway shows or not. him. Leaving a door open would tact with us in the lift, but they do
shows are for tourists. Dale Abbey elevator, one for the south loft Every Friday here in Dale Abbey, be an unthinkable piece of suicidal that already. That is how we live in
doesn’t have Rockefeller Center, and one for the north. I lived in the entire village goes up to The insanity in Manhattan, let alone Manhattan.
that we used to live across the 3 South. There were only 8 lofts Carpenter’s Arms, our local pub. having a dog walk in. But not in Dale Abbey.
street from, but who wants to go in the building, so you never saw It is a weekly ritual. They may Last week, Paul, another neigh- It is true, Dale Abbey does not
to Rockefeller Center? Tourists. anyone. go for a lager (which I am still bor dropped by and asked me if have Broadway shows, it does not
Dale Abbey does not have Times But one day, I got into the elevator, getting used to), but they actually I wanted to go and see a village have a Philharmonic, it does not
Square, a few blocks to the west of and someone joined me in it. This go to see one another, to see how cricket match at Risley, the next have 3-star Michelin restaurants.
us. But, trust me, no one but tour- was most unusual. I put my key everyone is doing, to share stories town over. Being an American, of What it does have is a wonderful
ists go to Times Square. I have into 3 South and he put his key and to bond. It is a beautiful thing course, I have no understanding of and nurturing sense of community.
never once had an overwhelming into 3 North. He was my neighbor! to see and experience. It may seem cricket, but Paul founded the team And that is worth far more than all
urge to visit either Bubba Gump’s Well, we had only lived there for the norm for those who live here, in 1970 (as regular readers of Il- the Broadway shows in the world.
Shrimp House or the Museum of three years or so, and I was meet- but for someone who has spent his keston Life will know) and he not And for this reason, we are never
M&Ms, and I am quite delighted ing my next-door neighbor for the entire life in Manhattan, it is an only painstakingly explained the going back. Life, as it turns out, is
that neither of these affronts to first time. I introduced myself and extraordinary event. game to me. (I now know, at least, far richer and more rewarding than
Western Civilization blight little we chatted. Yesterday, we were all invited to what LBW means) but also intro- life in Midtown Manhattan. Who
Dale Abbey. As we approached our floor, I my neighbor Richard’s house – duced me to pretty much everyone could have known?
What Dale Abbey does have, the suggested he come over for a cup just down the street. (Everyone is else who had turned up to watch Pictured below:
Manhattan does not, is neighbors. of coffee. just down the street, as there are the game. We sat in the shade of The weekly Friday village get together
This may seem strange. New York When I got home, I told Glenda, only three streets). It was Rich- the pavilion, drinking beers and at the Carpenter’s Arms (outdoors to
City, after all, has 18 million peo- my ex, what had happened. ard’s 69th birthday, and the whole applauding when appropriate. (I keep COVID safe);
ple, according to the latest census. She went livid. village turned out to celebrate still had to be told when to ap- My first cricket match - at Risley.
Dale Abbey has 92. Despite its “Are you out of your mind?” she with him. Richard is a master plaud), but it was a grand time. Alfie the dog next door.