Wuff, that's how it should be...unfortuntely things are hardly ever as they should be and mny people these days haven't a clue about ettiquette....that applies to some adults in particular. I agree that fine dining restaurants are not suitable for children...unless of course, as you describe, the children hav been schooled in proper behaviour. One restaurants I've been taken to on specil occasions actually has a policy of "no children"..but in order not to breach discrimination ettiquette they have a special chidren's dining room with waiters dressed in colorful uniforms. There's also a fine dining children's menu. The children are called 'maam' and 'sir' and have their chairs pulled out for them....they have their non alcoholic drinks served in lovly glases as if it were champagne or wine....it really delightful. They also have themed evenings. There's a dining etiquette that the children are expected to observe..and how to hold and use the cutlery. Parents are given a little booklet about it.. I thought it a good way to instruct the adults under the guise of instructing the children. It works well and the restaurant owners are to be commended for such a novel approach to...well, it "manners" isn't it? And not many know the mening ot the word these days. The children come away from such an experience feeling important..and I think some parents learn a few things too. There's nothing worse that not being able to go out for a dignified meal because other people don't realise that some places are just not for children..especilly their chidren. Its one thing being well-to-do and completely another having manners. My dear old Mum was the eldest of 12 children...their Dad was an Engine Driver, but he insisted that each and every one of the children learn manners.. As disadvantaged as they were, they "dressed" for dinner in their best always clean, pressed, starched clothes,,, darns, mends and all, and he'd inspect them all before they were allowed to be seated. Mum's Aunt Laura taught her to..."be a lady" and educated her about the arts, taught her how to dance, how to set a table for a three course meal, how to dress, how to be polite, and..how to cook and manage a home...so she would be able to "mix it with the best" and not be thought out of place. How things have changed...its all more relaxed. Manners and respect for others seem to have..."Gone With The Wind"..regarded as outmoded and old fashioned. Pity! Wonder how we can get a gracious, respecful society back?

I'd go for the higher privacy screens within your own boundary. Get a car junk yard to store some old crushed car bodies on piled high on top of each other for 3-6 months to create the screen. They will be au fait with safely securing them. They may even pay for the temporary space leaving you with enough money to later build a truly aesthetically pleasing barrier, something like that big reflective glass barrier to her if she doesn't move! Hopefully she will decide to move when that is all she can see. My dad actually used this strategy successfully with a problem neighbour in the past! Meanwhile have a chat to a lawyer. We have one of those problem neighbours who complains about (non) barking dogs and gets her kicks by watching us put out washing. She now looks onto my chicken coop and thought it was a dog kennel. It makes me feel like going naked when I tend the chickens to give her something to really scare her and having a heavy metal rock band rehearse regularly in my garage. It is horrible to be overlooked by a neighbour who is so problematic and likes to use your family as her reality television set! Do check with a lawyer about her possible trespass onto your property. My guess is she used Round Up on a windy day!

Thank you Houzzers for all your help and insight. We live in Melbourn's East. I love Diosima and they grow well in my garden. I was ready to go and get some planted when I read the comment about maintenance. I see our neighbour out there with scissors hedging his and just cannot see myself doing that - I had to rethink the idea. I don't mind Plumbago and love Bottlebrushes. ( was not aware of the upright species so I will look into it) have some here and they look lovely and make me smile with all the birds coming to visit. I just love the comments and suggestions. Thank you all!

Strange of the neighbour's builder to paint the side of your house without any instructions or payment. I suspect that the paint may actually have been to cover something up that the builder made. Perhaps they accidentally splashed or spilt paint onto your side facing wall, and they decided that it would be easier to paint it out than clean it up. Possibly hoping that nobody would notice until they had been paid for the job! Dr Retro