A resident describes Hackney as the only place that feels like a true community. People are urged to love their neighbour while keeping personal boundaries, like not pulling down a hedge. The quotes warn that speaking badly about a neighbour often reveals the speaker’s own flaws.
![“There's very little in the substance of [THE LADY IN THE VAN] which is not fact though some adjustments have had to be made. Over the years Miss Shepherd was visited by a succession of social workers so the character in the play is a composite figure. . . . A composite too are the neighbours…” quote by Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e7/alan-bennett-1922_adjustment_there-s-very-little-in-the-substance-of_239144.jpg)
