ONCE we feared wolves and brigands knocking at our door. Nowadays, it is the design of modern houses that fills some people with mortal dread.

I have some sympathy with residents of Wick, near Pershore, who cannot abide the look of a neighbouring property.

But when people talk of despair, depression, feeling suicidal... are they for real?

I fully understand and sympathise with anyone who has neighbour trouble.

Conflict that begins outside the home often has a nasty habit of soon breaking and entering your life like a thief in the night.

However, one of the sadder aspects of our existence these days is the diminishing sense of perspective displayed by so many people. Wick has not been struck by war or famine, neither have there been hordes of marauding vandals laying siege to the community.

This is a building we're talking about here. It may not exactly be the eighth wonder of the world, but it could be worse.

Try asking the residents of Worcester's Friar Street who must live with that appalling multi-storey car park.

Now that is fit only for the bulldozer.