Shut Up. Please.

Ah, summer. The sweet sound of birds singing, the dulcet ringing of drilling, the musical noise of builders burping. Oh, how I love the wonderful cacophony of sounds that drift through our open windows -- not! With each and every one of my neighbours seemingly embarking on a renovation project this summer, I am about to lose my mind.

I live in a row of Victorian terraces that backs onto another row of Victorian terraces, parallel to ours, with only small gardens in the middle. This means we h...