Describe a neighbour you get on well with

The neighbour I get on best with is Mr Rashidov, an elderly retired engineer who lives across the landing from my family. We moved into this building about eight years ago, and he was the first person to welcome us. He knocked on the door with a plate of homemade biscuits on the very first evening, which I still remember.

We talk or do things together quite often. In the evenings, he sits on the bench outside the entrance with his newspaper, and I stop for a chat on my way home. He tells me stories about his working life, including the time he helped build a bridge in the 1980s. In return, I help him with his phone, because he finds the settings confusing, and I sometimes carry his shopping upstairs when he has a bad knee.

I think we get on so well for a few reasons. Firstly, he's a very good listener. He never makes me feel as though my problems are small, and he offers calm, practical advice. When I was worried about choosing a university course, he asked me a series of simple questions that made things much clearer.

Secondly, he respects other people's space. He doesn't gossip, and he never complains about noise, even when my brother plays the drums. I suppose we've developed a kind of mutual trust. Having someone like that nearby makes the building feel less like a block of flats and more like a small community.