Property

Up until now we've been negotiating the house sale- through an intermediary- with the developers who want to turn this part of Kent into a new town- but now our wealthy neighbours- who have no intention of selling to the developers- have shown an interest in making a bid. They came round yesterday and looked us over. We don't know them well, but we know them a bit. He's a corporate lawyer and currently based in Hong-Kong where they have a house on a hill with an infinity pool from which you can look down on the funny little ships while you drink your vodka martini.

Buying the farm would considerably enlarge the buffer zone between their property and whatever developing may go on. They'd also be on their way towards recreating the estate the railway baron's heir established when he built the big house back in the 1870s.