The secret of winning friends? A furry bundle of mischief called Freddie who managed to win over the hardest of hearts

This week I have been greeted with smiles wherever I go – and stopped twice in the street and asked for my photograph.

Shop assistants have been falling over themselves to serve me and total strangers – including, bizarrely, a man with a parrot on his shoulder – have been rushing up to start conversations and confide intimate details about their lives.

Sadly, I haven’t become famous overnight – or won the lottery. 

But I have finally unlocked the secret of something that’s been  troubling me . . . how to persuade  my fellow citizens to take their eyes off the pavement, detach themselves from their mobile phones and be friendly. 

I moved to London from Dublin a year ago and, although I love  the hustle and bustle of this wonderful city, getting used to the way  people treat each other – ranging from complete indifference to downright rudeness and hostility – hasn’t been easy.     Read Here