Quick Hedge to Hide from New Neighbours

[glitterchick]

Got new next door neighbours in April. Seem OK ish but they are elderly and am getting the impression that they're getting fairly fed-up of our 4 rather hyper kids and our untidy front garden (toys, bikes, etc. - you get the picture). Am planning on putting in preferably fast/high growing hedge/shrubs between us and them. Any suggestions? What is the view on Red Robbin? 45 foot to be planted - approx. how many will I need?

You need to be a bit careful as new legislation means that your neighbour can take action against you if your hedge causes them a nuisance, which something fast/high may well do. Red Robin seems a funny choice to me - better as a specimen than a hedge. What about Hornbeam? Will make dense hedge in summer and its leaves tend to stay on in the winter even though they've dried and gone brown. It's a lot more robust than Beech. Plant about 18 inches apart. Or you could use a hedging variety of rose - simple 'wild' rose type flowers followed by red hips.
Or... why not earn some Brownie points and talk to your neighbours about it? They will appreciate the fact that you realise that the kids are disturbing them and that you are trying to do something about it.

How about putting up a lattice fence for something to grow over - that way it is easy to control how high the thing grows and you get a certain amount of instant cover while it is growing?