I didn’t notice it at first, I have taken the friendly litter-picker/cleaner for granted. 
He walks around the estate dragging his green wheelbarrow behind him picking up litter and ensuring we live in a pleasant environment. The paths are clean, the bins empty and the communal spaces always sparkle with well polished floors.
And the guards have gone too. They used to sit at each entrance gate, chatting, opening the barriers to let drivers in and helping people with problems with the entrance doors.
I still hadn’t noticed as I wearily got through the entrance door to my building and walked to the lift. I hit the button and waited for the lift but was dismayed to find it stuck on the 5th floor. When you live on the 10th floor it’s really inconvenient to have to take the stairs and this realisation is magnified by the 36 degree heat and 70% humidity. I am already sweating from every pore and all my clothes are stuck to me. Now I have to walk up 20 flights of stairs with my bags.
I eventually arrived at the door to the flat and, not wanting to dig around the bottom of my bag for keys, rang the door bell. Jenny answered it and let me in. She could see that I was completely shattered and informed me
“The lifts have been locked”.
I corrected her. “You mean The lifts have broken”
“No the lifts have been locked”
“What do you mean locked?”
It transpired that the management company has been sacked by the residents 
and because there is now no management company, the cleaners have gone, the guards have gone and the lift company has locked all the lifts so everyone has to use the stairs. So the place is litter-strewn, the floors of the entrances are covered with fag ends, dust, plastic bags and other assorted flotsam and jetsam and we are all sweating bucket loads just to get home.
We are not sure when it will be fixed but I am off to the UK the day after tomorrow so I’m alright Jack.