Steve Firth wrote:

Oh, also consider re-planting leylandii but keeping them in check this
time. They make a really good hedge, better than yew IMO. The only
things wrong with leylandii are Daily Mail readers, Guardian readers,
radio 4 listeners and other assorted ****wits who consider "Leylandii"
to be pronounced "Antichrist". Keep the height down and trim once or
twice a year and you will have a tidy, thick barrier against burglars,
stray cats and dogs and your hedge will also filter out noise, dust and
pollution.

My experience of leylandii was not good. I had them chain sawed last
May/June. I did this because holding the hedge trimmer at the hight I
wanted to cut them to made my arms ache. The last time I cut them after
the spring growth, it took me 2 days to cut, rake up the trimmings and
dispose of them. I decided that I was getting too old to keep doing this
job.

Another problem I encountered was that the growth of the shoot's
thickness prevented me getting the top of the hedge down to the level I
wanted, becausde the hedge trimmer did not have a large enough entry gap
for the shoots. Many is the time I have had to get out the pruners,
or even a bow saw, to cut back the thick shoots. I always trimmed them
twice a year, after the growing season, or they would get out of hand.

I'm glad to see the back of them.

Dave