love or loath the Neighbours?

[jonbeeza]

We live on a little housing estate, and most of us our in our older years, although there are some households that do have younger people living there. This morning two or three households that do have very big lads/ men living there, have been out and gritted the icy road. They have even been outside all of our front and back doors, and gritted the paths. What lovely Neighbours.

I am sure some of us will have a whip around, and treat these lovely people.

 

[woof woof]

If they wont take money maybe a few hot chocolates and sandwiches would go down nicely.

 

[munch]

Frequently happens on our road (we are on a hill) but it tends to be the older ones that do it.

our immediate neighbor (semi-detached houses) and ourselves both considered moving a few years back. But we both came to the conclusion we like where we live too much, and a large part of that is the community spirit in our road and village. The added bonus is when we open our front curtains in the morning we can see the Yorkshire Dales in the distance, Lookout of our back gardens and we can see the Leeds-Liverpool canal. We would really struggle to get another house that could offer those sorts of views in our price range. Plus we back onto a cemetery so there won't be any houses built there, but does give us plenty of wildlife in the garden. (in case you haven't guessed I love where we live)

 

[jonbeeza]

If they wont take money maybe a few hot chocolates and sandwiches would go down nicely.

We will think of something I am sure, as most people around here are thoughtful. Besides we have a few extra goodies, that I am sure we can pass on.

 

[jonbeeza]

Frequently happens on our road (we are on a hill) but it tends to be the older ones that do it.

our immediate neighbor (semi-detached houses) and ourselves both considered moving a few years back. But we both came to the conclusion we like where we live too much, and a large part of that is the community spirit in our road and village. The added bonus is when we open our front curtains in the morning we can see the Yorkshire Dales in the distance, Lookout of our back gardens and we can see the Leeds-Liverpool canal. We would really struggle to get another house that could offer those sorts of views in our price range. Plus we back onto a cemetery so there won't be any houses built there, but does give us plenty of wildlife in the garden. (in case you haven't guessed I love where we live)

A few of us older ones around here have had falls, so we are taking a little more care. The Neighbours have been very thoughtful, in doing what they did. Nice happy and friendly area where we live. We also have the Leeds-Liverpool canal running past our house. From the front of our garden, we can watch the canal boats going past.

 

[Norkie]

Certainly wouldn't want to move away from our neighbours, cracking bunch

 

[boogie man]

We’ve just moved to a little village in Kent. I can’t believe the difference from our old place, where we lived on a fairly busy road near Epsom. We knew four of our immediate neighbours but not many others in our road, even though we’d been there for over thirty years. In the new house, we’ve already had welcome to your new home cards from seven of the neighbouring houses. Everyone has been very friendly and helpful and there's a real community spirit here.

 

[hashcake]

I have the best neighbours I've ever known.
My neighbour behind me has two very polite youngsters and they are a breathe of fresh air for todays society.
In the summer there is always a bbq or two going on which we all get involved with.
Back in the summer an elderly neighbour had a fall while walking his dog and it ran off.
Another neighbour was straight on facebook and onto local groups while I drove around the area looking for it.
Luckily she was found via facebook so I drove another neighbour to pick her up.
In warmer weather a few of us will be outside having a cuppa and chatting.

 

[jonbeeza]

I have the best neighbours I've ever known.
My neighbour behind me has two very polite youngsters and they are a breathe of fresh air for todays society.
In the summer there is always a bbq or two going on which we all get involved with.
Back in the summer an elderly neighbour had a fall while walking his dog and it ran off.
Another neighbour was straight on facebook and onto local groups while I drove around the area looking for it.
Luckily she was found via facebook so I drove another neighbour to pick her up.
In warmer weather a few of us will be outside having a cuppa and chatting.

A bit like that on our little estate. I left the lights on, on our car once and a person at the top of our street rang one of the neighbours , who in turn rang another neighbour until it got to one who knew my phone number, then rang me to tell me.

 

[stevewestern]

I like where we live and my few neighbours despite the one who can see into our living room telling me just after I'd done it that there was no reason to redecorate, as it was a perfectly good colour (NHS pale mint green from the '60's) and hadnt long been done. Long as in 15 years ago. He also told me that our Christmas tree wasnt upright and that there weren't enough decorations on his side... Another time, he and his wife were caught watching our TV from outside as we have a bigger screen then they do
Almost creepy until we worked out that they have all been here for 50 or more years and are just curious and have fairly dull routine lives, so we are of interest. I've just repainted the room a dark purple, in part to see what he says......!
We are now accepted into the 5 house neighbourhood and it's as safe as anyone could imagine, I've done work in all their houses, and my life is the stuff of legend. 3 of them have never left Cornwall, so I'm like a modern day Marco Polo, and my wife, who works in 'that london' is Florence Nightingale 2.

 

[Cagey75]

We get on great with out closer neighbours, they're older [more my parent's age] so their kids have long since moved on, I think they like having a younger family in between. We exchange gifts and cards with them at Christmas and Easter, they have sent cards in for the girl's birthdays and communion/confirmation, the odd 'spare' cake they weren't going to get to use was passed in to us on occasion I've always said since we moved in 4.5yrs back, that I'm always there if needed, to help out with physical jobs [filling a skip, or moving furniture etc] or if they're simply concerned about safety [has been numerous breaks in up this area over the years] - the rest of the estate, I'd only really see the dog walkers/joggers or some of the younger families do the school runs when I'm up and down to work. Always give a wave and smile, most here seem pleasant but many like to keep to themselves. It's an older estate, more older couples than young, would say the youngest families here would have parent's in their mid 30's upward. I prefer it that way, means not many young kids or teens - nothing against that, I grew up in one of the craziest estates in my old town - but that might well be why I prefer the quieter area as a parent myself. There's days I could walk the length of the estate and not see one person, usually just one or two out walking their dog.

 

[jonbeeza]

There's days I could walk the length of the estate and not see one person, usually just one or two out walking their dog.

A bit like were we live, don't see many people about but there if needed. I don't think I would want to live anywhere else.

 

[AshleyC]

i wouldn't say loathe but they annoy me. Since lockdown i've been working from home which , on the whole, is awesome. But neighbour 1 has built a shed in his garden that he uses as an office which is fine. But they have those really heavy uPvc doors at the back and every time he goes in and out (roughly 10-15 mins all day) he slams them to the point where i can feel the vibrations up in the spare room that's my office. I was working downstairs in the living room but my wall literally shook every time he slams the door. It just drives me nuts, there's no need for it and i did ask him politely to ease up on them a few months back to which he did for maybe 2 days then back to square 1.

Neighbour 2 are nice enough until the weekend when they have their telly blaring away at 2am. Its not loud, they're not partying, i'd say its a perfectly normal volume but you can hear it at night enough to wake me up.

I just want peace and quiet. 1st world problems and all that. My house is for sale and im getting a detached house next time. Neighbours are fine in principle, i just don't want them bolted onto my walls anymore.

 

[jonbeeza]

i wouldn't say loathe but they annoy me. Since lockdown i've been working from home which , on the whole, is awesome. But neighbour 1 has built a shed in his garden that he uses as an office which is fine. But they have those really heavy uPvc doors at the back and every time he goes in and out (roughly 10-15 mins all day) he slams them to the point where i can feel the vibrations up in the spare room that's my office. I was working downstairs in the living room but my wall literally shook every time he slams the door. It just drives me nuts, there's no need for it and i did ask him politely to ease up on them a few months back to which he did for maybe 2 days then back to square 1.

Neighbour 2 are nice enough until the weekend when they have their telly blaring away at 2am. Its not loud, they're not partying, i'd say its a perfectly normal volume but you can hear it at night enough to wake me up.

I just want peace and quiet. 1st world problems and all that. My house is for sale and im getting a detached house next time. Neighbours are fine in principle, i just don't want them bolted onto my walls anymore.

I do feel for you, as we used to live in a busy city centre, and we never got much peace. I really do love living in our current home, and I can see us living out our final years here. When we first found this house, we did visit a few different times of the day. We also got talking to the neighbours when we viewed the house, and everything just felt right. Even the garden already had a lovely bed of roses, and a nice lawn. So we were very lucky I think.

 

[RWDW]

Absolutely hate our neighbours. I live on a terraced street in amongst other terraced streets. Fifteen years ago the area was OK but over the last 15 years the residents moved out and eastern Europeans moved in.

On a nightly occurence there are arguements in the street (assume they are arguements as there is just shouting in a language I don't understand), the Police are here at least twice a week during the evening/nightime, the wifes car has been damaged twice; the first by a drink driver who crashed into it, the second by a male who was 'having a domestic' with his other half and kicked the wing mirror off.

At the side of our house is a gulley that stinks of urine every morning and buckets of bleach are the morning ritual.

The local corner shop is now a 'Polish mini-market' where we are made very unwelcome; it really is like living in a ghetto and would love to move away if we could afford to; everynight I am awoken by something and have to 'curtain twitch' to try and stop damage to our property.

I dream of what others have described and it's lovely to hear it still exists.

 

[ancient_mariner]

We moved to rural Oxfordshire just over 30 years ago. Where we lived previously in London, everyone was friendly, helping each other out with stuff like building work, car maintenance etc.etc.

Our first experience of the 'English countryside' was of a very arsolean attitude: class-ridden, isolationist, rude, fundamentally unfriendly. Others however followed us into the area, and although the transformation took about 10 years the village is quite different, most of the originals having either died or been displaced, and it's a really nice place to live. We've always been careful to keep a good relationship with close neighbours, and although that can be strained a little at times (loud music 'til 2am on the patio outside) we all get along well.

 

[broc]

We are very fortunate, it is very quiet here. We moved to our current house in 1986 & live at the head of a cul-de-sac containing 5 well spaced detached houses, off an estate of 60-70 similar detached houses on the outskirts of a town of 80,000 people. 3 out of the 4 other houses in our cul-de-sac are owned by retired people, the remaining one is owned by a couple in their 40s who have no children, just a couple of well behaved dogs.

 

[Mr Bump]

I live on a nice quiet road in semi rural yorkshire with some nice folk and a graveyard and it is very much the same, we take in each others parcels and sweep up the leaves.

I don't think i could live in a town or city with loads of folk i didnt know
mind you the house we live in i bought 26 years ago, its the only house i have owned and will be the only one i will ever live in the UK.

 

[jonbeeza]

Absolutely hate our neighbors. I live on a terraced street in amongst other terraced streets. Fifteen years ago the area was OK but over the last 15 years the residents moved out and eastern Europeans moved in.

On a nightly occurence there are arguements in the street (assume they are arguements as there is just shouting in a language I don't understand), the Police are here at least twice a week during the evening/nightime, the wifes car has been damaged twice; the first by a drink driver who crashed into it, the second by a male who was 'having a domestic' with his other half and kicked the wing mirror off.

At the side of our house is a gulley that stinks of urine every morning and buckets of bleach are the morning ritual.

The local corner shop is now a 'Polish mini-market' where we are made very unwelcome; it really is like living in a ghetto and would love to move away if we could afford to; everynight I am awoken by something and have to 'curtain twitch' to try and stop damage to our property.

I dream of what others have described and it's lovely to hear it still exists.

Yes it most certainly still does exist. I am really glad that I live in such a place. As I was saying in the above post, most of us our in our older years, and we grew up locally and can still remember how things used to be, such as a trusting and caring community. It is great talking to neighbours about the old days and current events.

The Neighbours seemed to have brought their children up correctly around here, no abuse or cheek or stone throwing etc, but polite hellos from the youngsters.

PS

Sorry to hear your neighbours are such a pain.

 

[lindsay]

We love our house but the area is rather mediocre, uninspiring and somewhat low-rent. We have the odd neighbour that is pleasant and so on, but most we have zero interaction with, including a number that we really dislike. I guess we would be described as a bit snobbish in a way, but when I want a barbecue and to sit in the garden, I don't want gangsta rap being played so I can't hear my wife speaking, or to hear them talking loud in their hot tub until the early hours (hot tubs seem to have become a fashion around here for a certain sort of family). We are in a semi in a medium sized town.
Our last place was, ironically, a mid-terrace but in an upmarket small town, with very nice neighbours who were helpful etc, we only left because we wanted more space but couldn't afford it there.
Before that, big semi in a big village in Wiltshire, where outsiders were kept outside - even after 20 years it felt unfriendly except for a couple of close neighbours.

Maybe it's me. To be fair, with the commuting I've done until the last year, causing me to be away from home often all week or at best 15 hours a day, I wasn't able to really get to know people and have moved around a lot. I'm looking forward to moving somewhere different to try again.

 

[jonbeeza]

We love our house but the area is rather mediocre, uninspiring and somewhat low-rent. We have the odd neighbour that is pleasant and so on, but most we have zero interaction with, including a number that we really dislike. I guess we would be described as a bit snobbish in a way, but when I want a barbecue and to sit in the garden, I don't want gangsta rap being played so I can't hear my wife speaking, or to hear them talking loud in their hot tub until the early hours (hot tubs seem to have become a fashion around here for a certain sort of family). We are in a semi in a medium sized town.
Our last place was, ironically, a mid-terrace but in an upmarket small town, with very nice neighbours who were helpful etc, we only left because we wanted more space but couldn't afford it there.
Before that, big semi in a big village in Wiltshire, where outsiders were kept outside - even after 20 years it felt unfriendly except for a couple of close neighbours.

Maybe it's me. To be fair, with the commuting I've done until the last year, causing me to be away from home often all week or at best 15 hours a day, I wasn't able to really get to know people and have moved around a lot. I'm looking forward to moving somewhere different to try again.

We do have neighbours that do play music, but that is usually when they are entertaining. Noise is kept to a minimum, and the neighbours that do play music are very mindful, they also make their own Jam that they give us, and other neighbours. So all in all, a very nice area all round.

 

[andya700]

We live in a smallish village in Kent, where most of the houses were built in the early sixties. We have been here 25 years and wouldn't think of moving away, unless forced to. One of the neighbours are great, the other side not so much. However the villagers are friendly and when we go for walks the majority of people say hello, even if they don't know you.

 

[bumper]

Okay with all in my street apart from the cnuts I’m joined to. They moved in 5 years ago and it’s been a misery.

The latest aggravation has been decorating since mid November. Scraping wallpaper off every night, drilling and hammering. Even Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

if you think it’s acceptable, try it at 1.45am when you’re in bed asleep. I went around the other night and kicked off, I actually got out of bed at 12.45am and hammered on the door and let them know I’ve had enough. So far it’s stopped at 8pm most nights but I’m f*****g sick of it, almost 8 weeks.

The blessing of tiers and lockdowns mean we haven’t had their 20+ kids and grandkids screaming and banging. They’ve been reported for barking dogs twice I know of by other neighbours. I’ve been round to complain about barking dogs at least 3 times, last time the dogs were barking continuously from 9am until 7pm.
The lady who backs on them kicked off over summer, 8 hours (not joking) mowing a lawn 12ftx12ft with dogs barking.

They just don’t fit into our street at all. Scum.

 

[mj4456]

Seems we’re lucky then we have good neighbours in the wee street we live in, except, next doors family don’t understand lockdown so grown up children visit with grandkids and happy dog, every other day*, and woman across the road has a security light that is really sensitive, unfortunately it doesn’t light up her drive,it shines directly into our living room window and must be on max time setting, I did ask if I/she could adjust it slightly and got a resounding no, new blackout blinds help but I don’t really want them shut from dusk on. Otherwise she’s pleasant.
Ach well, it seems my problems are small compared to others though, could be worse.

 

[jonbeeza]

The binmen bin people have not collected the waste or recycling, it is overflowing a little. I have already been out to straightened the bins up, as some can't place them neatly through disability. I don't mind as we all help each other, somebody else will replace the bins for those who are really elderly or disabled. I often bring in the other neighbours bins in, as they will do the same for me, just depends who gets there first.

I have seen nightmare neighbours on TV, and it amazes me and the missus. It takes too much energy and effort to be nasty, far easier to be nice.

 

[woof woof]

There's days I could walk the length of the estate and not see one person, usually just one or two out walking their dog.

A bit like were we live, don't see many people about but there if needed. I don't think I would want to live anywhere else.

We don't have a dog but we often walk along a path used by them when we're picking brambles or just going to the shops and over the years we've got to know quite a few people.

 

[jonbeeza]

We don't have a dog but we often walk along a path used by them when we're picking brambles or just going to the shops and over the years we've got to know quite a few people.

I go for a morning walk along the canal, and I do meet some really interesting people. Could not think of anywhere else I would like to live, possibly somewhere hotter, providing the people were nice.

 

[woof woof]

We live in a place where house prices are way below the national average which is often bandied about but we're just 15 minutes drive from the shops in the town centre, maybe 20 minutes drive from the coast and maybe 30 minutes walk from the hills and just a few hundred yards from what was a railway line but is now just a path through the trees and bramble bushes which we can use to walk to the shops in the high street or the retail park on the main road and when on that path we can imagine being miles into the countryside. Which isn't too bad

 

[Cagey75]

We don't have a dog but we often walk along a path used by them when we're picking brambles or just going to the shops and over the years we've got to know quite a few people.

I have gotten to know many of the further down neighbours just from walking or cycling up and down the street to town/work, there was actually a couple of older women who used to just death stare me when we moved here first lol, no idea why but I persisted and kept greeting them with a smile. They caved eventually, and they always smile and greet me now - maybe they thought I didn't live there initially? but they seem really sweet now.

I also found a fellow photographer way down the street, I was walking past one day and he was in the front garden, laying in the grass, photographing some mushrooms. When I stopped and called him he admitted he felt a bit awkward [as we sometimes do while out doing our hobby, macro in particular] until I told him I'd only been doing the very same a couple days previous ended up having a 40min chat about camera gear

Where we live is ideal really, we're outside of town but it's a mere 15-20 min walk, and it's a pleasant enough one, our estate is lined with trees, all the houses and gardens are well kept, some really nice ones - I can cycle into town in less than 5 minutes ; cycle paths a good chunk of the way once I leave the estate

I've never needed to drive, anywhere I've lived I was just outside of the main town and there's no shortage of public transport options

 

[jonbeeza]

View attachment 303910

Speaking of lovely neighbours...

Our car is off the road, through a numpty not looking where they were going. I did a food shop today and I had to go by bus, and I could not carry a heavy case of lagers with the food shop. One of the neighbours got wind of it, and they have just handed four bottles over the fence, so we can see the new year in with a drink.

I really do love living where we do.

 

[Cagey75]

View attachment 303910

Speaking of lovely neighbours...

Our car is off the road, through a numpty not looking where they were going. I did a food shop today and I had to go by bus, and I could not carry a heavy case of lagers with the food shop. One of the neighbours got wind of it, and they have just handed four bottles over the fence, so we can see the new year in with a drink.

I really do love living where we do.

Nice. One of our neighbours has offered a lift anytime I'm heading into town, if I'm shopping I walk in and taxi back and she's noted this. I've never taken up the offer as I don't mind the walk, but thought it was a nice gesture all the same. Enjoy the beers, and happy new year

 

[jonbeeza]

Nice. One of our neighbours has offered a lift anytime I'm heading into town, if I'm shopping I walk in and taxi back and she's noted this. I've never taken up the offer as I don't mind the walk, but thought it was a nice gesture all the same. Enjoy the beers, and happy new year

Yes, it is nice to be nice. I help the neighbours whenever I can.

Just having a drink now, and another to see the new year in later on. Happy new year to you too.

 

[Cagey75]

Yes, it is nice to be nice. I help the neighbours whenever I can.

Just having a drink now, and another to see the new year in later on. Happy new year to you too.

Also my birthday here, so I'm having a beer ... and cake! screw the diet, broke it all over Christmas tbh, plan to re-start in the NY, for now, sugar high

 

[jonbeeza]

Also my birthday here, so I'm having a beer ... and cake! screw the diet, broke it all over Christmas tbh, plan to re-start in the NY, for now, sugar high

Ahh Ok, wishing you a happy birthday also.

 

[scottduffy]

My neighbour of 5 years has just passed away at 95. He was a lovely old guy. A total gentleman who made us feel welcome as soon as we got here. We did loads to the house and it took over a month and he never complained once. We were devastated when he died which says it all since we lived in our previous house for 10 years and barely knew our neighbours. Now we await the new owners and fingers crossed they'll be nice also.

 

[welshwizard645]

We are lucky on our road, there is a good mix, some I get on well with and others I just about tolerate. Our immediate neighbours are peculiar but nice, the people opposite are more 'normal'. In my old house in Ripon I had a detached 'parking spot' and I forever had to ask people to move their cars, 'but you have a garage' they say, 'that is MY LAND, move it in the next 5 minutes'. Solved by getting a 2nd car.

Until recently my Mum lived on what initially seemed like a nice cul de sac in north wales. Until:

1 next door, husband walks out she goes off the rails, and broke, falls out with everybody. Housing associated bought the house, she moved out and a family moved in. Bit rough, ready and loud like some of the others but are considerate to my mum,

opposite falls out big time with his neighbour - featured on Neighbours from Hell on C5. Thankfully they have left, but they were prohibited from returning home. They befriended the neighbour on the other side of my mum's = they were super odd. And together they terrorised 2 other neighbours, laying claim to the short piece of private road. They left last week.

So quiet again I hope.

 

[bass_junkie83]

Pretty lucky where were are in a semi-rural area. 5 minutes in any direction and I can be at the beach, in a town, woodland or farmland.
Our residential area is fairly quiet and we have a good neighbours around us. Most streets in our immediate vicinity are semi detached houses on one side and small bungalows on the other so as a result there is a mix of youngish families and elderly on each street. That means that when people are at work (back when that used to happen) there are still lots of oldies around who tend to have a good eye on who is coming and going which seems to keep crime levels pretty low. And working the other way we do what we can to assist them when they need anything.

Our immediate neighbours adjoined to us are what you might call lovable rogues. perfectly nice people and always willing to help out with things, but between themselves they fight like cat and dog which can sometimes be a bit much through the party wall.

 

[Dale.]

All good here, great neighbours all round, apart from an elderly mother and son set up that we share a fence with. The most nosey and rude people I've ever come across. It's all a bit weird too.

I do my best to get on with most folk but some, you just can't. I wish we had a real life ignore button sometimes.

Like I say though, all our other neighbours are great, I love living here.

 

[keef32]

Absolutely hate our neighbours. I live on a terraced street in amongst other terraced streets. Fifteen years ago the area was OK but over the last 15 years the residents moved out and eastern Europeans moved in.

On a nightly occurence there are arguements in the street (assume they are arguements as there is just shouting in a language I don't understand), the Police are here at least twice a week during the evening/nightime, the wifes car has been damaged twice; the first by a drink driver who crashed into it, the second by a male who was 'having a domestic' with his other half and kicked the wing mirror off.

At the side of our house is a gulley that stinks of urine every morning and buckets of bleach are the morning ritual.

The local corner shop is now a 'Polish mini-market' where we are made very unwelcome; it really is like living in a ghetto and would love to move away if we could afford to; everynight I am awoken by something and have to 'curtain twitch' to try and stop damage to our property.

I dream of what others have described and it's lovely to hear it still exists.

Don't live in S4 by any chance do you?

 

[keef32]

We bought our first house last November in a village just outside of Barnsley. Nice size Semi, big garden.

The house we aren't attached to probably has someone there 40% of the time, said hello to them once but never noisy or anything.

At the back we have an passageway and a hill so nothing from there.

The attached neighbour for the most part are fine, Didnt hear a peep until first lockdown when I think someone moved in with him... then in the summer they had a few people round a few days and had music you could hear about 4 miles away but that stopped at about 9/10pm but you get shouting and arguing at 4am every now and again. Its annoying and eventually we will move somewhere detached (probably the same area).

The rest of the cul-de-sac is mainly families, alot of weed smoke smell but generally nice. Everyone seems friendly . I'd take it every day over the danger of being stabbed or shot where we used to live.