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Post by Spruance on May 7, 2009 11:24:08 GMT
Today our left side neighbours are moving out, not that they have bothered to tell us of course, after all they have only been there for seven years.  Perhaps they assumed that we would have heard about it on the jungle telegraph, and they would be right as we have known the date for some weeks now and also - thankfully - know who their buyer is so there will be no unpleasant surprises in store. i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/wink.gif Thinking back, this is just like when we last moved in 1993 although we did at least tell our immediate neighbours. All the same I remember the man opposite being a little non-plussed when I asked him if he could move his car to make way for the removal van! "Are you flitting? You kept that quiet" he said. i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/grin.gif Things didn't get off to a very good start seven years ago with the now departing neighbours ironically due in part to the excellent relationship we had with the old lady who had lived there before. For several years I had been mowing her lawn and trimming the hedge. Then when she had to move down to her daughter's on health grounds, I said that I would keep the garden tidy until the house was sold. Unfortunately I was doing just that when the new neighbours paid their first visit to the house as new owners, and rather than turn to stone from a rather frosty gaze, I beat a hasty retreat. i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/grin.gif Then there was the incident with the boundary hedge, a scrubby 3ft high affair which belonged to them and which their then teenage son had trouble manoeuvring his new car past without scratching it. Anyway, they announced that they would be taking the hedge out and replacing it with a fence. No problem we said until we found out that the 'fence' would be just one of those decorative white post and chain affairs. Bearing in mind that they are weedkiller merchants and we are organic, and they were going to put gravel their side which would have ended up all over our soil!  So that was how we came to have the 3ft wooden fence on our land which they begrudgingly acknowledged that they could do nothing about. Thus followed a distinctively uneasy relationship for several months afterwards, and it has never really been overly cordial since.  Perhaps it is just us, as next door on the other side didn't take to kindly to the fact that we reported then to the RSPCA for leaving two Weimaraner dogs in a hot car parked on their drive one summer's night whilst they were out. In reality it was the police who reported them to the RSPCA but I don't think they realised that the police were even involved. Actually it was quite amazing to see just how easy it is to remove the entire rear side window of an estate car using only a screwdriver and some washing-up liquid!  What is more the friendly police sergeant managed to get it back - intact - as well. i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/smiley.gif I could go on, but I just wondered if anyone else had any neighbourly horror stories - if you dare tell that is? i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/wink.gif |
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Post by Jasmine on May 7, 2009 18:04:30 GMT
We only have one lot of neighbours and on the other 2 sides we have a lot of plant munching wild bunnies. Not sure whether I would rather just have more neighbours - least they shouldn't eat you plants. Our neighbours are very nice but we don't see much of each other and as far as I know we share quite a lot in common - children and dogs so perhaps we are each dealing with the same sort of things and in that way we don't annoy or bother each other at all. Their teenagers play a bit of music, our boys make a bit of medium sized boys playing outside type noise and we both share a love of gardening so that helps hugely! |
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Post by beanie on May 8, 2009 8:38:12 GMT
all our neighbours are fine, bar one who told us that the scots pine in our garden should be taken out as it would be dangerous in a storm and could damage neighbouring houses. she was quite politely told to mind her own business and has been fine since. the same person was getting a petition up among the same people to have a caravan moved as she thought it unsightly, it was parked very unobtrusivly on ground opposite the owners house. some people need to get a life
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Post by Jardack on May 10, 2009 18:41:40 GMT
We're lucky in that our troublesome neighbours moved out a week or so ago. The new ones came round again yesterday to say sorry for the noise but they'd had to gut the house before they could move in... they were quieter doing that than the old ones ever were  They also told us the old neigbours (ON) had taken all the light switches/sockets etc, changed the kitchen appliances to scabby old ones and bodged every diy job that they'd done! Funnily enough they (ON) are also ignoring all calls from estate agents trying to sort it! |
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Post by Spruance on May 10, 2009 21:04:39 GMT
The people we bought our present house from also took the light fittings with them and even the loo roll holders! I didn't bother to pursue it though.  |
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Post by prodigal gardener on May 11, 2009 16:37:51 GMT
Our neighbours are lovely ;D
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Post by Biggles on May 11, 2009 18:59:00 GMT
A few years ago we lived next door to a 'Lovable Rogue' even with his antics you just couldn't fall out with him because he was so dense he couldnt 'see' what he did wrong.
Here is an instance--
We returned from holiday to find he had moved the Boundry fence and had taken about 3ft of our garden and replaced it in his as though it had been there all along!
When we tackled him this was his reply-
"I thought you wouldn't mind because I cant grow lovely shrubs and plants like you and thought it would be easy for you to make another Flowerbed" then continued "I hope there are no Hard Feelings"
Fortunately he moved shortly after-
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Post by Auricula on May 11, 2009 23:21:01 GMT
We only have one neighbour and we have a civil but not friendly rapport with them. He is very unpredictable in his moods and she is 45 going on 16!! The best one of the family is her 18yr old son - has more sense and manners than either his mother or step father.
When they moved in he immediately deliniated his side of the boundary at the fromt with a suburban fence ( we live on a country lane ) and we had to plant a hedge along our side, partly to hide it and also so that people wouldn't think it was ours!!! ( how sad are we?? )
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Post by Tig on May 12, 2009 11:03:21 GMT
The neighbours who are semi-attached to us were here when we arrived and they put up with hell when we moved in as our house was in a 1960's timewarp. We had to take out fireplaces, rewire, replumb, add radiators, remove old tiles in bathroom and kitchen which were on cement. Most of the work was done at weekends and after work, with OH still banging gone 11pm. This went on for over 8 months before we could move in! They never once moaned, although I think they are glad OH has long since given up on any major DIY exploits (I'm lucky to get a tap washer changed these days :  We get on very well with them, my only gripe is the leyllandi hedge they planted along part of the back border and the brambles/weeds which come through. We share loads of veg though and swap spare seedlings. The neighbour on the other side is now a widow, and she is the one who got me painting again. She and her husband moved in about five years ago with their little Jack Russel terrier. He was ex RAF, decorated during the war for flying a blazing Lancaster bomber back from France with all his injured colleagues on board, crash landing, but saving the lives of several in the process. He was then a headmaster and she a teacher for children with special needs until they retired and moved to Spain, then returned to England due to ill-health. He passed away about 4 years ago. We spoke over the garden fence, and I gave her bunches of sweet peas. But it was the shared interest in art which broke the ice, and I go round once a week for a cuppa and a chat. I hope we don't have to cope with new neighbours for a long time, but at some stage it is inevitable I suppose. We have no intention of moving until the Men in Black come to collect us  Have your new neighbours moved in yet Spru? x Tig |
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Post by Spruance on May 12, 2009 12:30:24 GMT
No the house is still empty Tig. The new owner is a single woman in her late 30s/early 40s and her grandma lives exactly opposite so that will be quite handy for them both. Apparently she is not moving in just yet as she wants to decorate first. Bearing in mind that the house was absolutely immaculate before, so I guess she doesn't like the colour scheme. i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/wink.gif |
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Post by Spruance on May 17, 2009 9:35:28 GMT
I had a late night last night so was rather perturbed to be woken at 08:20  by workmen replacing the roof on new neighbour's garage. They had no sooner stripped the top surface off than it started to pour with rain. How sad! i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/grin.gif It's a long time since I have done that rain dance, which might explain why my timing is out slightly. |
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So that was how we came to have the 3ft wooden fence on our land which they begrudgingly acknowledged that they could do nothing about. Thus followed a distinctively uneasy relationship for several months afterwards, and it has never really been overly cordial since. 
We get on very well with them, my only gripe is the leyllandi hedge they planted along part of the back border and the brambles/weeds which come through. We share loads of veg though and swap spare seedlings.