Getting to know your neighbours

We have a fabulous relationship with the couple next door; they're 'our girls'.

We have round for meals and BBQ's, they have us to theirs and we go out for meals or just get together for a coffee and a chat. In fact, the four of us are going out tonight for a chinese.

We're on friendly terms with a couple of others on our street too.

I know all of my nearest neighbours some better than others but I get on with them all.
It is good to stop and have a chat to see how they are but we do respect each others privacy but help each other out if needed.

Six years ago I downsized to a 2 bed semi in the same town in South Manchester. I had moved from a large bungalow where I only knew my immediate next door neighbours (who were both very nice), but I know many more of my neighbours here and we all help each other out if needed, although we don't live in each others pockets. I love my new neighbourhood and wouldn't move even if I won the lottery.

What a lovely gesture grannyactivist - I’m sure she was touched by your invite.
I know all my neighbours, and often pop in to one another’s houses for coffee and a chat…..our cul de sac is a lovely mixture of old and young. Ofcourse, the youngsters are busy, but the 4 of us (2 divorced and 2 widowed) get together. The youngsters on the other hand bring vitality to the neighbourhood and help for the oldies, if we need opening a wine bottle ?….the children play outside in the summer. I love my neighbourhood x

I have a fantastic relationship with my neighbours. We live in a small cul de sac of twelve houses. Most of us have lived here, since they were built thirty years ago.
Many I have known, for over forty years, some even longer from school days.

They are caring and supportive and helped preserve my sanity, when I had to shield.
We have attended all the weddings of the children and now some of the grandchildren are in the same school. My son actually married the girl next door, there are so many connections. The Hogmanay parties were so memorable, especially as the children got older. One house for teenagers and one for adults and no neighbours compalining about the noise!

I count my blessings every day, that I live in such a caring community, where we all support each other, without living in each others' pockets.

I have a good but reserved relationship with my neighbours. I’ve lived in my culdesac for 22 years as has some of them. There hasn’t been a lot of comings & goings but in my terrace they’re not really beyond a Good morning or Good evening which is a shame.
I have tried. I have reached out but no joy. None of them want to chat or come around for tea & cake.
Across from me I have 2 neighbours that I catch up with occasionally for family news. One of them will put out or bring in my bins too if I’m away. I do the same for them.
I live mostly alone. During Covid bad days my chap was locked down elsewhere in the UK so we were apart for months. If it had been left to any of my neighbours I could have been without food or died & nobody would have known. I’m not bitter, but more resigned to being that way.

P.S. That’s why I keep postponing the move to a smaller house.

Same here Nonogran but it suits me as I’m a very reserved person, while my DH goes out of his way to talk to them!

I'm also blessed with lovely neighbours. On the day I moved in, my next door neighbour called to say hello and welcome me to the area and we've been good friends and neighbours since then. They cut my lawns in the summer months if I'm away, trim the hedges around my garden when they do their own, make sure bins are in/out and have even helped me to erect a greenhouse. We regularly swap plants and seeds and, best of all, on baking day they pop round with some for me!

We have lived here since March and already know our immediate neighbours well. We are a row of four.
We already knew several people on this estate and another friend is moving here before the end of the month.
This is a friendly estate with a committee and newsletter. Neighbourhood events are starting to be organised again starting with Advent Windows where one house unveils a window each day in December.

Being neighbourly is quite the thing in the Netherlands. They have a number of 'rules' there which makes things easy.
One of the rules is that if you want contact with your neighbours, shortly after you move in you invite them in. They then know you are open to socialising. We lived in a road with 18 houses and frequently socialised with all the neighbours including having street parties.
Neighbours often become best friends over there and we certainly made friends for life.
I have even known people who have moved to stay with neighbours.

We are friendly with many of our present neighbours as we all moved in around the same time. It is not the same though over here.

Marydoll commented about counting her blessings every day.
So do I, and many of my neighbours ( same here small cul de sac).
We also do others front gardens, swap plants, share food. I inherited some M&S bubble & squeak yesterday because my neighbour is obsessed with sell by dates.
Most of us would ask if they needed a lift somewhere, ie car going into garage, lift to the station.
If I did the lottery, and won I wouldn’t move from my community.
Us younger ones ? look out for the more elderly. When my next door neighbour was working in her office and I saw her car outside I would text her to ask if she was ok ( she lives alone)

Both sets of immediate neighbours have moved in the past two years and I’ll admit I was quite nervous about our new neighbours. That was a waste of time, as the new ones are just as lovely! On one side there’s a mid-life couple, no children, and on the other, a couple in their 50’s, with four adult children who come and go. Their youngest still lives with them as he has had a life-threatening illness, from which he is now thankfully recovering.

Three other houses all have new owners. We’ve met them all as we have a street barbecue each year and it’s a fun event. There is no one in this little street to whom I wouldn’t turn to if I needed help. We are so fortunate. ❤️

We have fantastic neighbours we all get on well and help each other out if needed. We have shopped for each other during Covid, put bins out and taken people for hospital appointments. We are truly lucky to live in such a lovely community.

The bungalow we moved to 6 years ago, on the right was an elderly lady in her 90's who I often popped in for a chat, the other side was a singe elderly man who we chatted to if we saw him. Old man was moved to a care home, in moved neighbour A, similar age to myself, who apparently had no money so extended her house upwards and outwards. She refused to pay anything for a garden wall to be rebuilt (she had been told it was our responsibility) that her ivy had pulled down (nothing to do with her) and she had no money. So for safety's sake we had to fork out (we didn't do it to her liking!!)
The lady on the right moved to be near her son and in moved a young family, I had a shock to see he was the brother of my DDs ex fiance!! - But they are a lovely family with two small children. I often pass on stuff my GC have outgrown.
Opposite we have a family whose children go to the same school as my GS. Another single man who DH knew from a U3a group he went to. Directly opposite we had a single lady, she moved and in moved two men, after 2 years one was diagnosed with caner and they decided to move south, now we have a lovely single lady who's daughter moved in for a spell and is now moving to her own pad. Basically a pleasant environment.

We have lived here for nearly 30 years and barely knew our neighbours before the lockdowns.

We decided that when Clap for the NHS ended that we would keep meeting up and we are having drinks here tomorrow Our road is quite busy so we actually have to make an effort to get together but do so on a regular but ad hoc basis. Our ages range from 86 down to the couple who live in the other half of our house who are 40 somethings with 2 small boys.

We got on well with our immediate next door neighbours but they have both sadly died. The person who bought the house seems very nice. Hope she copes tomorrow!!

This afternoon, I took DH for his flu and booster vaccinations. Some of my neighbours were there, so we had a socially distanced catch up in the health centre, whilst doing the 15 minute wait in case of a reaction!! The nurses found it highly amusing!

Yes, we have very good neighbours too.
We're not in each others' pockets all the time but are always there for each other if needed.

All my neighbours are bonkers but it might be ME
I get on with them all as we are only a few houses. Me and one neighbour have got on very well since lockdown and swap food/gin etc

We need to be kind and tolerant and give and take with our neighbours as one day we may need them. I sat with my neighbour and friend as she died and stayed with her husband until her body had been taken. It taught me a lot about what it really means to be a good person and to look out for others. She always looked out for me and it was the greatest honour to be there for her too, no matter how difficult it was.

We need to think outside of our own needs and life really.

Lovely to read of so many communities where neighbourliness is still demonstrated and valued.

grannyactivist
Thank you for giving some of us the opportunity to say what I lovely community we live in instead of all the gloom and doom.

I have invited our 4 nearest sets of neighbours for a Christmas meal today. We do it each year. We are blessed with friendly, helpful neighbours.

most people around here do not mix or talk to neighbours.
i spoke to one woman a few doors up for the first times in 20 years, since she moved in, recently.
i passed as she was pruning roses and i commented that i knew the man who used to live there, who had planted them.
she was polite and interested but there is a reserve.
very few now have front gardens; they wizz in and out in cars.

I am pleased to say that we also live in a quiet, pleasant neighbourhood. We've only lived here just over three years and we know quite a few of our neighbours. Our immediate neighbour on one side was an elderly lady living alone, we had visited each other for a chat and a cup of tea on a few occasions pre Covid. She also loved to talk at any other opportunity. Unfortunately she passed away suddenly a few months ago, we attended her funeral and now keep an eye on the property, as asked by her family. Already the house is sold and soon a new family will move in.
The other side of our semi is a couple, slightly younger than ourselves who are friendly and polite.
We recently learned their first grandchild was born the day after our third.
We have a WhatsApp group since Covid began, which was set up by one of the younger residents. This was to help with shopping etc for the elderly. Now people use it for anything they need help with from asking for recommendations for a plumber/electrician, or if the bins have not been collected, I sometimes have called the Council and then posted on the reply.
All in all, we are happy to have moved here and not planning on going anywhere else.