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Has your Neighbourhood changed

(38 Posts)
H1954 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:02:35

Specifically, has your immediate Neighbourhood changed during lockdown? We are a mix of ages, some with young families and some retired etc, at the start someone set up a social network page to enable everyone to check on each other but also to ask for help if required.

This all worked very well to begin with but now seems to have soured somewhat.

There now appears to be a bully culture developing, a couple of individuals are turning people against each other to the point of certain very elderly couples who have known each other for decades no longer associate and it's so sad.

One person in particular is really manipulative and wastes no time in passing derogatory remarks online against others for no apparently reason.

I keep my distance to be honest; if a question is asked directly to me I will respond and will genuinely help out if anyone is struggling. On the whole I find the dynamics have morphed into several cliques and there is no community spirit left.

Is this happening around you?

POBCOB Mon 13-Jul-20 13:13:12

Too many short term rented properties in my area now which is a shame but even before it was only when we seen people that we stopped to chat and with everyone dashing off to central London to work that wasn’t often. Now that we are early retirees we are moving soon so hopefully the community will be a little more active.

Chewbacca Fri 10-Jul-20 22:02:53

Note to self: proof read before posting

opporti7to opportunity to
lots lofts

Chewbacca Fri 10-Jul-20 22:00:38

I've only lived here for 12 months and so was still getting to know my neighbours and the area before lockdown began. Someone started up a neighbourhood Facebook and invited everyone to join. During lockdown there were posts every day offering assistance to those who needed it; lawns mowed, prescriptions collected, shopping done etc. Many people took the opporti7to have a sort out in the garages, lots and garden sheds and they then put a notice on Facebook that everyone was welcome to go and look through their discarded stuff and take anything that they could make use of. I personally was given a lovely garden swing hammock chair and cushions, garden table and chairs, books and plants. This weekend, we're having another "garden party", in a different neighbour's garden, something that began over the VE Day celebrations weekend and has continued once a month.

BlueBelle Fri 10-Jul-20 21:26:54

No change here , no one knows no one, it’s a main road a really long road about 700 houses or more I know my next door next door neighbours to say hello to and that’s it, not had any community spirit no one checked if I m ok but then I would have been shocked if they had, I could be dead a week and no one would know well thats not true of course because my daughter is in touch every day at least once or more
I think you’re lucky to live in a street where you know people

etheltbags1 Fri 10-Jul-20 20:24:17

We all keep ourselves to ourselves, I'm usually at work but over lockdown I've noticed more. The normally quiet guy next door had meltdown last night after a row in the family, he tried to put a garden seat thro the window ending with police being called, the next few houses sit out smoking cannabis , one family run an illegal business. I never knew anyone lives until I was on furlough. Btw all these families are working or retired all very respectable on the outside but underneath all coping with their lives the best way they can at the minute. One if the cannabis users is a health worker.

Kim19 Fri 10-Jul-20 18:12:07

Much improved in my area. I've learned the names of a couple who've been here for years but seldom seen because they were working. It's also a joy to see the wee ones out on their bikes etc., now that the traffic has virtually disappeared. We also had a pretty successful street party organised by the younger mums. All good methinks.

Aepgirl Fri 10-Jul-20 16:07:37

I have to say that our ‘end’ of the road has been absolutely delightful during lockdown.,I have spoken (at distance) to neighbours I have never met before, and word gets round if anybody has a birthday and we gather outside their house to sing Happy Birthday - nothing rowdy, and we disperse immediately afterwards. We have even started to have quizzes, from our own front gardens, occasionally.

Suzan05 Fri 10-Jul-20 13:04:25

No change here. We live in a cul de sac, no one bothers with anyone else and it hasn’t changed. Our neighbours on one side speak when we see them but it isn’t very often.

EllanVannin Fri 10-Jul-20 12:07:52

Nobody's any different to what they've always been here. All acknowledge you just the same as always. Nothing's changed.
Always been quiet and still is. No wonder there's been 109 enquiries about a flat here !

It's a mixture of quite expensive private housing and rentals and those renting have been here for quite some time so not a quick turn-over by any means. Lucky really. It's a good mix

inishowen Fri 10-Jul-20 11:42:47

Our neighbourhood has improved. We moved here when everyone seemed to have teenage children who played football on the street, and were generally loud! Now they're all grown up and visit with their own little children. Peace at last.

Craftycat Fri 10-Jul-20 11:02:26

We moved her in 1998. It is a cul de sac of about 40 houses.
It is & has always been a very friendly community & we have regular street parties & look out for each other.
It used to be mainly older people & when we moved in with 2 teenage boys I think it raised a few eyebrows but they were good lads & never caused any problems.
Now it is very mixed & we have a lot of young couples with small children & babies.
We keep in touch with group chats on Whatsapp etc & if you ever need anyone to feed your cats, take a parcel in or borrow a hammer you don't have far to look.
I think we are very fortunate & I love our road.
Unfortunately they are trying to build a small new estate on the fields at the end of the road & are trying to use our road as the entrance to it- so no more quiet cul de sac!. This has galvanised us even more & we have all pulled together to object to this. We have no problem with the houses but they already have an access from another road where they have bought & intend to pull down a house to provide access so we just do not see why they need another. They are also trying to get permission to use our road as access for all the construction vehicles etc that they will be using to build the estate.
We are worried that if they get the go ahead -& our council are hopeless- then our lifestyles will change dramatically.
Hopefully sense will prevail but it is a trying time for us all.

Sparklefizz Fri 10-Jul-20 10:42:48

I live in a cul-de-sac of 6 houses and everyone was lovely and friendly when I moved in 24 years ago, but the whole dynamic has changed as lives have moved on.

There have been 2 divorces, 3 deaths and selling up. Two people have moved a new partner into their homes and the friendliness and sociability has disappeared. The house nextdoor to me is now rented out to a young couple who have friends round for BBQs and ignore social distancing, and a young family who moved into the house that was sold are very quiet and keep to themselves.

We used to have a monthly Girls Night for all 6 female residents in the Close, drinks parties, coffee mornings etc etc but over the last 10 years, nothing. People, including the new residents, do say hello if we pass in the street but that's all.

GagaJo Fri 10-Jul-20 10:22:02

My neighbourhood has changed since I moved here unfortunately. It was quite elderly when I bought the house hence very quiet. A lot of those elderly owners died and young families moved in. No longer quiet. I have no problem with childrens noise but night time noise and general background noise is irritating.

During lockdown there was a lot of failure to social distance. Selfish and also unfair. My poor grandson could see and hear neighborhood children playing but not be able to join in.

4allweknow Fri 10-Jul-20 10:13:35

Also have a social network page but has been up and running for a few years. A mixture of residents; older, retired but heavily weighted to young families. Don't have a lot to contribute generally as I find it is mainly females posting about their little cherubs. Over lockdown I decided a lot of those females have no idea of what real life is like. Loads of postings about fairy doors, placing them in the local park and being surprised at them being moved. One reaction to this was 'Mummy had to explain that there are some cruel, yes cruel people and they moved the doors'. Next the fairy doors, some about 8"x10" were being nailed into trees. Then there was painted stones; wanting to cement them onto paths in the park. Wondered what the reaction would be when they were all broken or people started tripping over them. There is a definite "entitlement" element in a lot of young parents these days and the social network here certainly highlights this.

Hetty58 Fri 10-Jul-20 10:09:29

Pretty much the same as always here. I chat to other dog walkers from a distance. We are here to help if anybody really needs us but generally just say a quick hello - and no socialising or real friendliness.

That's what I prefer. Having had trouble with (so-called 'friendly') neighbours in the past, I keep myself to myself and I'd be equally happy to have no near neighbours.

hicaz46 Fri 10-Jul-20 09:31:32

Definitely more friendly in my road where I have lived for over 25 years. Before lockdown I only knew immediate neighbours and now via a street mutual aid site on WhatsApp I know lots more. We are a long street with over 300 houses and mixed ages from babies to retired and also a very mixed style of private housing from bungalows, to semis to large detached houses. Everyone is still helping others where needed. Last week someone had a glut of eggs from their hens, advertised them on the site and within 30 minutes I had half a dozen eggs on my doorstep. People have swapped sugar, flour, bamboo canes, plants etc and we had a socially distanced street swap 2 weeks ago and raised £550 for a local junior school affected by a fire. I really hope this wonderful community spirit which has helped us during lockdown will continue for a long time.

polnan Fri 10-Jul-20 09:07:20

Same here Blue Sky

I find this very sad..

3nanny6 Thu 09-Jul-20 14:56:39

Ours has not changed and it is unlikely it will. It is a cul-de-sac
with a few homes and there are another few on the other side of the road. Two families in the cul-de-sac are always out gardening in the front or having a glass of wine on warm days,
These two families are okay but every so often look to cause some trouble. (I do not end up having trouble from them) one family knows that if they even tried any nonsense with me they would come off the worst. I am a happy person but do not upset me for no reason.
Once again about two weeks ago when I was arriving home
these two families had decided to tell someone just over the road to move his car from the cul-de-sac, he has been living there with his girlfriend for about five months and never seems to bother anyone. His girlfriend came out and told him to bring his car nearer to her house as it seemed she did not want any arguments so he moved it. I think these people are so petty as there is more to life and one of them had the cheek to say to me "that's better why should he park over near our cul-de-sac" I suppose he wanted the quiet life if it had been me I would have told them to get lost.

merlotgran Thu 09-Jul-20 14:16:02

We don't have any neighbours and live two miles out of the village but we have friends there that we've known for donkeys' years.

Everyone has been supportive. DH's meds are delivered by somebody from the parish council, people keep in touch via facebook messenger to ask how we are and there's a long list of people we could call on if we needed help.

I miss popping in to the village shop but it's not worth the risk at the moment with DH shielding.

Purplepixie Thu 09-Jul-20 14:08:35

This street has defiantly got friendlier since all of this has started.

Starblaze Thu 09-Jul-20 14:05:55

Our local page is just filled with people making rude jokes and shouting freedom of speech every 5 minutes. Those of us who don't enjoy that sort of thing tend to avoid it and just talk in person

Judy54 Thu 09-Jul-20 13:58:39

If anything it has brought our neighbours closer together with many acts of kindness. I fully understand what is being said about Facebook which is exactly why I don't use it.

kittylester Thu 09-Jul-20 10:18:33

Our village has always been a friendly, lively place but mostly things being done by the older generation. When Lockdown started a group of younger people started a helping hands group which was a real boon.

Now, however, they have the bit between their teeth and organising litter picks (there was a group already) a good neighbours group (there is one already) etc. When these things were pointed out to them, they said they didn't know.

I foresee trouble.

Teetime Thu 09-Jul-20 10:11:37

More people say hello now but what has really changed is the endless procession of builders, decorators (and the like) vans with people having lots of improvements done and a couple of houses now up for sale. they may be more now that stamp duty is being removed for a while.

eazybee Thu 09-Jul-20 10:07:48

My particular road is friendly, but as I have lived here for thirty years I know many of the people, and have got to know some of the newer arrivals. Neighbours have been helpful and kind.
There is a village Facebook page, but as I don't do Facebook I don't access it; I gather it has become a place for very close scrutiny of the activities of others, and accusations of transgressions during lockdown.