Your neighbourhood

[Osc]

We live on a street that is shaped like a wrong way around 7, you drive up and then there's a 90 degree right turn to our part of the street. Don't know everyone on the other part of the street, but on the left at the bottom there are two tall houses that are also on the road below if you know what I mean. One is the upstairs of a chipper and the other is lived in by an architect who I think is gay. Then there is a gym sort of place, a shop/flat that has recently been converted into a very nice house, a row of four cottages - one is empty and boarded up, an elderly man and his daughter live in one (he used to be the local plumber and knows every old pipe in the area ), one has recently been sold, and a taxi driver lives in the fourth one with his wife. Then there is a single cottage which is rented out, followed by the best house in the area so far as I am concerned. It is owned by a professional golf caddy (he was Retief Goosen's caddy for many years) and he has done the most amazing job on it, his dad showed me around. It has completely uninterrupted views over the harbour and island, and all the way up the north coast, on a clear day you would see the mountains of Mourne. Then there is an old graveyard (Mr. Osc's parents are buried there).

On the right coming up is an eyesore - a pub that was sold for development during the boom, ran into severe planning problems and is now deteriorating more and more. Then there are a few houses where I don't know who lives there. Next is a strange sort of house that has housed a commune and then was in kind of bedsits, and was recently on the market, it appears to be empty. The next house is lived in by the ex-wife of the author John Banville, don't know about the next, next is a couple in their early 40s who I think have one child, then a widow and her drinker no-good son, next is an older couple with one unmarried son, next two are empty although one has just been sold. The next house belonged to Barney McKenna late of the Dubliners who died last year - his Danish partner seems to be there sometimes. Then you turn the corner - across the road is a restaurant. Then on your right is a small house which was also owned by Barney, saw someone going in there recently but don't know who it is, the Cock Tavern pub, then our house, then our other neighbour is a spinster lady. After her house is a little laneway where there is a cottage with a single lady living in it. Next is another woman living on her own whose marriage broke up, but she has a boyfriend. The house beside her is empty, had been lived in by two weird bachelor brothers who left it in the most disgusting state, I bet she has problems with damp and vermin. Following that is a gerry-built block of four flats, which actually is looking rather empty these days. Then there is what years ago was the old parochial hall, which is now offices and apartments, not sure how many, and lovely old house, also in offices and a couple of apartments.

Opposite our house, we can see the roof of the pub in the street parallel to ours, and we can see Tower Hill which has a martello tower on top. Also opposite and down just a bit is a small apartment development which was built just as the crash was starting and must have lost the builder plenty of money as only two of them sold, the rest are all rented out. When you go to the bottom of the street, you can turn left to head back down to the harbour, or right to go further up the town and on up the hill. Because of the hilly nature of the area, we have some nice views from our house as we are quite high up and are even high up off the street.

[TheOstrich]

Earlier today, I did put a post on this thread, but re-reading it at the time, it was so negative in tone that I deleted it ! I'll try and be a bit more objective:

We live at the end of a cul-de-sac off the spine road of an estate in an outer Birmingham suburb. The houses are 3 - 5 bedroom, around 10 - 15 years old, and not very big, which is a fairly common thing with such developments.

The occupants are mainly young families, some have children, but there are not that many kids on the block, and those that are tend to be pre-teen; a few of the occupants are single guys. About 30% of the occupants are ethnic, which is par for the course in this area. We are the oldest folk in the close.

There's very little "fratting" in the avenue; most people keep themselves to themselves. In our end section, we have a single guy in employment (sales of modern art), an older single guy who has taken early retirement from a travelling job in engineering, a retired senior air hostess and her sister with sons at university, a Hindu couple with 2 children, another South Asian couple (possibly Tamil) with a child, and a mixed race couple with children. I don't know what line of work any of the last three couples are in, but they do have employment.

The final house is a let property which is currently occupied by the Social Services. We understand there is a young mum with a new babe in there, being looked after, but it's all very clandestine.

We are on nodding terms with all these people, but it's only the older retired guy we would "chat" with.

In the last few years we've seen two police "ram-raids" on neighbouring houses which I posted about at the time, thankfully both those occupants are no longer resident, so things are calmer. By and large, it's a very quiet area, and the only real niggle is parking, you have to guard your patch.

The plus factors are the country park which is 5 minutes walk away, local shops and library which are 15 minutes walk away, and a very good bus service. We bought the house from new based on its location and ease to maintain.

Will we still be here in 5 years time? Possibly, depending on Master O's job and whether or not he can afford to move out - but I would hope we would have moved on by then. Away from the city, back to a more rural location.

[saundra]

:lol: i shall keep a log how many times police call next door

i only know the shady couples next surname cos they or there sons are in trouble
and in the paper most weeks or months or in prison (sons)
dont know anyone elses surname and iv been here 7 years

[pollR78]

interesting thread

Its hard to explain about where I live, its kind of like a cul-de-sac but not, lol! You come off what was the main road into Edinburgh (been changed now) and into a 'car park' one side has a wall with main road and at the bottom is a row of 9 houses, then a row of 3 facing another way (i live in one of them), another row of 3 facing another way, like 3 sides of a box with the 4th side being the 'woods' down to the park and river.

If you come out my gate you see the side of a block of flats, and there are many flats, with the houses all around the back of the flats backing onto a huge park.

So, I live at the end terrace of a row of 3, nice little houses upstairs/downstairs and small garden, I have lived here just over 8 years now

My direct neighbours used to speak to me lots but there was a dispute over garden - cut a long story short - the two other in the terrace own their house i rent from the Council - NDN had taken a bit of land at the front of my house and made a garden, was a mess with big trees blocking light, his garden was immaculate, i told him I wanted it back to grass and he caused mayhem saying I couldnt do that - well I went to the council and they got it all sorted - needless to say NDN was not amused and no longer speaks to me! This had a knock on effect on their neighbour whom I went to school with their son - the wife doesnt speak to me now lol!

Anyway, NDN works, not sure where, and not sure what she does, they used to argue like cat and dog and I had to ask them after 5 years to please not be so loud when screaming at each other (in their late 60's) needless to say, this is another reason they 'hate' me!

LOL!!

At the other side in the next block of 3, is M his wife just died last year of Cancer lovely couple, their kids are grown up about my age, and they are just all fab! M likes to chat and works in the local college; then there is L & C, and their daughter A who is the same age as Amy and they are good friends, Amy plays lots there and they are a great help to me! Then there is D, who is from South Africa, think he is retired, his wife died a few years ago and again he is lovely, really chatty, he has his daughter living with him just now.

On the long row of 9 houses there is a mix of people, most elderly but 2 families with kids Amy's age.

Not sure who lives in the flats, know some of them and they chat but most keep themselves to themselves!

I love my house, but wish I had nicer neighbours as I hate the feeling that people don't speak, all because of him taking over a garden (and the screaming at each other lol!)

so thats my lot

Usually get parked outside the house but tonight had to park about 10 cars away and had lots of shopping to carry! Pain, you have to go down about 7 steps to get to my back gate, the front of the house looks out to trees and the park in the winter when no leaves, my bedroom looks out to the car park My mum & dad live not even 5mins walk away which is great, and we can get a bus straight into Edinburgh which takes just over 30mins

Its home!

xxx

[Diflower]

Ossie I did see your now-deleted post. It wasn't that bad, it was honest, and I can understand your thoughts

It was so difficult parking at Bb's flat that it was one of our priorities when looking. This little road is brilliant, we can always, always park outside or at a push, opposite Forgot to mention, we do have a garage, in a block at the end. No. 7 has a garage attached.

Osc your post and lovely descriptions made me smile, it was exactly as you'd tell me if I was sitting next to you - sometimes you sound ever so Irish xx

[cromwell]

We live in a cul de sac built in the early 80's, of mostly small detached houses. Over the road there is Colleen (my sister in law) and occasionally her bloke Dean; who is nice enough but never shuts up. The sort of bloke you find yourself avoiding cos it's no fun standing being talked at for half an hour! Next to them is Sergio, who used to have an Italian restaraunt; lovely bloke originally from Verona. From time to time he will make us a lasagna or tiramisu, both of which are fabulous.
Next door on the other side are Steve and Nicola. She is a full time mum and he is an entertainer. They have two impossibly cute little girls. Next door is Gerald and Kath, both retired, both lovely people. We are very lucky with our neighbours and having had bad ones in the past, we appreciate them.
Then further down there is Doreen, very quiet and a former nurse. her husband Les died some years ago; he suffered from dementia. Doreen's daughter is always there, she's a doctor and quite reserved but a very good daughter to her mum.
Further down there are other people that we know, mainly from the time that their children grew up with our children.
There are very few children in the street now, which is a shame. A couple of the houses further down are rented, which is a sign of the times.
The only slight blot on the landscape is git over the road, who has massive conifers which block Sergio's light. But even his wife is a nice woman. They have their troubles though; their eldest girl was brought back in a police car one night and they had to call an ambulance out to her one night. I don't think she is a bad girl but she seems troubled.
That's it really!

Funny thing - when I was a boy growing up in a West Yorkshire pit village I knew every family in the street.

[Kaz]

Ditto Cromwell, I knew every family on our small old fashioned council estate - the kind where all the gardens were tidy, and people grew their own veg

[Osc]

Osc your post and lovely descriptions made me smile, it was exactly as you'd tell me if I was sitting next to you - sometimes you sound ever so Irish xx

Aww thank you

[Diflower]

Of course in a real conversation we'd have had a few detours - like, him from the Dubliners, oh yes I saw he died, they played at Proms in the Park the first time I went, they were brilliant, had the whole crowd on their feet...you know the sort of thing

[Osc]

And I might ask if you had ever read any of John Banville's books lol, and I could tell you about Mr. Pollock the plumber, always known as Mr. Polly in our house as that is what Miss Osc called him when she was little - he is a real character and Mr. Osc thought he (Mr. P) was going to have a heart attack in our attic once but he just gave his pacemaker a thump and carried on