Just for fun, not taking this seriously but we moved to Norfolk 3 weeks agon now in a small village just outside of Long Stratton. Have made some contacts through facebook (ie DS2 new footie team) and most people out and about seem to be more than welcoming. BUT we live in a small row of bungalows and both of our next door neighbours run into their respective houses and lock the doors when they see we've arrived home. DH has said hello to both and both have ignored him. I was sitting watching for DH to come home the other night and as he drove up (both neighbours had been chatting in the driveway) one of the neighbours literally ran back indoors and no exaggeration she was faster than Linford Christie.
Waiting till it snows and when we help them shovel snow they might see we are good people who were looking for a better life for the kids than the one we ledt in London!
AIBU?
AIBU New to Norfolk & neighbours think I have 2 heads and a tail ????
womanwholivedinashoe · 31/07/2011 20:52
Eeee! you went ahead with the move I see?
Small villages everywhere can be a bit, umm, insular at times and ones in Norfolk especially can have locals who are a bit cautious about new neighbours from that that Londinium as there tends to be an awful lot of commuter families who don't stay long, so it often isn't worth bothering making the effort to get to know them because they are rarely home and move on soon anyway. Perhaps your neighbours think you won't be stopping?
Maybe it would be worth you popping round to formally introduce yourselves, saying something like "I'm sorry we haven't managed to catch you before, we have been a bit hectic with getting settled in, but we would just like to say hi and let you know who you will be living next to". That way you can sidestep the awkwardness of having seen but not spoken to them, and they have no excuse for shunning you on the street after that.
Of course they may just be cliquey bastards, but at least then you can be smug and know you have made the effort and done your bit for community relations 
They are right afeared of you lot from the big smog 
Seriously though not all of us Norfolkians are so miserable
We live in a small village having moved from inner city three years ago. When we first moved here, (actually to the village a mile down the road from where we are now) a neighbour complained to my employer about me smoking. In my own garden. On a Saturday.
We really love it here now though and have lots of good friends - I expect it will wear off! (Unless your neighbours are just really horrible, of course )
Moved to Norfolk 3 years ago from London 3 years ago, and felt the same as you, OP. Everyone raves on about how friendly the village is, but they just don't seem to know how to deal with newcomers. Runs off on their DCs I think who treated DS1 (then 11) awfully on his very first day at school - he came out crying. 
Why don't you put a little card through the neighbours' doors, introducing yourselves/invite them round for coffee/tea/something stronger? Then it's up to them....
It has got better for us, but taken a huge amount of effort on our part. Well on my part, anyway. DH has got to know loads more people than when we were in London.
One more thing: I was born in Norfolk, and lived there for 20 years, then moved to London and spent 20 years there. So even for a native Norfolkian (or something) was hard to come back....
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