Neighbour’s mysterious notepad...

[JensonsAcolyte]

The neighbours to the side of us are a retired couple. Pleasant enough to speak to, but a bit on the nosy side.

Their house is immaculate, not a weed on the drive, front lawn and hedges always trimmed. Ours, erm, isn’t. Same for the back, which they can see from their windows. He has commented.

He always puts everyone’s bins back, pretty sure this is not a neighbourly kind gesture, they are collected from opposite his house.

Over the road have caught him chucking cat poo on to my front garden from his (we do have a cat but so do most houses).

Neither of them can walk past my house without craning their necks to look in the garden/windows.

Whenever we have work done he is straight round to find out the details.

Anyway, recently I’ve noticed that he has taken to walking around with a notebook and pencil. We went for a bbq over the road last night and he was out there taking notes on his driveway.

I would so love to know what he’s taking notes on! It’s obviously a shitlist of some sort, or possibly a Covid Police logbook.

AIBU to ask him next time I see it? DH says I need to leave it but enquiring minds must know.

[UhtredRagnarson]

I write everything down in a notebook. If I was planning on doing something to my garden I would walk around and write down what I needed to do as it occurred to me otherwise I’d forget.

[custardbear]

Sounds like he doesn't t have enough to do! Can you neighbours maybe play games to entice him and get him filling up his nosy notebook 😉

[JensonsAcolyte]

@UhtredRagnarson

I write everything down in a notebook. If I was planning on doing something to my garden I would walk around and write down what I needed to do as it occurred to me otherwise I’d forget.

He’s definitely taking notes on us, and other neighbours. He whips his little notebook out when he sees us. It’s not subtle.

[BikeRunSki]

I would start doing stuff that is perfectly Covid compliant, yet mildly annoying.

[OwlinaTree]

He's got to much time on his hands by the sounds of it!!

[fudgecat]

Once a day you should walk up and down the road in fancy dress. I suggest wearing a pirate hat 😁

[LadyMonicaBaddingham]

I have a notebook in my apron pocket so I can make a note of anything I notice when I'm doing housework (fixtures that need tightening, paint that needs refreshing, shoes that need attention, etc).

It could be that, but it sounds more like he's a petty self-important twat and it makes him feel like the big boss of the neighbourhood 🙄. Could you, too, start ostentatiously writing in a notebook all the time - and get all the children notebooks too 😂

[JensonsAcolyte]

@fudgecat

Once a day you should walk up and down the road in fancy dress. I suggest wearing a pirate hat 😁

Ooh good idea.

[Blublubblubbing]

How old is he? A relative of mine has dementia and would do this

[2021namechanges]

You need to get a bigger notebook. When he whips his out - respond in kind. When he asks what you’re doing say “you first”

[StrongTea]

Be so tempted to wind him up. Don’t tell him what work you have had done, far too nosy.

[JensonsAcolyte]

I like the idea of my own notebook.

Bigger and brighter.

[UhtredRagnarson]

Definitely get your own notebook!!

Like Monica in friends when Phoebe is writing her book!

[FOJN]

I wouldn't be able to resist behaving in a completely eccentric way just to give him plenty to write about and have a bit of fun at the same time. I like the idea of a fancy dress outfit; engage him in friendly conversation whilst wearing it but pretend there was nothing out of the ordinary.

[2021namechanges]

@JensonsAcolyte

I like the idea of my own notebook.

Bigger and brighter.

A2 sized at least

[FOJN]

When he asked about work being done you could tell him you're having a sex dungeon built.

[JensonsAcolyte]

I think we wind him up as it is.

Our house is fairly chaotic, kids and dogs and music and visitors. Even throughout Covid, we bubbled with my sister so she’s round with her kids and dog most weekends and since 12th April we’ve had people round in the garden most days.

We’re not antisocial but I don’t think we’re his dream neighbours. Houses are detached and at a reasonable distance from each other (double garage and driveway between ours and theirs) so we’re not a nuisance.

I imagine his list of grievances is long. But he’s too polite/passive aggressive to say anything so in the book it goes.

[buckleten]

Even better than a notebook, get a clipboard!!

[HeronLanyon]

Ignore. Don’t escalate.

[AnotherCupOfTeaVicar]

You need a clip board to top trump his note pad. Write some odd times on it with some blanked out words and 'accidentally' let him see it
When he asks just say' I think you know already ' and nod in a neighbours direction

[honeylulu]

Once a day you should walk up and down the road in fancy dress. I suggest wearing a pirate hat

Or a comedy burglar's outfit complete with a bag marked "Swag".

Also loving the idea of ostentatiously taking notes in your own, larger notebook or even better a clipboard like an estate agent plus a measuring tape and stopwatch for good measure.

[GammyLeg]

Maybe he’s a news reporter on his round? Next time shout “did you get your scoop, Lois Lane? Is it that dastardly Lex Luther again?”

[Hesontrial]

Leather journal?

www.paperhigh.com/extra-large-stitched-leather-journal.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwse-DBhC7ARIsAI8YcWLCSZPrNYkghMARMzzMoSh0lZAdd-Bm4Vl__eDlBw9FG7crvsdx0MsaAgSjEALw_wcB

[Sparklingbrook]

Yes as a PP suggested a clipboard would have more impact than a notebook.

[AbsolutelyPatsy]

are you breaking covid rules?

what a sad neighbour he appears to be