Complaining about Village life?

The farmer isn't Jeremy Clarkson by any chance? He's always got on so well with the Caravan Club.

Ooh yes @SmileyClare the dark skies. When we first moved here, we spent hours outside just staring up at the stars. DH bought us a telescope and we have seen some amazing sights. We have seen the Persied meteor shower several times. In Devon the main issue seems to be having cloudless skies...

Oh well, I live in a busy universitytown (in Belgium) and hear new arrivals complainig about student life 🤷🏼‍♀️

I live in a small town circa 6000 people on a mountain. Common complaints:

there are sheep on the road
there are sheep on mountain
there are cows on the road
there are cows on the mountains
there are horses on the mountain
there are horses on tbe road

yes <wearily> it’s called common land….

Probably because in Cornwall it often is Londoners. Those from Manchester tend to gravitate towards North Wales, Lancashire and Cumbria. Brummies might go to Mid Wales. Those from Cardiff would mostly head for Pembrokeshire.

Discovered today that in N Wales we pay £82 more a year for electricity because of rural communities than South Wales.

I'm not going to choose that hill to die on when the farmer has to cross the lane twice a day for milking

I thought I lived in the same place as @Fightyouforthatpie ! We have the same problem. And my MP isn't BJ, so that's at least two places with thousands of expensive houses on greenfield sites around one town, instead of the affordable housing spread across the county which I assume is what's actually needed.

The only way it could work is if all these houses are sold to local people who are upsizing & freeing up much cheaper houses across the county - but what's the point of them all living here, with no jobs for them & no infrastructure improvements?

Meanwhile the 40 (used to be 50)mph, wide main road out of town has been turned into a narrow 30mph nightmare, with cycle lanes & widened pavements, because of all the new houses along it. I'm just waiting for our village to become a rat-run for commuters, because of what they've done to the main road.

Still, at least no-one can say that houses aren't being built under the Tories, eh?

George Monbiot makes the point that muck spreading causes ammonia air pollution so the muck complainers have a point https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/22/air-pollution-lobbying-politics-ulez

Rural areas are really expensive to provide broadband to, though, and in virtually all parts of the UK incomes are higher in rural areas than in urban areas (yes, really! Surprising but true). I’m OK with providing a subsidy for those rural people who are on low incomes, but other than that I think rural residents should expect to pay more.

What about things like water pipes and electricity mains cables? Even in urban areas, they cost considerably more per property to provide for the big, set-back detached houses than for the long rows of small terraced homes with front doors that open straight on to the pavement.

I think there was a window of time when being online was something of a luxury, but it's such an essential part of modern life now - with so many bricks-and-mortar facilities closed down, leaving no other choice for many people living their everyday lives - that I believe it should be dealt with on a national/local governmental level.

Either that or give private companies a similar obligation to the universal post rules applying to Royal Mail - whereby they have to provide the infrastructure as it is needed and not just cherry-pick the more economical, more profitable areas.

Rural areas are really expensive to provide broadband to, though, and in virtually all parts of the UK incomes are higher in rural areas than in urban areas (yes, really! Surprising but true). I’m OK with providing a subsidy for those rural people who are on low incomes, but other than that I think rural residents should expect to pay more.

@Wishingdirect Anyone (including farmers) who leaves mud and deposits on the road is legally required to remove it.

Yes, of course, it was a warning for drivers to be extra careful on the narrow country lane, and for dog walkers to stay out of the field, I guess. Not danger from lambs🐏

I am desperate to know what a Nottingham Knocker is!?

https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/what-nottingham-knockers-scam-named-1574200

newnamethanks

It was a FARMER who warned people about 'dangerous' lambs?!?! Or were they thinking from the perspective of people potentially endangering their lambs?

Either way, I still hate how people will cheerfully bang nails into trees, apparently without the basic realisation that a tree is a living organism that will be harmed by it.

It lacked both literary and artistic merit too @FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper . In the unlikely event of my ever passing it again, I'll be sure to pass your opinion on to the farmer.

We live in a rural village in the South East - population 1,800 - and we have FOUR Facebook groups 😂😂

The village is surrounded by farms and for the most part, they are left to get on with their farming.

We do have many, many posts about dog poo, overgrown shrubbery and an ongoing 'discussion' about our Christmas tree which gets rather heated.

Think I covered that in my last sentence.

My point is that there’s a difference between grumbling about things which are a normal part of village life (manure, church bells) and grumbling about things which are genuinely not ok, such as providers failing to roll out fast broadband and governments failing to make them. It’s a real problem and a factor in rural poverty. People should be angrier about it, not less angry.

It is fair enough but if you need fast or super fast broadband then it is on you to check that it is available before you exchange on the house. It’s ridiculous to go through the process of viewing, buying, moving in and then loudly complain that an essential service doesn’t operate in the area.

Around here, estate agents tend to make a feature of fast/sf broadband on rural properties. If it isn’t listed, assume it isn’t in the area! Oh and always double check that the listing is accurate.

Fair enough op.

I was starting to get the vibe that every townie that relocated to a rural village was assumed to be an entitled idiot complaining about the countryside. I just wanted to say we’re not!

Maybe I’m a bit paranoid being a Londoner 😂
I found it hard being an outsider and even after 20 years here I’m still not regarded as a local.
One ridiculous shock for us was how blooming dark it gets here in the evening! That pitch black outside! It’s never completely dark in central London. Haha.

You’ll always get the professional moaners, and I agree that can be entertaining and baffling in equal measure.

Poor internet is a legitimate grumble, I think- low speeds for rural areas are a real problem and there’s a good argument that providers should have some sort of universal service obligation with a decent minimum standard. Obv people should be aware of the issue before they move though!

When they cut the hedges in our village and before sweeping up, the blackthorn is a known puncture hazard to car tyres. That's an interesting lesson to learn .

When the grit bins for snow and ice are filled and you're expected to clear your own section of road to benefit the community that's another lesson.

When a tree comes down on power, telephone lines you're expected to turn up and help clear it.

My understanding is it’s unfathomably boring living in the countryside, so you’ll have to create a large diversion, to spark village interest and really get that facebook page pumping. Posting manure through letterboxes after midnight, wearing a gimp mask always makes for marvellous ring door bell footage. Failing that - I note most Agatha Christie Murders take place near small village halls, so you could direct any fun-seekers that way? If all else fails, stage an equal rights fox hunt, you in fancy dress and other villagers pretending to be the hounds. The opportunities are, frankly, limitless.

Our village had a guy from London move in and start complaining about mud on the lane from tractor tyres and why is it fair that farmers don’t get prosecuted for this. He got obliterated on the local Facebook page. There seems to be a level of gentrification that is attempted from rich city types that relocate to the country