Neighbourhood oddities on your daily walk

[Sennetti]

What do you see that you don’t understand or find odd??

For me it’s the fake bricked up windows on new builds.

What are they all about? I see loads of them

There’s a house near me that’s had an ‘I’m ready for Brexit’ sign up for ages. I did think about suggesting they put something less divisive up but was too frightened- then last week they were sat in front of their house and I heard someone call out ‘how’s that working out for you, then?’ They didn’t say much back but I could hear them grumbling about it for ages afterwards.

I discovered an older couple up the road from us have so many dogs! I counted 8 and I think there were possibly another 1 or 2 in the house! They were all in the front garden as we walked by. The thing is - the dogs are all the same breed and mostly the same colouring so I knew they had what I thought was a couple of dogs but until yesterday I had no idea how many as I've clearly only seen 2 at time. Madness.

These walks are causing problems. We saw a police van drive up our private (but open to public) road earlier but I suspect it was just a routine visit - first police I have seen in 3 weeks. A neighbour has complained about the vast numbers of people walking their dogs and leaving the dirt on my verge opposite his house (we the residents have to clear it up by the way). We also have a lot more people going down the road - they keep waving at me - I was mowing the grass earlier.

We were in an upstairs room just now and yet another was looking and waving.
Last night about 1am my sons said they saw 4 young men in a car drive up and park at end of one of our drives with windows open making loads of noise, Asian music and they were doing something like is it shisha pipes. My sons didn't go out as they felt they were huge 4 men and might be trouble but those men should stick to their own road and not ruin our quiet road in the middle of the night when neighbours are trying to sleep.

These walks are causing problems

No they aren't.

Some people are causing problems.

A cottage in a busy area right in street that people walk past with their dogs and probably peer in set up barbie scenes in the window such as a wild party bathroom scene with barbie throwing up in the toilet and naked Barbie's in the bath with Ken etc hilarious!

@xenia where are you? uk? it sounds a bit rough and ready round your way!

Oh dear Xenia, driving up your private road and listening to Asian music that, as it turns out, you didn't hear and weren't disturbed by. Where will it end.

Bradford?

They’re building new builds near to me that look like old corner shops turned into homes...

Oh Xenia that’s awful that people are using your private (but open to the public) road like that! And I hate it when people wave to me as if we are in any way equal when they clearly have no rightful business being down my private (but open to the public) road.

@AmazingBouncingFerret That looks like the show home. They will probably convert it to a normal frontage when they have finished.

Show home/office

Where I live there are streets of old Coronation Street style terraces that years ago had a shop on the corner. They've all been turned into houses but its obvious that they used to be shops.

More 🤣.

We're trying to wonder about finding somewhere where noone is to walk....

Private road meaning unadopted?

More, we are on a private estate with "Private" signs up but no barriers. We allow people to walk up it, walk dogs on it, ride on it, cycle, drive on it but not park on the roads (even residents are not allowed to park on the roads). It is quite an interesting issue - we have considered over the years blocking some of the 4 or 5 entrances for cars to it but there is a golf club on it whose members have rights of way on the roads although I suppose we could issue everyone with a pass and have barriers etc but that would be complex. The club is currently closed but it would be a waste of money to have temporary barriers and also for residents it is easier not to bother with a barrier.

However across a small part of the estate in some cases very very narrow one person path between a few houses there is a "public footpaths" so those could never be blocked. I think that might go for a short distance over one of the roads so we could not close that off although much of the footpath is awful as it is so very narrow so on its own it would not be a popular walk.

The residents through a company own the land and we pay eg £30k a time to resurface a road or deal with the drains and that kind of thing.

I have no problems with the usual walkers and riders. It is just in this pandemic as no one can go to gyms etc it seems to be walker central (and chatter central - loads of people seem to stop to have long chats shouting across the road) because there is a 10 mph speed limit etc.

Not weird but things that I notice that make me smile.

I live in a very rural old Suffolk village, full of tudor houses and pretty little old cottages. Just up the road is a 70’s style big modern red brick house, it’s called ‘Rose Cottage’. It’s not an ugly house, but it’s not a cottage. I’m not being a snob, it just makes me smile - whoever originally named it really wanted it to be a cottage. It also has the most well kept huge hedge I’ve ever seen..but we never see them trimming it. It must be done in the dead of night. 😂

Also on house names, in the village there is a bungalow that must be at least 40 years old. It’s called ‘New Bungalow’. It’s just a lie now. 😀

Our neighbour’s lawn is his pride and joy, and he has a little sign on it saying ‘keep off the grass’ but he’s the loveliest man so has added a little stick on ‘please’ 😊

Another neighbour has a statue of David in their front garden which they dress up according to seasons, events etc. My favourite is Wimbledon week.

We have alpacas near us too.

Our old phone boxes locally are used as book swaps, but this is probably quite common, and just nice obviously, not weird.

@AmazingBouncingFerret Love it!

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-60763452.html

You’d think it was maybe the office but the property details list the features and also show the property to be empty. It’s not a bad little house to be honest.

I love those windows Ferret - at least from the inside, all that natural flight flooding in. It is rather corner shop like on the outside though.

1. An old couple we now seem to pass on walks. He's thin and tall and walks with a limping lope. She's short, rounded and has a smile that seems to be hiding stress.

We now wave and say hello. He seems happy. She gives a look of fear.

1. Four cast off PPE type blue latex gloves, half inside out as if taken off in a hurry, in a row across a country lane.

Thanks @theskyispurple ! I love that!!

By our doctors is a garden of a lady who clearly loves Elvis. In her garden, sheltered by a small arbour, is a full sized figure of Elvis in his white suit, mid singing pose. Been there years.