Question for country dwellers

[BarrShandy]

For those who live in the countryside, do you find there is much community spirit? What brings you together with your near (or nearest) neighbours?

I'm pretty rural, the local village WhatsApp group chat is a bigger vipers nest than I've seen on here!!

Sad to hear, you'd think they'd stick together

Yes, lots. Regular events at village hall, quiz nights, harvest suppers. Jumble sales, fetes. Church ( although we don’t go, it’s a hub for people) the pub. We have a WhatsApp group and a Facebook page. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but you just pick and choose what you go to. Everyone very helpful and friendly. If your kids are up to no good you find out very quickly…it’s takes a village and all that. Every one looks out for each other, especially the children if they are out play all together. If we are snowed in or flooded as occasionally has happened we all make sure our elderly neighbours are okay.

We have a sttong community spirit in our village.

Yes, more so than in towns and cities. Everyone knows everyone, goes to events at the village hall, pub ( quizzes, meals, barn dances, panto) and various school and village fetes in the summer. Although like anywhere, if you join a group then that can become a community (language lessons, choir, Pilates classes, book group, church etc).

Yes definitely. But it's that type of place, it attracts people who are looking for a community.

I wasn't really fussed about 'community' before I moved here from a city but I'm lucky to have found a lovely bunch of people.

But of course it's not 'perfect' or everyone thinking the same. Lots of different types of folk but generally all try to look after the place.

I should add, this is more out of curiosity than purposeful research. I read an article in my local paper quite recently which was about a nearby hamlet having no community hub and few events, which got me thinking about this.

Yes definitely community spirit. I live very rural on a farm, nearest neighbour is another farm then small hamlet of houses.
If I needed anything at all, I know I could ring farming neighbours. We don’t socialise together as such but always look out for one another and non farming neighbours in powercuts, bad weather etc.
We will clear the road if snowing, cut hedges for neighbours, take in parcels, move things with forklift etc etc
My door is always open for a cup of tea

@PancakePatty Sounds good 😊

We live in a lovely rural village, which we moved to about 15 years ago. People are polite & civil but because we didn’t grow up in the area & don’t have family here, we don’t go to church, we only occasionally go to the pub and being childfree we don’t have kids attending the local schools we will never really be a part of it. Which suits us just fine. In general, we prefer to keep a low profile & we certainly don’t want to get involved in local gossip or facebook groups etc.

@SpottyAlpaca Fair enough really, if it suits you :)

Tiny village, lots going on, I don't join in but love having it around me if that makes sense, it's comforting. Neighbours lovely but never interfering.

Yes, but people need to make an effort. People move here because of "the community", but then don't step up and offer to help. It takes effort and volunteers to organise things.

We don't have a huge amount of contact with our immediate neighbours but we could all rely on each other in a crisis and indeed have done. We're not in and out of each others houses all day or anything though.
We do have close friends elsewhere in our village and in the next one, mainly parents of children ours were at school with, people we share hobbies with or know through work etc. We both volunteer locally, me at a children's sports club and DH as a school governor, so we also know people that way. The village hall is quite busy with various clubs and events which we go to sometimes and the pub has live music, quiz nights etc which are busy. Things like the local agricultural show, Christmas lights switch on, kids sports day etc are always well attended.
I'd say there is a good community spirit here. DH and I aren't the most sociable people to be honest but there are others in the area that seem to go to everything that's on. There's quite a lot to get involved with if you want to.

@MrsAvocet They sound like lovely neighbours

No, a region would be helpful

?

Are you saying that places like Emmerdale actually exist? Where are you all approximately?

No, thank goodness. It's the great joy of living rurally is that we don't have to talk to anyone!

We can't see anyone's house from our garden. Love it.

No community at all. DC went to private school miles from home too.

We are considering moving back towards civilisation and whilst the theatre/restaurant stuff appeals, I'm not looking forward to the idea of having neighbours or people you see regularly and have to make small talk with!

Yes. Village Hall with several activities. What’s App group and FB page. Monthly newsletter by email. Local pub is the centre for gossip!
If anyone asks for help, lots of offers flood in.
Villagers join in or don’t, no one is forced to or made to feel bad if they don’t.

It sounds like you don't want to make an effort either TBH.
There are a lot of incomers in our village and I think that is one of the reasons most people do make an effort.

Recently the church in the village has been decommissioned and lots of villagers have come together to support the building as a village hub. I have also joined a hobby group and and exercise class locally.

Being on Facebook doesn't mean getting involved in local gossip. The local Facebook groups are full of local events and local news. It is very useful to know that the M1 is closed, for example, or that routes over the Pennines are closed. Sometimes stuff like this is posted before it is on the news.

Like PPs we definitely have this where we live- we came from London and it was a lovely surprise!
We have 2 pubs, a green, a village hall , a shop a sports club and a church .
There are loads of active groups something for everyone-from Scouts to tennis to yoga and from men’s shed to lunch clubs and Fetes, Morris dancers, Christmas parties and so much more ! It’s brilliant ! Of course not everyone and everything is my cup of tea but that’s normal and there is no obligation to do anything!

Gosh, everyone must live in bigger places than me. I live in a hamlet, 50 houses, no pub, no shop. We have a village hall which holds get togethers, but to be honest everyone just stops and chats outside their houses. We all know each other and look out for each other but there's no 'enforced jollity'.

DH plays for the village cricket team, DC and I keep horses with a local farmer so our ‘communities’ are built from those things. Neighbours next door are elderly so we keep an eye on them, across the road are nice but distant, mainly speak if parcels have gone missing or their DS is looking to do odd jobs.
Stay in touch with wider village happenings via FB group and support the events we can (village fete, harvest church canned goods, xmas tree festival etc). Defo not Emmerdale vibes though!

Our village has a great community spirit. We love living here.

There’s lots going on should you want to get involved. I think that’s the key… if you want to join clubs, go to events, socialise, etc, etc you’ll find a really vibrant and supportive community here but conversely if you don’t that’s OK too.