Neighbours doing religious chanting in the garden

[thehuntress]

Okay, so this is a weird one but I'm not sure what to do. We had some new neighbours move in a few weeks ago to a rented house next door. They have been generally unfriendly when we see them on the street, not saying hello back, etc.. That doesn't bother me. But yesterday, a man (not sure if he lives there) chanted in their garden for about two hours. He was standing facing the garden wall, reading from a book. It sounded religious, saying things about burning in hell, your soul perishing. I couldn't have made this up!

It finally stopped. But then a dinner party started in their garden in the evening. I usually don't mind the chattering of voices, but they were really, really loud. I think there were some passionate discussions in Russian going on. At about 10pm, I went out in my garden and asked them nicely (over the garden wall) if they could talk in normal voices as I have a DD in bed who is 2. They did generally quieten down, but stayed outside until after 1am having their party. On a Wednesday night....

So I am now paranoid that some really inconsiderate (and probably nutty) neighbours have moved in next door. Would you risk writing them a note or wait to see if something else happens?

I'd wait and see what happens. The chanting may have been a moving in ritual to bring good vibes - perhaps . On the plus side they quietened down when asked. We had new neighours move in 2 summers ago and at first they were really noisy, drilling at midnight, lighting bonfires on the patio at mid day on the hottest day of the year . I had a few words and they are OK now but we aren't friendly we simply jog along side by side .

Wait.

A note at this stage won't achieve anything. Either they are going to be good neighbours in which case a note will just get their back up, or they are going to be crappy neighbours who are unlikely to change their mind about their behaviour because you send them a note.

What would the note say anyway? "Please don't practice your religeon, and I really meant what I said about keeping it down when you had a dinner party, when you did quieten down when I asked"?

Be a friendly neighbour yourself and hope they follow suit.

2 hours chanting in the garden about burning in hell etc is pretty strange. What sort of religious practice can this be? If they had someone in generally blessingtheir new home or doing some kind of exorcism or something, it surely wouldn't go on quite that long.

Hopefully the dinner party thing till 1am was a one-off thing, sort of moving in party. Seems pretty inconsiderate to choose a Wednesday though. Maybe just keep an eye on it and have a word with the other neighbours.

What would you put in a note?

If it turns out to be a regular occurrence, learn a crimp from the Mighty Boosh and get several friends to stand in your garden singing along.

They've been in the house for a few weeks now, so maybe I am overreacting. Other than a large amount of smoking, and a few loud conversations, this was the first I had really heard them.

The chanting thing freaked me out though. I think that is what got me all concerned. Maybe I wouldn't have been so annoyed with the dinner party if that hadn't gone on all afternoon. We have an office building that overlooks our gardens and all of the workers were hanging out the windows staring at this guy, and some giggling, and that still didn't stop him. Very strange.

I agree though, what would I say in the note? Nothing to gain also.

Let's hope they turn out to be okay in the long run.

I'd take round a moving in cake and welcome them to the neighbourhood I would make a point of thanking them so much for keeping their voices down when you asked tell them how much you appreciated it

and i would leave it at that - you catch more good neighbours with honey