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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that good neighbours still exist?

16 replies

Catnao · 12/03/2011 23:02

We had a plumbing plastering emergency tonight when my idiot son managed to pull a radiator off the wall - "I thought I would sit on it, as it is freezing in here". After obligatory panic/crossness/inappropriate language, rang round village saying "Anyone able to help with disaster unfolding in the catnao household?". Villager has fixed. Made good. Took an hour and a half, was a difficult job - and I tried to pay, but he was having none of it - he said "Don't worry - what goes around comes around, we all need help once in a while".

Just a positive thread when sometimes things seem negative about society when you read the papers too much.

OP posts:
backwardpossom · 12/03/2011 23:05

That is great. :) I have fab neighbours, too - one couple in particular ave been really helpful when I had DS and since with last-minute childcare problems. I wonder if it's a small village thing?

Honeydragon · 12/03/2011 23:09

Not a small village thing, we have lovely neighbours. The house is getting to small for us....but dh cannot convince me to move Grin

Original poster
Catnao · 12/03/2011 23:11

Could be - but we had great neighbours when we lived in a city too - but next door ones.
The chap who came round to help us save us hundreds of pounds tonight is from further away. I guess in a village you know more people, or you know people who know other people maybe. Mightily relieved anyway, and trying to think of appropriate thank you gift for a tee total man - I usually do flowers or chocs for a thank you, but maybe this is inappropriate for a single man? Wink

OP posts:
AgentZigzag · 12/03/2011 23:12

We live in a row of houses and DD1's just been really ill, one of them asked DH if she was OK, he told them she wasn't and it's filtered down the row so they keep coming up from further and further away and asking how she is Smile

They're all a lot older than we are though, which I think makes a difference.

I think I can say we're good neighbours to them too (nobody's complained so far), apart from the state of our garden at the min Grin

caramelwaffle · 12/03/2011 23:13

Yanbu

Original poster
Catnao · 12/03/2011 23:13

(When I say "further away" I am talking further away in a tiny village - like ten minutes walk away - distances seem to have got different since we came here!

OP posts:
AgentZigzag · 12/03/2011 23:14

Does it change with having DC do you think?

I lived in loads of different parts of a city for 15 years and never once knew my neighbours, as soon as DD1 was born they came out of the woodwork and were really nice.

Perhaps they're an ice breaker?

Original poster
Catnao · 12/03/2011 23:15

Glad to see more people have great commumities. It can look depressing if you read the wrong kind of papers.

OP posts:
melezka · 12/03/2011 23:18

We have been to hell and back with horrid neighbours over the past few years and I was frankly jaded. I had got to the point where I just expect them to be horrid.

Car broke on Christmas day - gear box fell apart. Neighbour - who we were a bit suspicious of for various reasons - spent 3 days between Christmas and new year in the freezing cold "helping" DH replace gear box (DH's part in this seemed mainly to consist of watching and passing tools.) Refused to accept payment. Have no idea what we would have done without him.

backwardpossom · 12/03/2011 23:20

I think you might be right, AgentZigZag - we've been in the village for 4 years now and it's only been the last 2 (i.e. since DS) that we've really got to know people.

What about a voucher, Catnao - a meal in a nearby restaurant (obv that could get expensive so maybe not!) or maybe an iTunes voucher or something?

cat64 · 12/03/2011 23:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Catnao · 12/03/2011 23:33

Good idea backwardpossum - I could get a meal voucher for our village pub. I think he has saved me about £500 if I had had to get emergency stranger plumber out, and he also repaired the damage to the plaster (and fixed a kitchen drawer (unrelated) whilst he was "at it"! )

OP posts:
melezka · 12/03/2011 23:38

Could you put a certain amount of money behind the bar at the pub like a tab for him to use up?

Original poster
Catnao · 12/03/2011 23:39

No - he does not drink - but he does socialise at the pub, so a meal voucher might be ggod? He would not accept any money tonight.

OP posts:
Original poster
Catnao · 12/03/2011 23:39

good, not ggod!

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majormayhem · 12/03/2011 23:43

We've got lovely neighbors on either side. Between them they've herded my rabbit back into the garden, helped fix our roof, & remembered our girls birthdays & Christmases.

Once I heard screaming coming from next door and I ran over and knocked to see if someone was injured/needed help. They were watching the football. Blush

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