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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU New to Norfolk & neighbours think I have 2 heads and a tail ????

72 replies

womanwholivedinashoe · 31/07/2011 20:52

Just for fun, not taking this seriously but we moved to Norfolk 3 weeks agon now in a small village just outside of Long Stratton. Have made some contacts through facebook (ie DS2 new footie team) and most people out and about seem to be more than welcoming. BUT we live in a small row of bungalows and both of our next door neighbours run into their respective houses and lock the doors when they see we've arrived home. DH has said hello to both and both have ignored him. I was sitting watching for DH to come home the other night and as he drove up (both neighbours had been chatting in the driveway) one of the neighbours literally ran back indoors and no exaggeration she was faster than Linford Christie.
Waiting till it snows and when we help them shovel snow they might see we are good people who were looking for a better life for the kids than the one we ledt in London!

OP posts:
NorfolkNChance · 31/07/2011 20:55

This has made me laugh so much as I can just picture it!

BuntyPenfold · 31/07/2011 21:01

LONDONERS!!!! Quick quick run away!!!!

Sorry, just teasing; I live in the back of beyond too....

Actually if they won't reply to a 'hello' they are very rude indeed.

EricNorthmansMistressOfPotions · 31/07/2011 21:15

I have a set of neighbours like this. They are actual proper cunts. Sorry for you, it's shit.

Newbabynewmum · 31/07/2011 21:17

Apologies. Its not everyone though, they must just be really rude. I live in norwich and have done my whole life - we're not all like that!

Original poster
womanwholivedinashoe · 31/07/2011 21:17

we are indeed londoners but without a broad london accent, but I have checked in the mirror and we are slightly purple in colour with green spots and have fur growing from our ears pmsl!! as I said I haven't taken it seriously but BP I kindof agree :( my 8 year old has taken to saying good afternoon to all that pass (and there isn't many that do lol) apart from one gent that tipped his hat in DS3's direction all others have ignored him and I think thats a bit unfair but we did expect it to be hard moving out here :)

OP posts:
Original poster
womanwholivedinashoe · 31/07/2011 21:19

Newbabynewmum as I said most have been really welcoming its just in the village really :) so no need to apologise, and ps I LOVE Norwich lol

OP posts:
Newbabynewmum · 31/07/2011 21:20

If you want Norfolk advice im happy to help. Although can't really make your neighbours nicer im afraid!!

Newbabynewmum · 31/07/2011 21:20

:)

Original poster
womanwholivedinashoe · 31/07/2011 21:21

and Norfolknchance I did a thread on here before I moved and I was warned it might be like this but until I moved didn't really believe them but at least I was forewarned lol :)

OP posts:
Original poster
womanwholivedinashoe · 31/07/2011 21:22

I'd love Norfolk advice :)

OP posts:
NorfolkNChance · 31/07/2011 21:45

I remember that thread (in fact I may have advised you to come to Suffolk!)

PiousPrat · 31/07/2011 21:54

Eeee! you went ahead with the move I see?

Small villages everywhere can be a bit, umm, insular at times and ones in Norfolk especially can have locals who are a bit cautious about new neighbours from that that Londinium as there tends to be an awful lot of commuter families who don't stay long, so it often isn't worth bothering making the effort to get to know them because they are rarely home and move on soon anyway. Perhaps your neighbours think you won't be stopping?

Maybe it would be worth you popping round to formally introduce yourselves, saying something like "I'm sorry we haven't managed to catch you before, we have been a bit hectic with getting settled in, but we would just like to say hi and let you know who you will be living next to". That way you can sidestep the awkwardness of having seen but not spoken to them, and they have no excuse for shunning you on the street after that.

Of course they may just be cliquey bastards, but at least then you can be smug and know you have made the effort and done your bit for community relations Wink

sockpoppet · 31/07/2011 21:57

I don't think you can judge after one meeting. And its not because you are in Norfolk. I'd try again

Original poster
womanwholivedinashoe · 31/07/2011 22:25

NorfolknChance you did indeed tell me that lol, PP yes we made the move and like I said we're really happy here and outside of our village everyone is lovely, hubby has already been invited to the local and DS2 down to the park with new friends so on the other side everything is great.

sockpoppet I said at the beginning I wasn't taking this seriously and when I did my original thread was warned against Cornwall, Devon and Somerset for exactly the same reasons lol :D so we know its not Norfolk :) and unfortunately its been a handful of occasions where we've tried to say hello but hey ho we are in it for the long haul so we'll get there :)

PP good advice and when feeling brave might do it, goodness knows what we;d do of the door was slammed in our faces though :(

Ps Norfolknchance we're almost in Suffolk ;)

OP posts:
boxoftricks · 31/07/2011 22:29

could you make up a reason to go round and speak to them properly... no idea what... ask if theyve got a can opener you can borrow or something! find an excuse to get chatting!

5GoMadOnAZ650 · 31/07/2011 22:30

They are right afeared of you lot from the big smog Grin

Seriously though not all of us Norfolkians are so miserable Grin

Floopy21 · 31/07/2011 22:42

Have you never come across the acronym NFN? Esp. used by Doctors. As someone who lives just south of your border, I could have warned you!!!

VirtualWitch · 31/07/2011 22:42

I once had a neighbour (a farmer who had wanted to be left our house in the former owner's will) who, when I introduced myself and went to shake his hand, actually refused to extend his own hand and started swearing at me. Count yourself lucky they just run away, OP...

CRS · 31/07/2011 22:50

We live in a small village having moved from inner city three years ago. When we first moved here, (actually to the village a mile down the road from where we are now) a neighbour complained to my employer about me smoking. In my own garden. On a Saturday.

We really love it here now though and have lots of good friends - I expect it will wear off! (Unless your neighbours are just really horrible, of course Wink )

MegBusset · 31/07/2011 22:52

We moved to Norfolk from London at the end of last year, I have made some nice friends already but have to say that I don't think any of them are native Norfolkers, they're mostly incomers like me! Anyway if you're within reach of Norwich keep an eye on the meet-up threads as we do get together every so often, and have a FB group too :)

ibbydibby · 31/07/2011 23:04

Moved to Norfolk 3 years ago from London 3 years ago, and felt the same as you, OP. Everyone raves on about how friendly the village is, but they just don't seem to know how to deal with newcomers. Runs off on their DCs I think who treated DS1 (then 11) awfully on his very first day at school - he came out crying. Sad

Why don't you put a little card through the neighbours' doors, introducing yourselves/invite them round for coffee/tea/something stronger? Then it's up to them....

It has got better for us, but taken a huge amount of effort on our part. Well on my part, anyway. DH has got to know loads more people than when we were in London.

One more thing: I was born in Norfolk, and lived there for 20 years, then moved to London and spent 20 years there. So even for a native Norfolkian (or something) was hard to come back....

issey6cats · 01/08/2011 00:00

not in norfolk but the last house i lived in bumped into neighbour in the street said hello, he said do i know you and i said well i have lived next door to you for the last six months, we had a laugh about it and they turned out to be lovely neighbours in the end

debivamp · 01/08/2011 00:19

isn't there a joke about norfolk people - ' i love my mum, she is a great sister'.

take a bottle of wine and knock on the door 'hi we are your new neighbours' worked for us (maybe a bit too well - can't get rid of the buggers now!!!!!)

snippywoo2 · 01/08/2011 02:35

There probably a bit pissed off by what seems to them a load of outsiders buying up properties in their villages, which puts the prices up for the locals which they cannot afford so have to move out.

loiner45 · 01/08/2011 02:41

maybe its bungalows and not Norfolk? I live in anotherenglishcountysouthofbirmingham and have an elderly friend who retired here with husband from London - they lived in a bungalow to start with and found the neighbours very.... odd! def standoffish. They then moved to what she called her "folly" - a 3 story townhouse near the seafront and loves it, a real community!

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