to want to close the curtains.

[MaryMotherOfCheeses]

DH says we shouldn't because it's not dark.

I say if the lamps are on because it would be too dark without them, then it's dark enough to close the curtains. People walk down the street and can see right into the living room.

It makes me feel really edgey and on show.

AIBU?

I hate closed curtains...

Dutch Protestants keep their curtains open to prove to everyone that they're not inside madly sinning...

Verity I'm sorry to be so shameful. The budget didn't stretch to a mile long driveway :(

Yanbu. I have had the curtains closed at the front of my house all day today. We face due east and am trying to keep cool. Will be the same tomorrow.

Nagoo

Hehe at Dutch protestants madly not sinning in their houses

I wouldn't live in a house that was close enough to the street for people to see in

You bloody would if you had to

Nagoo - firstly , secondly, ever wandered around some of the nicer squares in London and had a good look into the lovely Georgian windows ? The mile long driveway would probably be cheaper!

(Not that it's something I've done when waiting for a taxi after a boozy evening, oh no...)

Everybody knows that your average serial killers/particularly nasty nutters/etc can hardly resist a sneaky glance now and again, while perched in a tree/wheelie bin/similar across the street. They like to watch.
Not to scare you or anything.

[locks the shutters]

I shut mine but mostly because I'm embarrassed about the mess.

I was thinking that too Rollmops, I read a book by a forensic psychologist, and one of the few bits of advice he gave to readers was to have nets and shut your curtains at night, because some blokes get more than a kick out of fantasizing about the person they've been watching.

[triple deadlocks the door]

Rear Window anyone?

I look! It's one of life's real pleasures. I'm not looking at people, in fact I couldn't care less what you're actually doing, but I just love to see the many weird and wonderful front rooms of the world.

Are nets the same as voile?

I always close the curtains when I put a light on BTW.

VerityTry living in a terraced house (the only type of house in our budget) where the street facing front door opens directly into the living room so that briefly whoever happens to be passing can see everything including the one time dh returns from the shops when the mw is checking my stitches with me butt naked on the couch. It was my short sighted neighbour who to this day cuts short all attempts to pass the time of day. I think I scarred her mentally.

the dutch also had a curtain tax iirc.
and their windows are huuuuuge.

I hope that net curtains aren't the same as voile! I have voile curtains, they're completely plain, I think of net curtains as being patterned / lacy affairs.

Verity Some of us have no option, this is what we could afford.It is a 1950's terraced house. I have a small front garden, but it is open-plan ie we are not allowed fences (ex council house), with a shared path running along the fronts. The pavement is a very short way (2 or 3 m) from our front door.THAT is why I need curtains. Can understand if you have huge front garden with hedges and miles from the street that you wouldn't want "nets". It is for security purposes as well as people having a good nose as they pass by.

Voile is opaque (mine are crushed silk effect),sometimes they have embroidered coloured patterns on them. Nets are usually nylon,white, lacy/frilly/cut-out pattern. I just think voile looks nicer.

I said opaque....did I mean translucent?? I can see through them to outside, but people outside can't see into the room very well.