okay, a teensy-tiny bit of hijacking...
bumped into them when dd just got chickenpox, said i was dreading being quarantined with two kids for ten days. their first response was to make sure we kept the noise down cause her father was coming to stay and "your noise makes him irritable."
the property is tied to dh's work has been soundproofed. not well enough, it seems, and this week we have had workman here for three days ripping up our floors and relaying heavyduty soundproofing for them. so, in the middle of the conversation in which man neighbour was telling me that pre-9am was early for them, i pointed out that was unreasonable by giving the example that we would have workman in from 8am getting the place re-soundproofed. he checked which days, and then told me that wouldn't be a problem for them cause they were going to be away those days.
they've told me on more than one occasion that they don't mind the noise of the washing machine because "obvs, we have to do laundry", the implication being that we don't have to let our young kids run around a bit etc etc
during a chat about the noise between me and kids getting home and tea (admittedly worst time of day, but only a couple of hours, and not every day cause we oft go to playgrounds and the like), she asked why i didn't get them out in garden. we're first floor and i can't see garden from any part of flat, it's unsecured - no fence, direct access to woods on three sides and path down to road on other. i pointed this out to her and she suggested i "go out there with them."