To enjoy looking through other people's windows in the evening.

[LEMmingaround]

I do this when i walk to and from my little cleaning job. It makes me feel all warm inside!

Doesn't matter what people are doing, what they have on display etc, its better when they have lamps rather than lights and i love to see families sat with their dinners on their laps or kids playing on the floor in front of the fire. Or single folk sat with their lap-top and or .

I'm not being nosey, it just makes me feel nice

I'm a weirdo aren't i???

These curtains that get left open in Holland. Is it Amsterdam?
I've heard about that.

I've just seen this thread and I am definetely going to get my act together and get some window film:)

Other people doing this is why one of the "must have"s for a house or flat for me has always been "windows not overlooked". I like being able to be messy in private :)

Oh yes, the evening of Christmas Day is one of the best times to go for a walk and a nosey.

I didn't see this, but I heard that the year the Nintendo Wii came out, living rooms everywhere were full of people waving their arms, perhaps while "playing tennis".

Those who like their privacy - curtains have not been disinvented!

On a related subject, I suppose one reason for front gardens is to make a "barrier" between the spectators and your house.

I know of a house in a French village, with no front garden, and broad window ledges on the outside - these would frequently be used by the local elderly ladies for sitting down.

ammisimma I also remember that Bill Bryson quote. I re-read it quite recently funnily enough.

I think it's human nature to have a little peek.

Good lord that Bill Bryon quote had me tearful!

We were walking round Edinburgh new town in the week before Christmas a few years ago (family tradition - we used to love looking at the door wreaths) and saw a basement flat lit by pools of light from tablelamps, bookshelves lined with leather bound books, an armchair with a reading light and a cosy tartan blanket and a small table next to it with a whisky decanter and glass. None of us have ever forgotten it, and can't for the life of us remember which street it was on!

I clicked on this thread (noting the number of posts) expecting it to be full of offended bosom-hoicking and cries of 'MYOB'. How wrong I was

I tend to leave our curtains open a bit longer than I otherwise would because we have a neighbour who is elderly and a bit lonely - he lives directly opposite us and comes out of his house just to look at the world every so often. I do speak to him occasionally, but it's not always feasible to stop for long. I hope he likes observing our chaotic lives he may just be staring in quiet shock

I do think that we probably need new net curtains though, our current ones have been shredded by the cats and now I'm feeling slightly at the thought that people may have noticed.....

It's the height of bad manners; it's really very rude.

But God yes, I can't resist it - I really can't help it!

I love it too!

Love the Avril Paton prints. Can anyone recommend any artists who do similar prints of window scenes please?

As a reverse theme, I thoroughly enjoy looking OUT of the window to see who's going past. I get up at 6am, do some housework, then take a cuppa to h and we drink our tea sitting up in bed. (we live in a bungalow) We love to see all our friends walking their dogs, going down to the little village shop or walking their children to the primary school on the corner. My h even put a nice garden seat outside in front of our window so we can sit there in the evening and watch some more. Then we natter like anything to everyone going past. Sometimes they come and sit with us and bring their dogs/children for more chat. Pair of right Nosey Parkers aren't we? But villages are like that!

Just for the record OP, it's fine to look but don't be that person that knocks on my door to ask where I got such and such or whether I crossbred the flowers in the front garden myself. And for the love of God don't call the firebrigade because you notice the cat is on the upper storey windowsill. He likes it up there he's an attention seeking bastard. Grrr.