Sitting in front gardens??

[curiousgeorgie247]

We bought an ex council house a few years ago. Lovely estate, lovely big houses with large gardens, lovely neighbours.
Most are now owner occupied but there are still a few that are council.
Was having a drink in the sun with neighbours last night in the back garden. It came up about most of the people across the road sit out in the front gardens and we were discussing why anyone would want to when we all have big back gardens. It isn't to do with the sun as they sit out there when it isn't sunny.
We have a driveway now but when it was a garden I would never have chosen to sit in the front garden as opposed to the back.
None of us have ever seen it anywhere other than on council estates. It seems to be a thing.
I'm not criticizing. It doesn't bother me. Each to their own. It just came up last night and thought I'd ask opinions.

My parents were council tenants and so were my Grandparents and none of them sat in they're front gardens,they always sat out the back,were council tenants and we always sit in the back garden,if we sat in our front garden I wouldn't get any peace(we have lots of people stopping to ask about our garden or stopping to tell us they love the garden)and when we sit in the back garden it's to relax.

overthemountain42 you paint a really lovely picture of your Father and he doesn't sound like a chav at all.

I sit out on my front porch because my cat makes me. Cat likes the bask in the sun. She is timid and prefers to bask sitting under my chair purring her little heart out.

We used to live at the end of a cul de sac and patents would sit in the front gardens -with wine whilst the kids played in the road. Very sociable it was too.

When we moved we couldn't do that anymore as we no longer live in a cul de sac. I love doing my front garden on a Sunday though as loads of neighbours walk by and stop and chat.

OP you sound like a frightful snob.

I think its lovely my house growing up had a seat attached to the porch. The only time I got to know my neighbours when grown up was when we did work at front of house.

I sit in front garden in the morning and back garden in the evening. Follow the sun.

I had a pervy neighbour over the road from me in my old house that used to get a chair out and sit on the front street instead of out the back as from the front he could see in people's windows

I live on a council estate (I'm a tennant) and I've never seen this but then again I'm in a posh part of Surrey so may be us riff raff have a bit more class. Either that or we are just anti social.

We live on a private estate and we sit out the front on a sunny day as we only get the sun in the back until 7ish. We even have a bench out there. My mother is appalled!! Our older and much ‘posher’ neighbours gather outside the the house further down, it’s a thing on our side of the road.

Growing up in a council estate people always used to sit at the front, and chop veggies / knit / read / chat while watching kids play. Back gardens were an extension of the house and usually full of washing / big pots to wash etc.

we only have a back garden but because of the layout its like a front garden we use the back door like a front door ((hard to explain) and we have low fences if we didn't use the garden to sit out in we wouldn't have anywhere to sit (council estate )

I was sat by my front door the other day with the door open. It was the only cool spot.

I live on a fairly busy village High St in the centre of the village.

Only use my. Back garden but my plan for when I’m old lady is to have a bench in the front garden and watch the world go by.

People sitting in their council house front gardens don't have a monopoly on being sociable. People living in naice, leafy suburbs are very sociable IME. They just socialise in their landscaped back gardens, sitting on their smart John Lewis garden furniture and drinking good wine.

We live on a new build estate and everyone has both back gardens and a the majority have front gardens.

The neighbours next to us regularly sit on the front on an evening, it's a quiet street and the front faces a large grassy space, the couple a few doors down had a bbq on the front with some of their friends.

There's a few other who have garden benches out the front and you sometime see people say in the front gardens.

There is nothing wrong with it, assuming your not throwing abuse at passers by, live and let live.

as opposed to my slightly over grown garden , sat on my B&M ,s bargain chair drinking my £4 bottle of Aldi wine Confussed?

As my garden is open to view I get people looking in (nosy parkers) and one even laughing as I mow my lawn. Haven't they better things to do? Laughing as I type. Sometimes people want a chat which if you're busy isn't a great idea but I certainly don't mind people sitting in front gardens. In Spain in villages you see them all out there the old foks on chairs in the sun everyone chatting. it's nice.

I have never lived anywhere where people sit out the front, I think it sounds amazing and feel maybe I have missed out on something.

We don’t have a front garden. We have two side gardens and a rear garden.

I think I’d quite like to sit out with neighbours. It sounds more fun than staring at the trees/cows.

We don't have a front garden just a space for the bins... I sit out on the bins sometimes, to catch the sun, even though we do have a back garden. Probably judged all round, I don't care :)

I see older people do this all the time in Spain (in the Spanish parts rather than tourist spots)

Yes, I've always thought it was very good for them in Spain because instead of being cooped up like some older people in the UK they are out there having a chat to neighbours, friends etc. Then if they arenm't there one day someone can go and check they are okay. Mind you British weather is usually dreadful so we'd die of exposure most of the time sitting outside in chairs.

My Nanna and Pa had outdoor furniture for the front patio and the back patio. They had created lovely gardens at the front and back. They used to sit either front or back for variety and socialize with the neighbors and the people across the road they had known for years. They had never lived in council housing. Until this thread I didn't realize there was a distinction. However, I do think these days we're a little less social and community oriented then my grandparents generation. When I was a child we played cricket on the road and got out of the way when a car came along. Wouldn't do that these days though. If you have a front and back garden then why not use both. However, nothing wrong with liking your privacy either.

Xenia, do you not have a gardener? I can’t quite imagine you mowing your lawn.

Yes, I've always thought it was very good for them in Spain because instead of being cooped up like some older people in the UK they are out there having a chat to neighbours, friends etc. Then if they arenm't there one day someone can go and check they are okay. Mind you British weather is usually dreadful so we'd die of exposure most of the time sitting outside in chairs.

Yeah very true, they seem to have a great sense of family and community over there as well, definitely the weather helps that along too though!