Does anyone feel they’re on “show” in gardens?!

[Mum2154]

I can’t be the only one surely! I hate sitting out in the garden as I feel it’s so overlooked (right word?) there’s houses right next to us (terraced), houses at the back overlooking our garden. I just feel no privacy there, it doesn’t stop me going out tho. There are some trees planted so certain areas I feel more comfortable. I just feel you can hear every word said. If kids are sleeping and I have windows open I can literally hear conversations going on 3 or 4 houses down in their garden. Surely this is just a London thing as houses are so bloody close together.

When I was pregnant with 2nd and was getting organised I had washed and put out his clothes out to dry and the neighbours 2 doors down said they knew I was having a boy as they saw blue rompers out on my washing line! We pretended to family we not finding out the sex till it’s born so this was really awkward.

Well, you are on show, but so are they.
I would try to look on the advantages - unlikely to get burgled, nice to have someone to wave and say hello to..... but I would want somewhere to sit unseen. Can you sort that out?

I was having a girl but still washed all of ds1's clothes, and she wore blue. But it's still weird if your neighbours to comment.

I grew up in the middle of nowhere and was very used to seeing no one but family all weekend etc. We bought a house on the edge of a village and the garden is mercifully private - there is one spot that people could see us but they’d have to stand at a particular spot on the adjacent pavement and be looking. In the summer it’s even better as the trees provide more coverage.

But I go to friends and relatives houses and am always freaked out and have the feeling of being “on show.” I also find the dynamics of being emotionally close to your neighbours but sometimes essentially ignoring them when you’re both in the garden really odd (this might just be my PIL though).

Of course it isn't just a London thing, I'm 200 miles away from London and have the same issue. There are terraced houses in other cities as well you know

My garden is really private and I have high hedges and fencing to make sure people can't really see in but I still feel like I'm on show.
My neighbour absolutely hates privacy and has torn down all her hedges. She sits out in the front garden fully on display - I find it so odd.
Were hoping to move soon and I'm really struggling to find anywhere that we could make private quickly - I don't want my daughter to be on show all the time.

Yes, I have a communal garden as we're in a flat, but there is also a block next door and only a small fence between the gardens. I just had to let it go and don't think too much about it now, I don't watch/listen to other people when they are out there so I assume they are doing likewise.

We live on a modern estate of close-together houses with back gardens all overlooking everyone else. We built a conservatory to have a bit more space and use it at every opportunity (I’m in it now) because it’s light and lovely. Everyone can see us (and hear us probably) but we don’t care. Let them watch us read if they want. Doesn’t bother us.

"Surely this is just a London thing as houses are so bloody close together." Oh dear OP, we do have terraced houses in the lowly North you know!