Neighbour’s mysterious notepad...

[JensonsAcolyte]

The neighbours to the side of us are a retired couple. Pleasant enough to speak to, but a bit on the nosy side.

Their house is immaculate, not a weed on the drive, front lawn and hedges always trimmed. Ours, erm, isn’t. Same for the back, which they can see from their windows. He has commented.

He always puts everyone’s bins back, pretty sure this is not a neighbourly kind gesture, they are collected from opposite his house.

Over the road have caught him chucking cat poo on to my front garden from his (we do have a cat but so do most houses).

Neither of them can walk past my house without craning their necks to look in the garden/windows.

Whenever we have work done he is straight round to find out the details.

Anyway, recently I’ve noticed that he has taken to walking around with a notebook and pencil. We went for a bbq over the road last night and he was out there taking notes on his driveway.

I would so love to know what he’s taking notes on! It’s obviously a shitlist of some sort, or possibly a Covid Police logbook.

AIBU to ask him next time I see it? DH says I need to leave it but enquiring minds must know.

Hollywolly are you quite alright? Socialising is essential for mental health, and being removed the right to see/talk to/hug other members of family or friends will have a 'long effect' many many years after we have all had covid.

I get the impression you are still hiding in your house, in the dark and disinfecting your post? If so, fine, but don't try to bully others into doing the same.

(Oh and if you are, you are actually weakening your immune system, not 'staying safe'. When you do come out, you will fall to any germs that are out there, from Covid, flu, norovirus etc to common colds, becuase you have not been strengthening your Immune system, which is there to fight germs and keep you healthy)

I thought everyone kept notes on their neighbours.
If you don't how do you know if they do something unusual?

Sorry but I’m actually scratching my head at your post @Hollywolly1.

Can you come back and explain what you mean?

Boris has let us have people in the garden since the 12th. Kids are all back at school mixing.

What exactly is it you think I’m doing that’s selfish?

@Hollywolly1

You say you had people around in your garden most days? Yes you are an extremely selfish person that doesn't care about yourself or your family's health during covid times in fact you are absolutely reckless and then people like yourself wonder how you got covid or maybe you are one of the people that doesn't believe in covid. How about if your child gets covid and suffers the long effects of it for years You do come across as a nightmare neighbour to be honest

Or maybe the OP is perfect following the change in guidance which allows for the rule of six meet-ups outdoors?

I mean I’m a shopping disinfector/work from home/have shopping delivered/stick to the rules obsessive but you are being ridiculous to call the OP reckless when she’s actually doing something that’s now allowed and considered safe - having friends over in the garden.

I’m really not a nightmare neighbour by the way.

We bought a nice big house with a big garden, which we use. Detached, because we make a fair amount of normal noise.

My front garden is kept decent but is more of a nature garden than next door’s straight hedge arrangement.

The cars did need a good wash, tbf, mine had moss on the roof. But that’s because the hand car wash has been closed for the best part of a year and, well, I just wasn’t that bothered.

We’re considerate of noise, we’re not arseholes.

OP, I’m more upset by your comment about the tacky flower lights! Are they the ones from IKEA? I have 2 in my garden and they are most definitely not tacky lol

@FlamingoQueen

OP, I’m more upset by your comment about the tacky flower lights! Are they the ones from IKEA? I have 2 in my garden and they are most definitely not tacky lol

Oh believe me they are tacky

They’re about 4ft tall and colourful. And I think there’s five of them. Every time SIL visits she brings me something for the colllection.

Oh god! We have a neighbour like that. Not a notebook, thank goodness, or at least not that I've noticed.

Anything that's happening, he's got to be there asking questions sticking his nose in. And yes, he is the Covid Stasi. He took pleasure in shouting out across the road to me that he had reported a friend of mine for breaching covid rules (I don't know if she had or not). I had a visit from the police too saying that my neighbour (head tilt towards Mr Nosy's house) had reported me for breaching covid rules. The report was a pile of bollocks, and when my husband laughed at it, the police laughed too and that was the end of it. (I was in hospital at the time).

This morning I went to feed a friend's cat 3 blocks away. On the way there, Mr Nosy went past 4 times going back and forth, even coughing as he went past as I was talking to someone. When I come out of the house after feeding the cats and changing the litter tray, and he is there outside the door. By this time it was creeping me out and was starting to feel like stalking (we have reported him to the police for harassment before).

Another neighbour says he's been up and down that stretch of road several times this morning, as if he's patrolling his territory.

@Hollywolly1

You say you had people around in your garden most days? Yes you are an extremely selfish person that doesn't care about yourself or your family's health during covid times in fact you are absolutely reckless and then people like yourself wonder how you got covid or maybe you are one of the people that doesn't believe in covid. How about if your child gets covid and suffers the long effects of it for years You do come across as a nightmare neighbour to be honest

I think you have misread the original comment from OP Even throughout Covid, we bubbled with my sister so she’s round with her kids and dog most WEEKENDS and since 12th April we’ve had people round in the garden most days.

@Thegoatinthegarden

“The dogs demeanour that day”

Sorry, this just cracked me up!!
My DDad had dementia, and did all sorts of daft things like this - I overheard him having quite a forceful argument in the garden one day... with a blackbird (who was answering him back😱)

A shitlist? Really?
Who says that?

Regardless of his behaviour you sound so immature

JensonsAcolyte
I think we wind him up as it is.

Our house is fairly chaotic, kids and dogs and music and visitors. Even throughout Covid, we bubbled with my sister so she’s round with her kids and dog most weekends and since 12th April we’ve had people round in the garden most days.

We’re not antisocial but I don’t think we’re his dream neighbours. Houses are detached and at a reasonable distance from each other (double garage and driveway between ours and theirs) so we’re not a nuisance.

I imagine his list of grievances is long. But he’s too polite/passive aggressive to say anything so in the book it goes.

Don't any of you work ?

Is this your neighbour?

Video them.

Another neighbour says he's been up and down that stretch of road several times this morning, as if he's patrolling his territory. As long as he doesn't start marking his territory by peeing on the fences!

Sounds awful. I hate curtain twitchers

Love your light, solar lights rock

I think many communities have an Angry Older Man like this. There's one where I live as well - we all just ignore him. Just be glad you're not married to him...

Yes, start making notes on his note-taking. Like a train spotter spotter.

Write on a clipboard and openly take random photos with your phone! If he asks what your doing put a finger to your lips and tell him its "something secret for the government".

Are you a fan of girl grungers L7? Shitlist is worth a listen, perhaps next time you're in the garden and he's notebooking.

As for aprons, I wear one for cooking, potting up plants and also recently for eating as my lockdown weight gain means I can't consume any meal without dipping my tits in it.

Driveway/pavement chalk. Hieroglyphs, morse code, random number sequences....

Maybe he's sketching and is going to present you with a painting of your house.

@Thewinterofdiscontent

Could you leave a trail of clues for him to find?

Slightly out of context objects that when he’s noted them all down reveal some thing dastardly?
Maybe one week leave out several objects being with F, week after objects being with U , and so on...

Yes! Please do this!

Dance naked in your garden. With your cat.