I dry my laundry in my garden and my neighbour is really unhappy about it

[WashingWoes]

I really don’t think I’m in the wrong here but keen for opinions which I will take onboard if I come off as unreasonable.
I live in an end-terrace house. Neighbour is attached to me. I peg my washing out to dry on good days. We are a family of four, lots of laundry and I much prefer to peg out than use the (expensive and environmentally unfriendly) drier. My neighbour HATES me for drying my laundry in my garden. Relentless comments about how she can’t enjoy looking at her garden from her bedroom window because she can see my (clean) laundry. About how it’s spoiling her enjoyment of her garden. Why can’t I just use the drier, for everyone’s benefit (not mine, see: bills; climate change…). It’s bad manners to dry ‘smalls’ outside - her husband might see my ‘undergarments’ … honestly it’s relentless. I recently received a birthday card from them (very kind, and appreciated) which said ‘Happy Birthday WashingWoes, we really love seeing your washing on the line, have a lovely birthday’. Please reassure me that I’m normal and neighbours are barmy?

Us too. Sheltered South facing garden so even if it s 3 degrees in Jan if it's sunny bedding and towels will mostly dry, just bring them in when the sun has moved off t the garden to finish them off inside

And I'm just the other side of the Pennines from you. We get, on average, 125 days of rain per year. This year has been an exception and Yorkshire is now officially in drought.

I envisage a hosepipe ban soon.

Can’t compare clothes horses out in front gardens , which does look lame , to clothes lines in back gardens ! !

She is quite frankly bat. Why doesn't she go in her garden to look at it to start with? But also if she is always using a drier how bad for the environment is that? Borderline harassment. Do not engage, do not respond and deliver the card back - how rude!

In some parts of America it is against the law to hang out washing as it suggests poverty. This is not the case in the uk or other parts of Europe.

Much as I like Charlie Dimmock (sp?) and her gardener chums has anyone else noticed there's never anywhere for a line or whirley in their makeover gardens ?
I've wondered about applying but would have to stipulate somewhere to hang the laundry out. 😁

We had this with our neighbour

She's batshit

Tried to tell us we had to 'park ten streets away' 'stop driving' and 'walk to work instead of driving' (that was because her whole family stay up all night,sleep all day and us opening the car doors woke them up apparently-her family screaming at each other and blasting loud music all night was acceptable apparently)

When that didn't get a rise,she tried the 'your not allowed to hang your washing out as your underwear upsets my brother' (she lives with her bloke but he's her brother for benefit purposes)

I couldn't stop laughing-her 'brother' has issues if he gets upset over my apple catcher knickers and sports bras (to be fair to him,he had a look on his face that gave away the fact he'd never even noticed my washing)

She tried ringing the police who just laughed at her so she tried to get the council involved who told her to 'get a life' so she's just content to slag us off to the other neighbours (who mainly ignore her)

I redoubled my efforts on the line and she can squawk all she likes-my house,my garden,my rules

She's insane.Ignore.

@CoralMoose, ah, memories. My late MIL bought a house in Lytham many years ago and was thoroughly miffed that I, ignorant Southerner, completely missed the point of her social ascent, I just wasn't impressed enough. Didn't know the Dawsons lived there, maybe MIL was their awful neighbour 😄

That's progress for you! I recall my younger brother breaking the wooden prop when he fell against it and there was hell to pay!

How much is that costing you? Absolutely bonkers

My mother would never hang her knickers and bras outside, as the neighbours would see them.

Your neighbour would love me! Some time ago we had builders who arrived at sparrow fart most mornings. If I was late downstairs I couldn't put the washing out the back as they were working by the back door, so many a time I put my airer, complete with pants and socks hangy thing, out in the front garden.
I've got one of those windy out awning things so my washing goes out every day, rain, snow, frost, whatever- it goes under the awning. On sunny days it's out on the top decking for all the neighbours to see!

I put the underwear on an airer outside, but mostly for me, amd also as I need the line for bigger stuff.

My sister does hang her undies up but at the end closes to her house so her neighbours can't see them.

She is ridiculous.

I'd be finding some very inappropriate smalls that are left hanging on the line 24/7

Why don't you? Really, would improve the thread no end.

Haha I grew up in the 90s/00s. They always hung washing indoors on an airer and big things would go over the banisters on the landing, my mum still does now. Tbf she does have a boiling hot conservatory where things dry nearly as quickly in there as they would outside. She’d never buy a tumble dryer 😂

That’s a conversation for a different thread 🤣🤣🤣

I don’t mind washing drying outside at all, BUT I hate seeing the neighbour’s pants. I don’t stand there looking, but when I glance his tighty whities, it makes me feel a bit poorly. I also never put my underwear out for drying. Weird, but there you go.
Nowt as strange as folk.

I’m from NI. Was raised to take pride in the washing & it was almost a badge of honour how clean it was (should anyone come round) Especially Terry Towelling nappies. But it was only hung out in the back garden that had a discreet hedge & fence panel. There was also conventions on how to peg it out. The ‘smalls’ were always, ALWAYS, dried indoors. I’m 54 (not that old I don’t think), was a delivery suite midwife for 20 years: you’d think I’d be desensitised to that sort of nonsense. No, not at all. In fact I’m a total nightmare about how the washing is pegged; it’s ironed almost immediately off the line & aired before putting it away, and the ‘smalls’ are dried indoors. I know it’s daft, I’m aware I’ve been totally conditioned to this. And I’m sad to say I’m very uncomfortable when my daughter hangs her undies out. (But I don’t say anything & I hope she doesn’t know). Utter madness I know.

Oh my God! I LOVE this!

OMG I don’t know how I missed this one 😂😂😂I’m blinded with mascara I’m laughing so much

Shes nuts. Ignore her. You can do what you like in your garden. If she doesn't like it she can move

Good lord, people really are odd about this!? It would never cross my mind to be twitchy about drying washing, I assumed it was just normal life!! Loving the weather currently as can get loads dry 😂
sorry neighbours 😂

You find it a bore, yet proceed to reply.

Again, pot meet kettle...

"Tootz"

😂🤦‍♂️