To wonder why this is 'common'?

[Ellbee83]

I live in an end-terrace house, with a small front yard/garden which I've made as nice as I can with plants, garden furniture, a few fairy lights.
It's south-facing so for (literally!) a few months of the year when the weather allows, if I'm at home and not busy, it's lovely to sit out in the morning with a coffee, or in the evening with a book & glass of wine.
It's genuinely one of my simple pleasures, it's nice to watch the world go by, smile at passers-by, idly chat with the neighbours if they're around but mostly 100% minding my own business and enjoying my own outdoor space.

Yesterday evening, my neighbour (72f) from 3 doors down went past, walking her dogs. She stopped to chat as we often do - the weather, how the flowers are doing, that sort of thing, nothing major! She then went on to tell me how she wouldn't dream of sitting out in her front garden as she'd been taught it was 'common'. I laughed in surprise and said 'Oh, am I being common?' to which she laughingly agreed I was!

Now, tbh, I found it waaaay more common that she'd be so rude but I'm curious - is sitting out in the sun, in your own front garden seen as 'common'?
Not too bothered either way and I'll carry on doing it but I've restricted myself to the back garden today 🫤

Interested to hear opinions!

I've never heard that but I suppose it may have been not the done thing in previous generations - too public maybe? I am the same about eating in the street, which I know is weird of me but I just cant. Enjoy your garden OP!

My DH accused me of being common when I sat on the wall outside our house in my dressing gown once (I stress this happened just once, although he likes to bring it up.) I’d just said goodbye to my mum, who’d stayed over, and the sun was out, and I found myself sitting there with the sun on my face for a few minutes peace while a noisy breakfast ensued inside…. I recommend it!

I’m Irish like you OP and have never heard this before.

It's odd how something that's quite rare can be described as "common".

"Ooh nobody does that, it's so common!" 😆

Our new UK house has a tiny front bit which is where the wheely bins now live. They infuriate me after living abroad for 20 years with no such thing - either communal bins, or bin bags put out in the morning. A whole street of terraced cottages ruined in appearance due to all the bloody bins! Only so much can be kept out back as they have to be brought through the house. Some people make an effort with planters and some have just given up I think. My neighbour sits out front as her door is south facing. I would never think to judge anyone unless maybe they are sat on an old sofa with a can of Stella.

Yes this is how I took it

Whats wrong with sitting in the sunshine? Isn't it supposed to be good for you but just happens to be at the front..

a few people do it on the small cluster of bungalows at the back of us, most of them occupied by elderly people. Never given a second thought

makes a chnge from our street where no-one knows each other as they all get in their cars and drive off with no chance to have a neighbourly chat by walking.

I always sit in my front garden with a cuppa or a book, yanbu.

I'm sure the Duke of Devonshire doesn't think sitting in his front garden at Chatsworth is common. Though letting the great unwashed in to visit is definitely common.

My uncle( who would have given Willian Hanson a run for his money) would definitely have considered sitting in the front garden unacceptable if by so doing you would be visible to passers-by.

Eating in the street was similarly not acceptable.

My grandmother was a bit posh and lived in a quite nice and sought after area by the sea. The front gardens got full sun and had a sea view. All the neighbours used the front gardens. I remember a lot of those striped fabric wooden deck chairs and high tea in the front gardens while every one watched the sailing.

There were even cucumber sandwiches!!

Unusual set up though - no road in front of the houses just steps down from each long front garden to a foot path.

My garden is on the pavement (back garden, I don’t have a front one) so I either use it or don’t have a garden! It’s nice to chat to people passing by

If you have a back garden I would tend to sit there for privacy. Maybe a throwback to back to back houses where the only space was at the front and showed you were poor? You don't see many people do it but who cares and if you like to interact with passers by great.

My mum lives in a very posh village. One of her neighbours has a beautiful set up in their front garden. She and her partner sit and have a quiet drink and chat with the passers by (one of those villages where everyone knows everyone). Whenever I see it I always think it’s lovely!

As others have said she was rolling her eyes at the idea, not telling you off.

Also, it's vulgar to say 'common' .

@NameChangeMay2026and @AskingQuestionsAllTheTime both of those were Nicky Haslam, but it is all one big joke to him. Especially when someone buys a £50 tea towel to study the list and remove from their life anything on the list marked as “common”, when he’s just thought of anything and added it. He’s yet to add “buying a £50 tea towel” to his list of common things.

It sounds lovely to be able to sit and enjoy the sun.
Years ago as a single woman I rented with a few girls a terraced house with a front space.
The previous tenants had created a front terrace space with plants in plastic pots giving a screen like privacy.
They left us the old plastic furniture and we loved sitting out there on hot evenings drinking tea and beers.
Great memories.
Enjoy.

I went to have a look at a council house in a rather rough area. My brother gave me a lift to go and have a look at it. This was years before COVID so it was nothing to do with socialising with while social distancing.

There was a lot of the neighbours out in their front gardens chatting and keeping an eye on DC playing out. Some had trampolines in front gardens and paddling pools out. They were all so nosey why this strange car was coming down their street? Some people might have been happy with it. But It just wasn't for me.

My mum would say it was common but both my neighbours have a bench in the front garden as we get more sun there in the evening, I am thinking of getting one

I think it's a hangover from when a lot of slums were back-to-back 2 up 2 downs. So no garden in the back and women would put a hard chair outside their house to sit and chat with the neighbours in the sunshine. These people were seen as "common" by the aspiring middle classes who had a rear garden. It's an old fashioned view and totally outdated now. Enjoy your front garden In one house we had in a small village we put a bench in the front garden as it caught the evening sun, spoke more to the neighbours and shared many a bottle of wine while the sun went down, a really nice social experience.

When visiting a friend in San Francisco a few years back I commented on the absence of clothes lines and received a strange look and was told it was considered totally not on. I think in some areas Neighbourhood Associations forbid their use as it lowers the tone.
Ihadn’t thought about what constituted common for years but now the memories come flooding back. Guess then certain customs are no longer useful they just get dropped.
My mother ( born in 1920) felt the use of dummies was common.

I think it depends on how close your front garden would be to the road and if it was open rather than enclosed. I have a friend who lives in an area where there are no back gardens and they have a front porch area instead which they sit out and have a beer or so. It is necessity if they want any type of outdoor living. I also have a friend who lives in terraced housing with open plan front gardens and even though they are all privately owned there is a management company that gardens all the common areas and they have a staunch 'no sitting out front' rule. Now granted if someone wanted to they do anyway but it is frowned upon. My own front garden has gates and high trees so you cannot actually see into it from the road so I could sunbathe out there if I fancied but I do prefer the back garden as it is that bit more private again.
Commenting on it is rude though.

I’ve never heard anyone say it’s common but I don’t know anyone who does it either, most London front gardens aren’t big enough anyway

my gran also used to say it was common behaviour to sit in front of the house. Apparently in the Victorian and post-war periods, there was an idea that respectable people kept their private lives private. Being seen lounging in the front garden could be viewed by some as too public or attention-seeking, she would have said it was unseemly. Personally I don’t care either way, but I only have a back garden anyway.

@HorrorPudding Bach is common according to Hassan. Bach!

Maybe it’s because absolutely everyone who ever appears on Desert Island Discs chooses Bach.

OP please don’t stop doing something you enjoy because of one woman’s inhibitions.

See the tea towel above. Telling people they’re common is common. Of course it is.