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!

My grandmother told stories of how they would sit out front and talk to neighbours and family who passed by. But that was a working class area, in the north west, in the 1940’s/ 50’s - so yes, probably very common. But who cares? She seemed to enjoy it 🙂

I think the correct response to this is "Ah well actually it's quite common to call something out as common. So there you go. Maybe neither of us pass muster."

Adorable. I have an image of you in twinset and pearls, capris and sandals, knees nicely together, reading something lovely, ready for a friendly, well-informed conversation with anyone able to engage.

Someone in a maisonette used to do this in my old close. I envied him as our back garden lost the sun when I got back from work but I couldn’t bring myself to sit in the front garden.
I thought it was great how he enjoyed the patch of garden he had. He’d sit and read a paper.

@Ellbee83 don't worry at all. There is nothing "common" (whatever that means) about sitting in your own garden and enjoying the lovely weather.

Please do keep on enjoying your morning tea and evening glass of wine in your garden and don't give a hoot what anyone else thinks.

I grew up in a house with a front garden but no proper back garden, and the street and front gardens kind of curved around a shared grassy area, so all the neighbours sat out in their front gardens keeping an eye on the kids playing, and everyone chatted. Our street was considered quite posh too, relative to the area. So I don’t think of it as common.

if my neighbour said that to me though I’d just have laugh with her and say yup I’m common!

That's what I think too!

@Ellbee83 yes, it is seen as 'not the done thing'. But to be honest, if I had a south facing front I'd have my morning coffee out there as long as it wasn't on a main road (I'd feel too self conscious if it was!). I couldn't relax enough to enjoy a wine & my book. But if you can, don't let anyone put you off!

You'd love my neighbour!! 🤣

Something can't be overly private.

if you don't like it, why not reduce the hedge? Or remove it if the innards are to ugly to reduce it??

I’ve started sitting out the front because my dog follows me everywhere and the front garden is mostly always in shade whereas the back is total suntrap, dog won’t leave my sight so digs up my flower bed to keep cool 😭

Yes, my dad always said that as well, and I’m not keen on doing it either.

When I was a kid my mum & grandma (who lived with us & was infirm) sat in the front garden in the late afternoon due to it being a sun spot! I’d come home from school and they’d be there if it was a sunny. Ignore your neighbour!

Secretly I think it is but if someone wants to do it, crack on 🤷‍♀️ It makes absolutely no difference to my life anyway.

My DM born 1920s thought baked beans were common. Never had them till Uni.

Crack on and enjoy being ‘common’! It sounds lovely.

The hedge is quite nice looking and fits with neighbourhood vibe. The front garden is ample.

I am from a culture, like a PP, where front gardens are used more sociably. It’s been a cultural adjustment, nothing more.

You've just described one of my neighbours to a T!

I remember old people used to sit out in front of their terraced house on the wide pavement of the main road, sat on kitchen chairs.

They had door curtains hung across the door so they could leave the door open and let the air in. I have also heard they used them to stop the paint fading.

People would chat as they came by, and the neighbours would join in. They were probably from a time when there was so much less traffic (and probably mostly horse drawn 🤔)

I suppose richer people had back gardens to sit in. 🤷‍♀️

It was very common in working class neighbourhoods to do this when I was a child. I'm from a small village, houses had huge back gardens, we would sit out the front to chat to neighbours, people walking by. Otherwise we might not see anyone to chat with.

The whole concept of “common” needs to die a long-overdue death. My front garden is a vegetable patch. I couldn’t give a witch’s tit how my neighbours feel about it.

I love seeing people actually use their front gardens! I would stop and chat as well.

I was, however, also taught it was common - and I grew up on a rough council estate 😂

I live in a street of terraced houses and lots of my neighbours sit in their front gardens. We only have paved yards to the rear so people sit out the front to enjoy the sun. The couple next door to me have made their front garden really lovely with plants and furniture and they are out there every day that the weather is nice. I really love it, it makes our street feel really friendly and nobody around here considers it common. Im in a city in the north of England if that makes a difference - I grew up in Surrey where it might be looked upon differently (and people tend to have a back garden)Ignore your neighbour and keep enjoying your garden.

She’s missing out!

sitting on the doorstep in a grey vest with a beer belly, fag in your mouth and a can of 4X at 9.30 in the morning.

Oh fuck, have you been outside my house? 🤣🤣

P.S. it isn't 4X, it is Tenants Super

We loved sitting in our front garden during lockdown.
We had some lovely conversations with people we'd never met before. Everyone wanted to stop and talk.