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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to be considering asking our neighbours to speak up a bit?

50 replies

becstarlitsea · 25/02/2009 17:15

They've been rowing almost every night since they moved in about 6 months ago (young couple, no kids) about various topics - some shoes she bought, and whether he can do some more DIY this weekend, and whether she listens to him properly, and whether she doesn't listen because he's not very interesting (she has a point there, I feel), and his relationship with his mother (or 'your bloody mother' as she is known).

They tend to kick off at about 9.30pm when I go to bed, and I've started to listen to them in the manner of a radio play. It's no good telling me I shouldn't have listened in the first place - it's as loud as if they were standing next to my bed. It's like 'The Archers', if 'The Archers' featured young urban professionals with an interest in DIY. But now DH and I are getting hooked. 'What's the latest?' we ask each other 'Is she going to let him put those shelves up or what?'
No, we don't get out much, can't afford the babysitter. So wwyd? Should I maybe put on my ipod and listen to the 'real' Archers to wean myself off? Or should I go the whole hog and put a glass against the ceiling?

OP posts:

Grammaticus · 25/02/2009 20:52

Love your poncetastic sentence, becstar

Original poster

becstarlitsea · 26/02/2009 10:04

Update:

Her: (shouting) 'Alright go to Homebase. I don't want to talk about it!'
Him: 'Just one more...'
Her: 'No, leave it. Just leave it.'
Him: (on phone a few minutes later). 'Yeah just one set. See you at Homebase.'
Her: 'Who was that?'
Him: 'You said leave it. You said you didn't want to talk about it. I'm going to Homebase.'
Her: Fine. FINE! FINE!
[door slams]

The question 'Just one more what?' is hanging over me. Am tempted to spend all day looking out of window to see what he's bringing back. And if it's in a plastic bag I'll be frantic with unsatisfied curiosity. And then the drilling will start... What can he possibly be doing this time? It's a small flat, surely there's only so much DIY he can do?

OP posts:

GetOrfMoiLand · 26/02/2009 10:13

lol at this thread.

I have no funny storiesto tell but everyone else please keep them coming, I am having a slow day at work and need a laugh

WilyWombat · 26/02/2009 10:17

I really cant imagine what you would buy in a set at homebase and why does he need someone to help him buy it...see now youve got me pondering your neighbours arguments too.

ComeWhineWithMe · 26/02/2009 10:18

Oh I would be listening all the time too.
I live next door to a single Mum and she has her mate who lives over the road come over every night from about 9pm.

Her friend has a very loud voice and all they do is bitch about everyone it is really juicy stuff too and I get very stupidly excited if they are talking about someone I know . The stuff they say is so silly sometimes the loud one was ranting for twenty minutes once over the fact a woman had stood in the playground with a smug look on her face .

AnathemaDevice · 26/02/2009 10:19

I wish my neighbours were this interesting! All we have are the people above us who seem to spend every evening re-arranging their furniture. For at least an hour, every single night we can hear heavy objects being dragged around- I'd love to know what they're doing up there!

TheInvisibleManDidIt · 26/02/2009 10:26

LOL! This is a great thread!

becstarlitsea, we'll be looking for daily updates now!!

Original poster

becstarlitsea · 26/02/2009 10:27

DH and I have a theory that he might have created a whole new second floor in the flat and new layout - so you'd have to crawl in - it would be like that bit in 'Being John Malkovich' with a new floor/ceiling in between the real one - and then there'd be shelves all over every wall, and a spiral staircase up to the mini-floor above. He's quite short, so perhaps he's made it all miniature up there. Which would annoy her as she is average height and wears high heels. We have put waaaaay too much thought into this.

OP posts:

Lindenlass · 26/02/2009 10:33

You should have gone to homebase and 'bumped into' him

Original poster

becstarlitsea · 26/02/2009 10:35

And earlier this winter when it was raining all the time we thought he might be building an Ark. No sign of any zebra or antelope though, so that theory is off.

OP posts:

Original poster

becstarlitsea · 26/02/2009 10:35

Lindenlass, now why didn't I think of that? Oh yeah, cos I'm supposed to be working. But I'm messing about on MN, so I could just as well be at Homebase. I'll get my coat...

OP posts:

wotulookinat · 26/02/2009 10:42

I'd be at that wall with a glass! And then when you next pass one of them out the front, you can say 'Did you get the DIY done?' or 'How are the new shoes?' or something else so they know you can hear them.

upagumtree · 26/02/2009 10:46

Great thread which has brightened up a very dull morning. Pmsl@scarletA's loud sex /kitchen post.
Years ago we used to live in a downstairs flat. One day the neighbour who lived directly above us and whose bedroom was directly above ours told me that she had to wear earplugs at night because my DH was keeping her awake with hs snoring.

slug · 26/02/2009 10:47

PMSL I once had neighbours who both worked shifts. They would have loud screaming sex at unholy hours of the night. I took up vaccuming at 3am to drown them out.

The neighbour over the road who, incidentally is lovely and a fantastic mum, has occasional moments where she demonstrates how it was she got expelled from school as a teenager. For some reason it echoes through our bathroom. DH and I huddle in there to listen as she is the most inventive swearer I have ever encountered.

MayorNaze · 26/02/2009 10:53

giggling away here and feeling very jealous that my neighbours are either very quiet or my walls are very think

i did once sit through a 2 hour coach journey eavesdropping openmouthed at a woman who was having a very loud phone conversation to a friend about how she thought her ex had murdered her other ex and how she was on her way home to find out!

she sounded quite excited about it and for a while i thought i had got the wrong end of the stick but she was talking about punchups and threats and how he'd burnt all her clothes and everything! i still wonder what happened sometimes!

kiddiz · 26/02/2009 11:15

I did go round to the neighbours we had in the first house we lived in and ask them to "shout up or shut up" so I could tell what they were saying or not hear them at all. The wife was obviously unaware and that we could hear them and things were much quieter after that!!

Bensonbluebird · 26/02/2009 11:47

Tee hee at the DIY mystery. Our neighbour, who works as a lolly pop man morning and afternoon spends the rest of his time building shelves. He is out by his garage come rain or shine building away. Now, they have lived in their two bedroom flat for over 40 years. Where on earth is he putting all the shelves? I have a theory about why he needs to keep on building. He is a bit of a bodger so perhaps as one lot of shelves falls down he makes another to replace them, and on and on. I do know what he is putting on them though........model trains.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 26/02/2009 11:51

You should have nipped round and said "while you're at Homebase could you just get me a tin of paint/hammer/whatever".

upagumtree · 26/02/2009 12:33

lol@stripeyknickers

giraffescantdancethetango · 26/02/2009 12:43

this reminds me of the thread about the ds who left his spy toy in the neighbours house and the MNer listened in...

Original poster

becstarlitsea · 26/02/2009 14:05

oooh, giraffes, good idea. I wonder if we could get DS in there to plant a walkie-talkie or baby-listener. It's annoying when they lower their voice at a crucial moment, just when I think she's made a really good point and has him on the ropes. I'm on her side for the most part. I couldn't be doing with someone doing that much DIY, and I don't think he had any right to have a go at her for buying shoes. We've all bought ill-advised footwear, and a gentleman wouldn't have mentioned it. DH is on her side too 'Because he's an arrogant little squit and I'm glad she gives him earache.' DH hasn't forgiven MrNeighbour for flooding DS's room at 2am one time (DIY-related mishap).

OP posts:

2HotCrossBunsAnd1InTheOven · 26/02/2009 14:32

This thread has cheered my slow day at work. We can hear our neighbours on 1 side but never the adults or the older child, just the younger son who screams in the middle of night every night . We regularly wake up wondering which of our children has woken to realise that it's next door!

WilyWombat · 28/02/2009 13:22

"We've all bought ill-advised footwear, and a gentleman wouldn't have mentioned it"

That is so funny!

I came back to find out what he bought and am very disappointed there has been no update

Jenbot · 28/02/2009 18:07

My ex neighbour used to put 'Land of Hope and Glory' on when he got in from work in the early hours of the morning, over and over and over. Nutter.

kylesmyloveheart · 28/02/2009 18:32

i have just had new neighbours move in. he is the skinnest thing you've ever seen and well lets just say she has problems getting in the front door.

didnt start off well when i walked past her kitchen window and she is there doing the washing up with blind pulled up - no bra on - they were down past her stomach.

my bedroom backs on to their bedroom. at 4.40am this morning i was awaken by ''uck my *se harder" screamed at least 15 times. i am talkng screaming at the top of the voice. and the panting is something out of a pantomine and then the ''im going to come'' about 10 times she said this.

i feel so embarressed like i should'nt be listening but its in every room in the flat. i couldnt get away from it. it happens alot but seems to be getting louder. i share a room with ds 7 and if it wakes him up i'd be so pissed off id go round and knock. not sure what id say though. lol

so i was more than happy to blast the radio at 7.30 this morning just to show them how thin the walls are.

my friends lived there for 7 years and i never heard her or her flatmate once.

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