to have felt like pushing this noisy family over a cliff!

[5Foot5]

I accept that I may just be a grumpy old misanthrope and probably IABU but I just wanted to get this off my chest!

We have just returned from a lovely, lovely week in the Lake District. We had smashing weather and lots of superb walks. (Fortunately several miles away from where recent, tragic events took place.) However, on one of our walking days I was incensed by the noisy behaviour of one particular family group.

There were lots and lots of fellow walkers out this week - not surprising with it being half term and such good weather - and many people, including ourselves, were walking with their kids. But this particular group behaved as if they owned the whole bloody mountain! I think it was two families walking together as there were four adults, five or six kids and at least one dog. They set off from the same place as us at roughly the same time and seemed to be doing approximately the same circuit so we kept encountering them throughout the day. First we would pass them having a rest and then they would pass us. But you could hear this wretched crowd coming from a great distance as they were constantly yelling, shouting and whooping encouragement to each other. I mean they just never, ever seemed to shut up and it was always at full volume.

The adults were much, much worse then the kids at this and it just went on and on. So there you are sitting on top of a lofty peak trying to enjoy the beauty and majesty of the view around you - but all you can hear is this endless babble of:

"Oh X I am so proud of you you have done so well!",
"I have the biscuits, who would like a biscuit? Biscuits anyone?",
"Team photo now - Y and Z put your drinks down, boys stop frowning, girls further this way..."

and so on, you get the picture.

Of course it is a good thing to take your kids on long walks and certainly encouragement is needed but why oh why do some people feel they need to bray at the top of their voices the whole damn time regardless of the fact that they are surrounded by other people trying to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the countryside! Is this their normal out of doors voice do you suppose? Or is it done because they think that talking in loud, hearty voices demonstrates to other people what a good time they are all having?

Aaagh!

Eventually Mr 5foot5 found us a path down the mountain slightly different to the route that the noisies were taking and to our relief we got in the pub at the bottom and out again just before they arrived!

Oh god I feel your pain.

There are some people who just can't seem to do any kind of activity without a top volume running commentary clearly intended for an audience. I think you're right - its about validation. They could all be having the same experience without the braying, but they need to be seen and heard to be enjoying it.

Oh *RunawayWife" that was a bit naughty but it made me snigger

The family were enjoying themselves I really dont see the problem, maybe annoying to you but they were happy so leave them alone, if you want silence go visit a library!

This annoys me too. It's a small island and it's hard to find peace and quiet but very necessary at times.

MrsHarkness I certainly don't expect silence but this families "enjoyment" was carried out at the expense of everyone elses appreciation of the day.

personally i believe the motto "live and let ive" is valid here. how wonderful that a group of people enjoy being out and about together enjoying the best of britain-it may be that particular group of people's first get to gether for months and were therefore expressing their happiness!! i remember as a child that when entering a library, gor forbid if you spoke louder than a whisper!! now librarys are far more inviting, provide excellent facilities for all, and encourage people to talk and share their comments on books, authors etc. surely being in the great outdoors shouldnt stop you from having FUN?? i certainly prefer to be with happy gregarious people ,rather than moaning minnies

Why didn't you just sit down a bit longer and let them get a good way in front?
I think YABU -of course a group of good friends and family walking together are going to be chatting and bantering.We have spent teh weekend at an otherwise lovely seaside campsite and had to put up with chav 'club anthems' thumping out at full volume til midnight

You might be happier not doing a popular circuit with pub at the bottom and a car park.

I went to see Will Self talk the other day and he was talking about this - how if you go to, say, a NT beauty spot, it is absolutely packed out with people. But go a hundred yards away and there's nobody there at all. (Like when you found your alternative path).

Was it to the expense of EVERYONE else or just a few families? I would much rather see families/groups enjoying themselves and being noisy and allowing the children to enjoy themselves and create happy memories rather than groups of people expecially children traipsing around with a face like a wet weekend because they have been told to be quiet and behave themselves for fear of disturbing others. Those children will have wonderful memories of days out with their families whereas other children who have been stifled and quietened down will have memories of boring days out being dragged around and being moaned at by the adults, I know which one I would rather have and I know which one I would rather my children have.

hear hear, mrs h!!

paisleyleaf it is a popular circuit for a reason -it is a damn fine walk!

I have no problem at all with there being lots of other people there - certainly didn't expect glorious isolation on such a lovely day! Nor do I have any issue with people happily chatting away and enjoying themselves. It was the sheer volume at which this lot conducted their exchanges. Noone expects hushed tones and discreet whispers, but what is wrong with having a conversation in a normal talking voice? It was the fact that they had to bellow all their comments to each other.

Surely a family can chat and interact without a constant barrage of inane top volume comments?

There is a happy medium here.

Yes, being dragged around and stifled into silence isn;t enjoyable. But equally, it isn't enjoyable for a child to be part of a group that won't shut up: 'have you eaten your sandwich? Eat it up! Good boy! Who wants a biscuit? Look at the lovely view everyone! right, time for a photo, look at the camera, smile everyone!' Aaargh! No one needs that.

Live and let live....sounds like the other family were having a lovely time..nowt wrong with that

We had a very similar situation in the Yorkshire Dales this week too!
DH said IWBU at first, but after a while, even he was saying "oh God, here they come, let's get going."

Aaah... we were in our local Country Park this pm and dh asked me to be quiet because dcs and I were playing Street Fighter (lots of yelling, chasing, running around and laughing). Sorry if we annoyed anyone

I have to say MintHumbig if that's true "We all live life with a running commentary. Nothing is too small to be commented on, praised for or generally observed by the whole group. "

then I totally agree with your last comment "We are social pariahs blush"

you should stop over-loud comments / praise on everything - it does nobody any good

lazarusb - I don't think a game is wht the OP ios on about - that's not the parenting for the public crap that everyone recognises

lazarusb - activate is right. I don't think I would find anything in the least annoying about your fun and games in the park. It sounds as though you were making a noise because you were enjoying yourself, not to demonstrate to everyone how much you were enjoying yourself IYSWIM

We always try and get rid of the irritation by giving them names and doing impersonations (not so they can hear)and turning them into a joke. It would also spur us on to walk faster and leave them well behind.

a bit annoying - but part and parcel of popular routes in a National Park on a sunny day in half-term. I live in the Peak District and learned long ago to stick to the lesser known spots on sunny days/school holidays. If you get to know an area well they can be found, I can assure you.

I encountered similar at a big zoo a couple of weeks back - a large group of school children we couldn't quite manage to shake off for a while. We tried to speed up or slow down but as soon as we got to an interesting enclosure, they'd decend, about 15 of them, tapping on the glass and scaring the animals away, and generally just shoving in front of us and giving us the shits totally.

They had as much right to be there as us. But I still wanted to let one of the lions loose on them.

I was in the lakes this half term too and was really worried it might be my family you were talking about. There were only four of us though. We have loud voices - a family feature- and I could easily imagine people being annoyed by us (blush). Thing is we get into our own little bubble and become unaware of the other people around us. I do agree with you though. It is annoying and we will have to try to remember this thread.