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Thursday, March 3

Good fences make good neighbours.



Our neighbour left yesterday, returning back to Essex after being here for a few years.
I would like to think we have been good neighbours. On many an occasion she has asked Jon to fix various things for her, which he did so gladly. Her sit on mower, strimmer, electrical stuff. When she had problems with her water supply we told her to use ours, even running a hosepipe through the paddock and into her drive. I have shopped for her, we phoned her regularly during the bad weather to see she was ok. A keen crafter I often placed orders for her via the internet. I would like to think she knew she knew where we were should she have ever needed anything.

A week or so ago we heard she was returning back down South to be with her family. A few times I was in the paddock tending to the chickens and shouted over to her, the usual greetings or weather observations - you know the normal neighbourly exchanges - but she never said anything about moving.
On Monday we were both walking to the mobile library so I asked her if she was all sorted re moving. "Well there is so much to do ON MY OWN" she emphasised! I asked her when she was planning to move - "Wednesday or Thursday if I get everything done - without ANY HELP!" "It is so difficult when I haven't had any help from anybody!" Fortunately at this point we were at the library van. She banged her books on the counter and announced she could be deleted from the records as she wouldn't be using the library anymore, because she was moving back down south. I made my choice of library books as she left the van, no further words were spoken.
Yesterday, 6.30am the removal truck arrived and after packing and shifting various boxes etc. it left the village, followed by neighbour in car. 

The cottage is rented and we know our new neighbours - a young couple with a young baby. Robbie's family have lived in the village for 3 generations - all farmers. His parents are our neighbouring dairy farmers, his brother works on the farm too. Jon and Robbie get along together - it should be fun.
We get on with all our neighbours knowing them all by name and always exchanging greetings when we pass in the village or at various events - but with departing neighbour? I just don't know. 




22 comments:

  1. Oh dear! Maybe her comments were directed at her family and perhaps she didn't want to move back to Essex. How sad, though, when you'be obviously been very good neighbours to her. At least your new neighbours will feel welcome.

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  2. Oh, poor you - but don't feel bad - you've obviously been a great neighbour. I expect she was all churned up and emotionsl (a possible reason, but not an excuse, for her comments). Good that you know your new neighbours and get on well.

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  3. Fences both separate and combine. It just depend on who lives on each side. One can choose ones friends, but very often not ones neighbours.

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  4. I wouldn't let it upset you, you know that you treated her well as a neighbour. It sounds like you've got some nice new neighbours now who will appreciate your friendliness and kindness.

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  5. I think she was angry with her family. Maybe they were forcing her to move and she wasn't happy about the decision. And then they didn't even come to help her pack. Had she wanted your help, surely she would have asked, since she wasn't shy about it before.

    Sounds to me like you were exemplary neighbors and have nothing to feel bad about.

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  6. I am not upset really just could not understand why she was miffed. She has wanted to return home for some time.

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  7. Moving is a really stressful time. Like, a really, REALLY stressful time. I know that, when I'm under a lot of stress, I'm very cranky and quick to snap ... and the person I snap at is almost never the cause of my short temper. It makes me feel terrible sometimes. If I had to guess, she was trying to get some angst out.

    And you sound like the best neighbor ever :-)

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  8. Nought so queer as folk! I am never ceased to be amazed from friends let alone aquaintances! x

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  9. There's no accounting for folk, is there? Bad temper or not there was no excuse for her behaviour. Not even to mention that she was leaving was total bad manners. Your new neighbours sound much better.

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  10. She was probably stressed. You can live next door to me anytime!
    Jane x

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  11. Nowt so queer as folk Denise - even if it was aimed at you I can't understand it, I wouldn't want my neighbours going through all my stuff to help pack, I'd rather do it myself thank you very much!

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  12. Some people are just never satisfied and prefer to 'not remember' kind deeds. Never mind Denise, you know you helped her when she needed it. x

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  13. What a wonderful photo. As for the neighbor she is gone now and what great new neighbors you will now have.

    I had the time to read your older post and I want to tell you how much I enjoy reading about the chickens !

    cheers, parsnip

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  14. Good neighbors are very important ! fortunately we have a very good relationship to all of them.

    I don't know what happened with my InLink, you changed it and people landed on my F post from last week. My title too had disappeared. What happened ?
    http://gattina-keyholepictures.blogspot.com/2011/03/abc-wednesday-g.html

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  15. This sort of thing is so hurtful isn't it? A friend of mine rang her friends who live about ten miles away and found that the line had been cut off - they had moved to the Cotswolds without saying a word - and this is people who spent Boxing Day each year in each other's houses on alternate years.
    There's nowt so queer as folks, as they say up here.

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  16. Oh I am a monster at moving time LOL having moved so many times, I get like Kevin "It's SO unfair, I have to do eberything" which of course isn't true, it just feels that way. I can only imagine she is feeling the weight of it all, as we gals tend to do.

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  17. Well we live on the main road through the village, not conducive to stopping and chatting, and most people spend their gardening time in the back, where we are divided by hedges and in some cases tall fencing, so the old-fashioned mardling over the garden wall is unheard of. Plus we have elderly neighbours for three doors down on one side, a working couple on the other. Neighbours across the road we know by name and know they would help in a crisis. But that's about it. However, being a private person and not prone to standing around chatting, this suits me! Enough to know they are there if needed, and they know the same about us too.

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  18. As many have said "nowt as queer as.." and all that.
    Funny buggers, neighbours... though and I'm sure I'm as queer as the next folk :)
    We get along with ours, we like to think, but they have their moments. Some are even slightly wary of me because of run-ins they had with my dad, and he's been gone a good while now. Mo

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  19. Just ships that pass in the night, Denise, don't take it to heart too much. You were so hospitable when
    Mr.H and I called ages ago, that your new neighbours will not go wanting in the friendly folks department.
    We are about to have a family of six, all ages, moving into one of our empty farmhouses too, and they are a jolly well mannered bunch, so something to look forward to for us all.
    Lv Mrs.GH.

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  20. At least a local couple are living there now. It's so hard on younger locals when they are priced out of even the rental market.

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  21. You're lucky you live in an area where you can chat with the neighbours. I do a bit here, but mostly people tend to keep to themselves. I'm sure she was stressed out and didn't mean it towards you at all. I hope you get on with the new neighbours.

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Thank you for your comments, always nice to know somebody has taken the time to let me know what they think.