[TheCaptain]

Oh, and my immediate neighbours are my in-laws  and they're a fricking nightmare.

Mine too 
My father has a hoarding habit and as soon as we clear a space (to make it look at least half tidy !) he fills it with some more rusty, rotten old junk, or 'bargain' ebay purchase 
My mother is just mental and as soon as we plan to do something - whether go out, head out logging, fencing etc, something more important of her's that needs done just happens to come up and it's demanded that Bruce and I help  That's fine and while it's inconvienient we can re-plan, but there's never any return offer of help or even a thanks 

Given our time again we wouldn't have made the move to be with my in-laws. We bought the place to 'live the dream' that they'd had for decades. We got the chickens, we got the pigs, we got the sheep, we got the cows. They then decided that they hated the lifestyle and have nothing to do with it     

we're starting to make money through various ventures with a big project coming up - suddenly they're interested again, but it ebbs and flows. My MIL is a control freak who suffers from manic-depression and seems to think that her daughter's life (Mrs Captain) is terrible. Actually, Mrs Captain loves her life but no matter how much the MIL is told she won't have it.

Oh, and it's always my fault. 

[jaykay]

Oh, and it's always my fault

well, obviously 

seems to think that her daughter's life (Mrs Captain) is terrible

mmmm, no projection going on there then, wonder exactly who's dream it was?

[Sylvia]

I so wish that O.H's mother lived next door (I love her dearly) instead of the ####%@## who lives there now.

[suziequeue]

At the end of the day - much as we try and hide it - our insides do show. Those who are ugly on the outside are ten times uglier on the inside and they have to live with that 24/7.

When people behave crappily I just wonder what it must be like to walk a mile in their head and a grateful that I am happy, fulfilled and healthy through and through.

[Mel Rice]

Ive got four neighbours that border our land. One runs a B+B with a 'hay hotel' (German thing!) they regularly bring scraps for the chooks and are lovely. The next house had an old lady and her son...I think the old lady must have died and the son may have another house elsewhere as I only see him occasionally when he mows the grass...very friendly though. The old boy who shares our drive died in Jan, The son is taking over the house as a holiday home but live over an hour away...again very plesant. Our fourth neighbour has a very friendly husband with a funny(not haha)wife. But she is funny with everyone so its not us!!

I also have other neighbours from accross the road who come over with peelings/scraps and for a chat...well it makes me improve my German even if I dont understand every thing they say!

[dixie]

We only have 2 neighbours, next door and across the field. Next door are 'new money' people, she's ok a bit dim he is a complete *********, they have no control over their dogs, who pinned my son against a fence and bit him, they constantly block our access and built a massive eyesore house and ripped lots of trees out. I am waiting to win the lottery so I can buy them out and flatten the house 
Across the field are ok, keep themselves to themselves really.

[Small Farmer]

Our immediate neighbours with whom we share a party wall and a driveway have gone away for a few days.  I know this only because granny and the woman who looks after their cats are visiting and the enormous BMW is missing.  And I know the woman who's looking after their cats, but only because I challenged her when I saw her poking around the house while her husband was parked outside the gate.

Perhaps they think that the Neighbourhood Watch sign at the end of the road applies to someone else.  They have a front door lock which you could open with a spoon to get the keys to the other BMW, the two week old one. 

We are on good terms, and I was parking my (old and very uncool) car when they left.  It would have taken ten seconds to say "hi, we're off for a few days".  Unless they've buried the kids in the garden and gone for good....

I'll get my shovel.

[Sylvia]

I have this hankering to have a house/cottage/shack at least a mile from my nearest neighbour. If it were only me I would find something in the fastness of Wales or Scotland or Ireland or somewhere and live there stress free with my animals.

[suziequeue]

Our neighbours are OK in that we all just get on with our lives and are civil to each other when we see each other. The people up the way are very secretive. I think he is a retired copper or they're on a witness protection scheme or something. I only worked out their surnames when I read the electoral role for our ward upside down at the recent local elections. When we first arrived we went and knocked on their door to say hello and introduce ourselves. She opened the upstairs window and said she couldn't come down as she was dusting  (she did look fully dressed!!)

The other side chap lives with his sister. A real tinker. Won't spend money on anything and the vet's been round on animal welfare issues in the past. His yard's a mess and even his sheep look tatty. He's always snooping about and has allegedly stolen licks and stuff from people's fields....but - having said that - I always stop for a chat when I bump into him and he's friendly enough and full of wisdom. He's alright really but my OH hates him.

[Sylvia]

Hmmm, dusting? I've heard it called all sorts but dusting??

[mcginty]

Our Neighbours! not very friendly.
we live in a rural hamlet with eight houses, two are pleasant and friendly.
The others are as i would describe as thick or dour. maybe this because i own and rent the land around them
One chap told me i was walking over everyone. I use the place, not sitting watching TV.
no egg sales , but can take them for free.
The good side is no one interferes with anything,

Oh! to live down a lane with no near neighbours.

[Small Farmer]

Years ago we moved out of town to a edge-of-town estate and realised that while in Central London we thought we were overlooked it was nothing to the 7 houses that now shared the view of our garden with us.  We couldn't stick it and bought a wrecked house in the nearest town centre to do up.  The shop on one side never used its garden, the office block behind was empty at weekends so it was far more private.

The suburban neighbours were all competing for newest/fastest/glitziest car or biggest house extension.  Hideous.

[MAK]

Neighbour update.

yesterday a neighbour ( house just visible on a hill across the lake) popped over to offer us some rabbits. We accepted and will collect on Thursday if I can find a sack.
BUT -
The concrete rabbit hutches we found and constructed about 3 months ago are now being used by our new muscovey ducks (mums sitting on their clutches).
We explained the situation to our neighbour as we gave her some rhubarb and custard cake and before we could ask to buy her unused rabbit hutches she had offered them to us.
So a good bit of neighbourly recycling notched up - but she did mention how she loved rabbit and that they are expensive in the supermarkets ! 

[deepinthewoods]

i havent got any neighbours, just as well really. the closest are about 3/4mile away, they live and work on the estate as do i, so we help each other out as often as possible. all very civil.

[Lesley Silvester]

MAK, custard cake sounds intriguing.  How do you make it?