[plumseverywhere]

Our lovely, tolerant, fun neighbours move out tomorrow (well the mum is 80 plus and the stairs are a bit much!) in will move new neighbours.
I am currently praying that they aren't townie types who hate animals, smells, noise, kids etc  how long do you think it will be before we know for sure? Do I bother taking a card and pot plant round (last ones I did that with have turned out to be right snobby and we are so far beneath them its untrue   ) kind of dreading the next few days and what it may bring....

[Fanackapan]

It is a bit of a worry - the unknown neighbour question , however, if you can forget your experience of the snobs from last time and go round with a warm welcome , at least you will know early on just who is sharing your space.

[plumseverywhere]

Will do. In fact might take a selection of smallholding produce eggs, plants, tomatoes, soap etc...that way they might see us as not just smelly, noisy neighbours from the start    Of course, half of me is hoping that they are real animal lovers that will beg to smallholding sit so we can go on holiday 

[Bionic]

Yes, I agree, start off on the right foot and go round and welcome them. They may be townies (as I am/was) but might like to integrate into the country life.
Who better than you to show them the way.
 
Of course you can always play the famous card. After all you have been on TV 

[plumseverywhere]

Yes, I agree, start off on the right foot and go round and welcome them. They may be townies (as I am/was) but might like to integrate into the country life.
Who better than you to show them the way.
 
Of course you can always play the famous card. After all you have been on TV 

I'm a townie too (londoner!) shouldn't generalise, my apologies 

[Lesley Silvester]

Will do. In fact might take a selection of smallholding produce eggs, plants, tomatoes, soap etc...that way they might see us as not just smelly, noisy neighbours from the start    Of course, half of me is hoping that they are real animal lovers that will beg to smallholding sit so we can go on holiday 

Good idea. They must have viewed the property so will know there are animals behind the property. I suspect you are worrying about nothing based on your previous experience.

[RUSTYME]

They may think that giving them soap means you think they stink ! , and that by giving them food you think they are poor or under fed !
They may be vegans , the eggs may not be wanted .
 But , they may just think you are a nice person and thank you for your gifts .

[plumseverywhere]

Now I'm too paranoid to do that! lol! thanks Russ!!!

we've just been blessed with our immediate neighbours, not many who actually thank you for having so much livestock - the elderly lady had a chair placed on her landing so she could watch the goats playing. Will miss these neighbours a lot.

[Roxy]

I think taking a gift of eggs, soap, whatever is a nice touch.  You have to give them the benefit of the doubt, and assume they will be nice and like animals.  Where we have moved to, as you will have read, next door were on about non existant goats etc, and the people next to them have blanked me when I said hello ....but I will not lose sleep over it.
 
At our farm, next door is always complaining about my livestock, noise etc.  He bought that property some years ago, and saw what was over the wall - he is now trying to sell ,and does not see that its the high price for what is in need of renovation house, and not my animals that put people off!!  He was actually surprised when one potential buyer  said they loved seeing my animals over the wall. Unfortunately they did not buy because of the work needed!!
 
We are not posh, and if people want to be snooty and ignore us, that's their problem.  Hopefully, your new neighbours will be nice, and you will have nothing to worry about.

[jaykay]

I'd pop round with some eggs and soap    You gotta start by assuming they'll be friendly and nice, and hope they don't prove you wrong.

This is advice from the woman who hope that the house next door to her never sells (it's empty at the moment) and that the owner lets it for holidays - than at least if they're a pain, they're only there for a week!

[stufe35]

Are  they in yet ? Have you made contact ?!

[ellied]

Def take eggs and what you produce so they a. know you're friendly and b. what you sell up front

Pot plants are townie gifts, encourage them to enjoy the new way of life and think of you as offering a source of fresh food and gifts for their envious old friends and neighbours.

I know the worry tho, my neighbours of a decade moved out a couple years ago and I was on tenterhooks but the current couple are better still, buying eggs, she comes for a massage, takes me to art class and is posh enough to have made friends with the posh neighbours nearby then took me with her when invited to use their pool one day during the heatwave!  Now that woman buys eggs from me too, I don't feel ever tidy enough or good enough around her but I think she thinks it's a nice thing to support the local impoverished smallholder or maybe just to buy eggs from hens she can see running around the garden. 

Trouble is, the couple themselves have nearly finished doing up next door and he's happy to stay til he's carried out, but she doesn't like the traffic noise (after a decade working in London!) and says they're putting the house on the market next spring to buy somewhere her sister can get a granny annexe with them.. (sigh) So now I am wondering about selling up too if I don't like the next lot, but maybe it'll be another pleasant surprise..  I'll certainly be taking eggs and mentioning I hope they don't notice the cockerel in the mornings.. or the ponies in mud outside the kitchen door in winter begging carrots..

[plumseverywhere]

So far, no-one has turned up...the usual neighbours washing is on the line still! looks like completion hasn't taken place as planned for today?
Soon as the new ones are here, I will take them some produce as a gift (including some of OH's homemade brew) - on the plus side, they know what they are moving into...they will have seen goats, sheep, chooks etc when they viewed (this is what I keep telling myself    ) 
That's exactly how I feel Ellie - you can't help worrying that you might not get lucky with new neighbours but then again, it could work even more into our favour.  Our land totally surrounds their garden so its really important we get on to an extent (the other few houses, I'm not too bothered about! they are far away enough for us not to have contact and that is where the posh ones with the smell under their noses live, our children aren't even allowed to mix with theirs - sad really)

[happygolucky]

I remember years ago when our neighbours left, I joked and said it was going to be 4 boys who all played in the local town band,,,,,and I was joking but spot on, except thy also had a girl around my daughters age, all went very well, sadly the mum, my age, died, not too long after we moved out and he ended up married to yet another old neighbour who we adored, she was a farmers wife previously but then married a mani ion
, she retired and took up aromatherapy and we had so many fun evenings with them both, he died and I re connected with her on FBI and saw she had married my other neighbour....small world. our neighbours here are perfect.....that's all I can sy, just hope we get as good ones in our next place

[escapedtothecountry]

Neighbours are funny! We were the "newbies" and were made to feel "not local" in spite of the father in law having lived doors down to the place we bought for 20 yrs.


Existing neighbour was snooty to every effort we made to make the place better (was fairly neglected). Told me my willow and native hedging wouldn't grow. Final straw was when he told me he didn't want me painting my outbuilding with masonry paint because it may produce a glare. I commented I didn't ,yech like looking at old sofas left to rot in his poly tunnel but he didn't hear me moan. Result..... He hasnt really spoken to us for a year unless he has to.


Funny thing is apparently he's been exactly the same to his neighbour on the other side of him, so we are in one way relieved it isn't just us.