Do you know your neighbours?

[d9f1c7]

On News24 this morning it was going into the fact that vast swathes of us don't even know the names of our neighbours. Is neighbourly interaction good/bad/necessary? I must confess that I know only the first names of 2 of the neighbours in the whole street!

[jomifl]

We know about 88% of our neighbours within a 1/2 mile radius, but there are only 8 families.

[Ankou]

i know all the people in my road, we have get togethers, garden parties and so on.

[EvianBaby]

I know the name of the wives either side of me. Can't for the life of me remember their husbands names and I don't think I even know what the other neighbours look like.

[RATTER15]

We know all our neighbours in our road, some better than others.

[Booldawg]

on 'good morning' and occasional tool lending terms. Its all pleasant enough but there's no going round for coffee or anything like that. it usually ends in tears, especially when woman/kids are involved.

[China Doll]

I know upstairs and next door to the right quite well and will chat to them (begrudgingly, I don't like small talk) if I see them. I know next door to the left by sight and to say hello to. I'm not particularly interested in knowing the neighbours and don't see why I should. If I had a neighbour who I thought was particularly vulnerable then I probably would make an effort but otherwise I can't really be arsed.

[sandyRoe]

I've got to know the neighbours better since one of them submitted plans to demolish their house and build a block of flats in its place.
It has cost some of us a few hundred quid each to oppose their plans.
The barstewarts!

[Ankou]

i wouldn't say we are bezzy mates nor nuffink, but we make the effort to be sociable and have drinks together. half the time i wonder whether its a chance for some of em to show off a new purchase. "oh henrietta, is that a new chaise longue...." or "oh no simon thanks for inviting us, when did you get the new aston....?"

etc.

[boxtops]

we are very good friends with two houses in this road, neighbourly with two others, nodding terms with some, don't know at all who the others are.

[NOX]

Our houses are detached and distant from one another in our lane but yes I know my two nearest neighbours personally.

[ojread2]

I know my immediate neighbours either side, their names and children's names
My daughter plays with neighbours children with who she also goes to school

[anneasquith]

i know all my neighbours (6), one or two i wished i didnt :(

[sp1814]

When I lived in a Victorian garden flat a few years back, I knew the bloke in the middle floor and the girl on the top floor, possibly because we were all of a similar age.

However, now that me and my partner live in a house, I realise that we really don't know or speak to any of our neighbours...except the lovely girl opposite who alerted me to the fact that I'd left my keys in the door after returning home from shopping one Saturday.

[LoftyLottie]

I have three sets of neighbours, two of which have been neighbours for 30+ years and we know each other very well and are very neighbourly. The third is an absolute nightmare who we have nothing to do with whatsoever. Also know lots of others in the location, although not neighbours, mostly on first name terms. Living in a tiny rural area has its advantages. None of us live in each other's pockets but there is always someone to turn to.

[LoftyLottie]

I would point out that none of us have anything to do with the third set, not just Mr LL and myself. I have heard on the grapevine he is moving - can't wait!!!

[peashaq]

We know our neighbours very well and we're going to get rid of them (A.Salmond)

[sp1814]

Oh, and "Is neighbourly interactiion good/bad/necessary".

Ideally yes - but the structure of how we live has changed dramatically in the past fifty years or so. There are so many single people whose lives revolve round their friends rather than their neighbourhood.

And the 'desensitizing' nature of tower blocks don't help either.

[daffy654]

I know the names of many of them but the only ones I would willingly associate with live directly opposite us. The immediate neighbours are noisy and anti-social scum.

[tara20]

I know the names of most of the dogs in the area, but don't ask me their owners' names ;-)

[Ann]

We are very lucky down our end of the street, we all know each other as most of us have lived here for many years so there are no young families or teenagers. We are so fortunate that we are all friendly, there are no real anti-social ones, or ones who are noisy etc, we all try to be neighbourly without being in each others houses all the time.