Regrets - back to land

[MoominPapa]

1 hour ago, restlessnomad said:

most neighbours are good, or at least as good as you... only a very few bad eggs... also if you own the house, your neighbour knows you are not going anywhere, and its in their interest too, to have a decent relationship.  

narrowboaters seem more asocial or at least more individualistic but because you don't live in close proximity for long period, there is less chance of conflict.

I'm not arguing with any of that.  I don't expect to fall out with the neighbours, it's just lack of an easy solution if I do which is a bit daunting.

 

MP.

[Naughty Cal]

1 hour ago, MoominPapa said:

I'm not rich enough to be able to afford a house where they could be entirely ignored.

 

MP

No need to be rich. If we chose too we could get away with having no contact with most of our neighbours. 

 

The only ones we need to get on with are the ones who have their driveway adjacent to ours as we see them on a daily basis. 

 

The others it really doesn't matter if we get on with or not as we don't see them often enough with how the houses are laid out.

[Athy]

59 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

 

 

The only ones we need to get on with are the ones who have their driveway adjacent to ours as we see them on a daily basis. 

 

 

A few six-foot fence pane;s along t'middle o' t'drive....

 

This reminds me of how much things have changed since I were brung up. Our back garden at 13, Gleadless Avenue in Sheffield had a privet hedge about four feet tall. So did everyone else's garden as far as the eye could see in both directions. People wanted to meet and converse with their neighbours, indeed I can remember Mum having conversations with other housewives three or four gardens away. Mind you she had the voice for it, like a corncrake amplified through a Marshall stack.

Edited August 24, 2020 by Athy

[peterboat]

17 minutes ago, Athy said:

A few six-foot fence pane;s along t'middle o' t'drive....

 

This reminds me of how much things have changed since I were brung up. Our back garden at 13, Gleadless Avenue in Sheffield had a privet hedge about four feet tall. So did everyone else's garden as far as the eye could see in both directions. People wanted to meet and converse with their neighbours, indeed I can remember Mum having conversations with other housewives three or four gardens away. Mind you she had the voice for it, like a corncrake amplified through a Marshall stack.

As I have said before know the area well cos of my ex Lynn. My mother was the same she used to chat to neighbours 4 gardens away its a Yorkshire thing

[Movin' on]

18 hours ago, RichM said:

Just before lockdown, I sold my boat, bought a house and moved back to land and have been forced to work from home ever since. - Something which wouldn't have been ideal long term on my boat albeit not impossible. You could say it was good timing or at least it was in that respect.

 

Living in a house again is much easier, more practical and obviously much more spacious in comparison. No longer am I forced to conserve resources, though my time aboard has taught me to do so. But it's nice to know that I'm not going to run dry. The only thing is; this house life has no real appeal to me what so ever. The scenery sucks and I can't change it, or at least not without leaving my home. Plus and perhaps more notably, there is no sense of community at all. - Everyone keeps themselves to themselves where I now reside.

 

I still find myself spending hours looking at boats online, but conversely houses have little appeal to me. It's fair to say I really miss boat life. (except the maintenance ) I frequently go for walks with the dog along the local towpaths and wonder if I made the wrong decision. Unfortunately having a boat + house would not be possible at this time, so I had to choose between a house or boat. I still ponder about perhaps selling the house (already) and buying another boat, but not only would that be costly, it's also (arguably) not the best time to do that given the current "climate".

Has anyone else had a similar experience?  Equally I'd be interested to hear of any stories/suggestions/words of wisdom. 

Similar experience but I bought a day/weekender to resolve the issue and keep the boating interest alive and I do enjoy the lack of constraints that come with house life  - baths and unlimited hot water being the number one ?!

 

[tree monkey]

57 minutes ago, peterboat said:

As I have said before know the area well cos of my ex Lynn. My mother was the same she used to chat to neighbours 4 gardens away its a Yorkshire thing

Or being called in for my dinner, I swear she could be heard a mile away

[peterboat]

21 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

Or being called in for my dinner, I swear she could be heard a mile away

True, me on rec mother a mile away heard her as plain as day!

[Naughty Cal]

12 hours ago, Athy said:

A few six-foot fence pane;s along t'middle o' t'drive....

 

This reminds me of how much things have changed since I were brung up. Our back garden at 13, Gleadless Avenue in Sheffield had a privet hedge about four feet tall. So did everyone else's garden as far as the eye could see in both directions. People wanted to meet and converse with their neighbours, indeed I can remember Mum having conversations with other housewives three or four gardens away. Mind you she had the voice for it, like a corncrake amplified through a Marshall stack.

Most of the gardens here back onto each other with 5ft fences between properties. Ours being a corner plot though doesn't have any over looking at all and thanks to a cock up by the contractor ours is fully walled by an 8ft wall as well to makes it extra private.

 

We had the low privet at the last House and were not keen purely from a maintenance point of view. It took some looking after, well until we got ghe Gardener it did.

[restlessnomad]

16 hours ago, MoominPapa said:

I'm not rich enough to be able to afford a house where they could be entirely ignored.

 

MP

may be move up north, everything is cheap and lovely including people... ?

[mrsmelly]

Funnily enough a couple of weeks ago I decided living aboard was getting harder for me mainly due to health reasons. Wife is gutted as she never again wants to live in a house, not even one with fab views and location like our last one. However I have started to look with a view to buying and moving off the boat after over 30 years. Looking for a change of boats was always interesting but looking at houses on line is beyond boring but needs must. Looks like a cracking boat will be up for sale before much longer ?

[Naughty Cal]

7 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Funnily enough a couple of weeks ago I decided living aboard was getting harder for me mainly due to health reasons. Wife is gutted as she never again wants to live in a house, not even one with fab views and location like our last one. However I have started to look with a view to buying and moving off the boat after over 30 years. Looking for a change of boats was always interesting but looking at houses on line is beyond boring but needs must. Looks like a cracking boat will be up for sale before much longer ?

Now those are words I never thought I would hear or see written!! 

[mrsmelly]

Just now, Naughty Cal said:

Now those are words I never thought I would hear or see written!! 

Nor me ? however it seems in the not too distant future I will need to be on dialysis and talking options through home dialysis will be for me?? I also think it's better to move freely than waiting too long and being pushed as it were if I wait till I am backed into a corner. The final call has not yet been made so we will see? 

[roland elsdon]

12 hours ago, peterboat said:

True, me on rec mother a mile away heard her as plain as day!

Where we were in uddersfield my parents used to ring a hand bell to get us in off the streets. Next door used to use a whistle.

[Naughty Cal]

1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

Nor me ? however it seems in the not too distant future I will need to be on dialysis and talking options through home dialysis will be for me?? I also think it's better to move freely than waiting too long and being pushed as it were if I wait till I am backed into a corner. The final call has not yet been made so we will see? 

I'm sure that the "right" house will come along much like the "right" boat does.

 

We didn't think we had any great attachment to bricks and mortar but it turned out it wasn't bricks and mortar we had an aversion too it was our old house. It took a long time to realise that but since we have moved and found the "right" house for us we can see the benefits of a bricks and mortar home.

 

You just have to find the right one now. Good luck with your search and of course your health.

[peterboat]

1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

Funnily enough a couple of weeks ago I decided living aboard was getting harder for me mainly due to health reasons. Wife is gutted as she never again wants to live in a house, not even one with fab views and location like our last one. However I have started to look with a view to buying and moving off the boat after over 30 years. Looking for a change of boats was always interesting but looking at houses on line is beyond boring but needs must. Looks like a cracking boat will be up for sale before much longer ?

Get a widebeam up north Tim should have enough room  and in a marina enough power. 

[MoominPapa]

2 hours ago, restlessnomad said:

may be move up north, everything is cheap and lovely including people... ?

Better, Donegal. Cheap and lovely and still in the EU. The only problem is that the Atlantic storms wipe out the population every winter and they have to import new ones in the spring for the sake of the tourists......

 

MP.

[mrsmelly]

19 minutes ago, peterboat said:

Get a widebeam up north Tim should have enough room  and in a marina enough power. 

We have thought of another comfy widey old bean but most kids live daarrnnn saaaarrffff so visiting would be more awkward.

[Naughty Cal]

2 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

We have thought of another comfy widey old bean but most kids live daarrnnn saaaarrffff so visiting would be more awkward.

Make them drive to see you. Problem sorted.

 

Better still educate them about the norf and bring them up with you.

[Mad Harold]

2 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Funnily enough a couple of weeks ago I decided living aboard was getting harder for me mainly due to health reasons. Wife is gutted as she never again wants to live in a house, not even one with fab views and location like our last one. However I have started to look with a view to buying and moving off the boat after over 30 years. Looking for a change of boats was always interesting but looking at houses on line is beyond boring but needs must. Looks like a cracking boat will be up for sale before much longer ?

A rather sad post to read.

Probably every live aboard boater will sooner or later find themselves having to make the same decision.

You have my sympathy.

[Ray T]

2 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Funnily enough a couple of weeks ago I decided living aboard was getting harder for me mainly due to health reasons. Wife is gutted as she never again wants to live in a house, not even one with fab views and location like our last one. However I have started to look with a view to buying and moving off the boat after over 30 years. Looking for a change of boats was always interesting but looking at houses on line is beyond boring but needs must. Looks like a cracking boat will be up for sale before much longer ?

Buy a plot of land by the cut somewhere, put a wide beam on the plot and you have the best of both worlds!!!  

[mrsmelly]

10 minutes ago, Ray T said:

Buy a plot of land by the cut somewhere, put a wide beam on the plot and you have the best of both worlds!!!  

Its easier said than done, we have looked but near on impossible to find.

[LadyG]

On 24/08/2020 at 11:04, Mad Harold said:

Have both. Buy a cheapie grp cruiser,and toddle off for weekends.

For less than 5K you could pick up a boat that is "ready to go"

....b...but , tben you are not livin' on a boat?

[LadyG]

On 24/08/2020 at 16:40, Naughty Cal said:

No need to be rich. If we chose too we could get away with having no contact with most of our neighbours. 

 

The only ones we need to get on with are the ones who have their driveway adjacent to ours as we see them on a daily basis. 

 

The others it really doesn't matter if we get on with or not as we don't see them often enough with how the houses are laid out.

I don't think that is the point.

[bizzard]

Jumbo coming back to land from the USA with it's mask on.

Nope, sorry missed it, it flew past while I was winding the film on.

[bizzard]

Ran after it.