Streetlife

I'm not a Tennant but yeah i agree.ain't JUST council houses though.i an opp the jaguar garage nr boundary and even private ones are messy.maybe a"club"for gardeners would work, kind of you weed my back I'll weed yours (:

Sorry i use text to speech and is not too clever.

Most abled body people do  like to keep their gardens in a tidy order. Others through age, disabilities, or whatever who can't or dont keep their gardens tidy, might argue the council are cutting back on our services such as; attending comunal areas like grass verges etc. not doing street cleaning very often, allowing parks to deteriate, so they don't set a good example to residents

Simon, Richard - I agree too. So many front (and presumably back too) gardens are messy, unatractive and unproductive (i.e. unused for veg etc). Most owned by able-bodied people (at least in my road). Don't people care how their property looks?  And don't let me get started on wheelie bins................why do people leave them on the pavement???.....

I am not sure it helps when there is additional optional costs for garden waste bins, as unless you are into gardening it may not be money you choose to spend. Personally we enjoy tending our garden and keeping it nice but when I was younger this wasn't the case and it was a chore.
Re wheelie bins on the street - laziness in most cases but in our old flat we were in a block of 4 and we had 3 wheelie bins, 1 food bin and 1 glass box each! That was 20 bins to fit at the back of our flats! We just about fit them there so they weren't on the street but any more and we wouldn't have had space.

to be honest, our front garden grass is VERY long, but the simple fact is, our lawn mower was borrowed by brother in law, who broke it, and out strimmer went kapput after 10mins of using it!  yes, it looks scruffy, but to spend at least £60 on a new mower is about 2 weeks food shop etc for our family, and is definately NOT at the top of our priority list! on the plus side, our toddler loves bug-hunting in the grass! so educational!!

An alternative could be to borrow a pair of shears and kneel and cut it. The grass could be left to dry out in the sun( I know dont even go there.....What sun), then you have some hay which you could then give to some neighbor who has a guinea pig or rabbit in a hutch. !  Just an idea. 

Lol yeah kneel down with some nail scissors....nooo.I personally can come n cut it love.I'm a Yorkshire man and would be happy to show you all what being neighbourly IS! get me on here Ruth

Also instead of walking PAST and tutting at messy gardens, if bothered by it anyway (:, knock on the door and see if you can HELP? Unfortunately judgement isn't only at the pearly gates and were all guilty of judging.
I do agree (getting back on topic) that the council need to sort their bits too but in Yorkshire folks cut embankment grass etc themselves....couldn't Norwich?I get that we shouldn't HAVE to, but wee do so f***it.

Sorry not Ruth...Fiona b.
At very least I'll lend you my mower.(:

Maybe a few of the people doing community service should be put to task doing favor jobs. Anyway,  that is very neighborly of the man from Yorkshire. As long as there was no arterial motive behind it. Good on yer.

Hi nooo not any ulterior motives,I just thought that's why we're all here?
Just being neighbourly (:
I miss home tbh,i miss how people are. Its not hard to be nice and not take the p¡*$.don't get me wrong there's nice people everywhere just maybe more guarded.

I was only joshin' with yer Richard. I think that was a lovely gesture .

Terry B, I hear what you are  saying, but regardless of what the council do or do not do, where is the individual pride in keeping your own ( not you especially ), garden / area presentable. If one has a council house / flat, unless there are mitigating circumstances, it is part of ones obligation as a council tenant to maintain the garden / outside area to a reasonable standard. Too many people think along the lines of " well this is not mine, I don't own it so why should I be bothered". It SHOULD be down to personal pride and  being accountable for the area for which you have taken on , and as part of the contract between tenant and council.

Thank you very much Richard, and were it not for the sudden bit of good luck i've had, i would definately take you up on the lovely offer :) 

some small pockets of areas do have sucj a community friendly feel but i agree its a shame theres not more (i was born in this house, and had same immediate neighbours all my life!)

Ok that's cool glad you're sorted.

Re; Gardens; Simon C, Richard H and Fiona B;  the way I see it is if you are able to do your own graden, and take pride in doing so...fine, lots of my generation (bus pass brigaide) still love to do their garden and those who can...do so! But  those who can't and have no family to help them..can't! Young people, single parents etc. who put the appearance of their garden in a low priority because of obvious reasons,and committments are all part of Streetlife, and should not really be judged upon how their gardens look.

Excuse spelling in previous POST, I tend to rely on 'spellchecker'

Sorry Terry, I am not going to get all left wing, fluffy and PC especially about single parents and young people.
Part of the problem is the council housing certain people in housing with gardens even if those Tenants have absoloutly no intention of tending said garden. However, being a single parent or young is not an immediate disability tag. Sometimes its just lazyitis.
 I am in my 50's with a disability, I work 40  plus hours a week I have a couple of hobbies, I manage to visit my 84 year old mother 10 miles away every week and do chores for her, I do my share of the housework and shopping at home, and I STILL have time to tend my garden as well as grow vegetables.
As for the elderly who cant manage it any more and or have no relative to give a hand, there is always the mow and grow scheme available through the council. Sometimes it is free, sometimes there is a nominal fee,

Maybe, if some of the people who's gardens look like a tip, but sit in in the morning watching Jeremy Kylle, Turned off their 42" plasma t.v's and went and got some fresh air and turned over a few sods, they could at least grow a few veggies, thus cutting down their shopping bill.

Hey get lost!i enjoy my Jeremy Kyle grrr.
The point is outlook Simon, to many (mothers etc) your well is an easy one, I'd swap with you also, some of us are busy (: you wanna do mine?
Let's not clump,i watch Jeremy Kyle....I'm also a teacher and charity worker that also fosters kids.you'll find me watching jezza if you want me.

Hey Richard, sounds like you ARE busy . I admire anyone who fosters children. .As Michael Jackson sung I think, " children are the future", so anyone who gives them a helping hand as well as guidance in life has my vote. And a teacher too, Except for the permanent texy speaketc, another wonderful job, and God bless you , I certainly couldn't do that. My employment is the opposite end of the scale, plus the disabled. My ragging was not with you, it is with people who think it is their natural born right to sit on their spotty, lazy don't give a sh-t arses and expect money to come to them. Lets face it , people used to manage years ago before so many handouts were put into place. I really hate the thought of people popping out kidsand expecting the rest of the country to pay for them to be brought up. Part of the reason you and so many others have to foster kids is because in SOME cases, they come from exactly these type of backgrounds. One also can not use the excuse all the time of backgrounds and demographics, look at Mo Farrah in the Olympics and his start in life. A wonderful example of why people do not have to follow in their previous generations footsteps.

Richard H;. Each to their own it's a free country.

yes its kinda free, for now.working for the"government"i see how, as a society we're having our hands tied under the guise of one thing or another, so the community feels helpless....maybe I'm getting too deep now lol.
Simon haha i know I'm a bugger for txt speak.I'm quite lazy tbh and use "text to speech"or vice versa! Sorry (:
Also can i just say i call Norwich home and I'm very keen to help out in the community.(in-case i sound like a nob.
Peace

And thanks Simon.sometimes i think"why do i bother"lol butt i guess we all do eh (:.
We've fostered since I got back on MY feet after a major life f**k and i love it.
Cheers sir.