The Topper- been there done that.

Marnie, that is so sad. x

Great thread! It brought back memories of my first neighbour. Not long into our first house and had invited them in at Hogmanay as we were house-bound with young family. We had a nice night but a few weeks later she informed me they had got rid of a lot of their furniture as they thought our house looked a lot bigger as it was so cluttered. The reason for that was that we couldn't afford more furniture and when I heard the stuff they got rid of included a piano which I would have given anything for and it was years before we could buy one (second hand even then)it was a bit annoying! She was 20yrs older than me and should have know better but it continued and went on with her choosing similar wallpaper, kitchen units, etc. It ended when we told her we were putting our house on the market and they managed to get their on before ours but luckily we sold first and moved out without a backward glance. It did hurt me a bit that she behaved like that as she was kind to our children and could have been a good neighbour and I suppose she was but that kind of behaviour does get you down a bit.

A neighbour of ours is a dreadful 'Topper', she's alienated just about all of the other neighbours on the road.
Her main thing is her son, he's got a better career than everyone else's DC, drives a better car, has a posher house, spends a fortune on foreign holidays, everything about him and his life is perfect. This alone would be bearable, but she belittles everyone else's family.
However, she's walking around studying the ground lately, and has finally stopped 'lording it' over everyone, because her oh so perfect son has just been jailed for fraud and theft!
I admit to having just a tiny little giggle when the news hit the local papers!

Thats called comeuppance Juggernaut. I would have had a chuckle too.

Have a SIL like that ,looks over everything I have with an expression of distaste,I get the once over from toe to head ... her daughters are the same...all done very well,beautiful popular etc blah blah ..my brother talks over you/at you...never get word in edgewise...have long standing friend I haved named Mimi...as that is what you get...I just listen cant be bothered to even attempt to tell them anything.....think I must be pretty boring ..just keep my thoughts to myself and let them get on with it

I had a couple of "friends" who seemed to enjoy all of my (many) misfortunes, whilst they continuously bragged about their perfect lives, children, houses, holidays, how rich they were etc. I used to see them every Friday and spent the weekend feeling very bad about myself. I moved house, not very far away, but far enough to have a good excuse to not see them very often.

When a Topper begins their reply with, 'Tell me about it,' I want to shout, 'I JUST HAVE!'

pheonix snap my exDH is like that, he tries to make his Delivery Room experience more important that both his wives deliveries of a total of 5 children, and quite often launches into (on the phone) ''women make too much fuss whereas...'' before I remind him he is talking nonsense.

I have a 'topper' friend who is extremely competitive and devoutly C of E. Her husband has dreadful rheumatoid arthritis so I am loath to stop having a cuppa now and again but the money boasting is way over the top the more the anxiety.