Summer noise

Absolutely agree, Fflaurie drives me nuts. Had a week in a gite in Brittany, so quiet you could hear the trickle of a stream, bliss.
Children now are so noisy and in every shop are allowed to play shreiky, fast chase around the shop. No wonder they grow into such disrespectful horrors. French children are a delight so well behaved.
And don't get me on dogs, everywhere, everywhere along with their poo and poo bags. Sometimes I wish for bad weather, keep 'em all indoors.

We do intrude on one another all the time, as you say, Chiatriona. The difference is that some noises are impossible to control - off the top of my head, church bells, aeroplanes, passing trains, traffic - but others are inflicted on us, such as screaming (not just playing) children, barking/yapping dogs, balls bouncing on walls, loud music, whether from cars with open windows, scaffolders or people playing music in their gardens.

It is the latter group that cause annoyance, as the people making the noise could simply not do it, or take the trouble to teach their children or train their dogs not to do it. Lawn mowers/leaf blowers etc can be used late morning/early afternoon where possible, to minimise the chances of spoiling anyone's lie in or early night.

It's not difficult - yes, we have to live our lives, but we can consider others whilst doing so. On the odd occasion where we have to make noise (building work or similar) most people will be tolerant if it is kept to a minimum otherwise. I think it's as much the lack of respect as the noise itself that's annoying a lot of the time.

There are around 600 households on our estate but we're rarely bothered by the noise. Occasionally somebody will do a bit of DIY ourside normal hours, but not often.
Sometimes we get music wafting over the river from a concert at Kew Gardens, or from the local private park where they hold weddings, but it usually stops at 10.
The only noise that really annoys me is the diesel leaf blower that the gardener uses. There are hardly any leaves on the ground at this time of year but he still uses it, it's also very smelly.

Other people's noise is one thing, excessive noise like children screaming or constant noise for hours on end is quite another

I was walking the dog last month in the park next to an infants school. At the top of her voice
'I hate Mrs X, I hate Mr Y, I hate ...' as she listed every teacher, TA, dinner lady etc. As she paused for breath, a little lad's quiet voice could be heard 'I hate you Jenny'

You see Fflaurie, you don't have to be old like us for it to get on your nerves

Some people are being a bit harsh. Maybe they have noisy grandchildren. Everyone should have the choice to have peace and quiet in their own home and garden if they want to. But the world is not like that. We intrude on each other all the time. I am one who likes peace and quiet and luckily I have it but it has not always been so. Dogs barking can be unbearable. Also children screaming is so loud. Balls banging against a wall. But we don't hear out own noise of course. When I was a child I lived in a street of tenements and when I came in from playing I was sometimes hoarse from screaming all day. Poor neighbours. Controlling your own environment is a luxury for those who have the money to do so.. like so much else.

I live in Luxembourg and the local bylaws and the culture of most of the immigrants like me who live in the country and locals want a quiet Sunday.
Mostly we get a quiet Sunday and the majority of people do not drink, talk loudly, play music late in the evening.

The sound of children playing is one thing - that very high pitched screaming is quite another. Sympathies for anyone who has to suffer it. We had a family next door whose young children seemed to be permanently on the trampoline, screaming.
It honestly made me feel murderous. Mine were never allowed to scream like that.
It was such a relief when they moved away.

There’s nothing unusual or abnormal in being irritated by excessive noise. I am also irritated by the sounds you describe OP. You have my sympathy. The summer is full of noise as you describe. Personally, I don’t mind the sound of a single non motorised lawnmower along with the associated smell of newly cut grass, or a game of cricket and associated clapping with the occasional cheer. Also, it is lovely to have children playing nearby if they are taught how to behave and not to scream and shout, then they are a delight. If they are not taught any manners, consideration or behavioural limits however, they are not charming in the least. Sundays used to be a time of not disturbing others and having a nice quiet family day together either at home or out (without the excessive use of power tools or unending hammering, or loud music or any combination of those). I’m sorry this has changed and consideration for others seems not to be the norm any more. You have my full sympathy. I am certain there are considerate families out there too, but they go unnoticed.

I understand. There's been extremely loud building work going on very close, 6 days a week since March. I was hoping for some peace in my garden - it was not to be!

Fflaurie

I do love to hear children playing, but not screaming, I love the sound of birds, but can't hear them for the noise of garden implements, and I do wear noise cancelling buds when I'm out there, I would simply love to sit in my garden listening to the birds in peace.

I understand this. I rarely sit in the garden, not because of noise-aversion, but because I'm not a fan of sitting outside with wasps, the sun in my eyes and nothing to do, but I don't understand why children need to scream. Laughter and general playing noise is lovely, and adults entertaining and enjoying themselves is absolutely fine now and then, but screaming and the thud of balls against walls, or basketballs through hoops are like torture, as is loud music.

In the event that I do sit outside I don't want to wear headphones . The whole point is surely to be at one with nature and hear the birdsong.

My children weren't allowed to scream. If they made too much noise they got two warnings, and if it continued they were brought inside, regardless of whether it was they who screamed or friends playing with them in our garden. It is so inconsiderate of shift workers, the ill and anyone who has as much right to peace in their own home as other have to fresh air.

Yes, my grandson wears ear defenders all the time.

I teach so I understand autism. Many children don't go into assembly, the canteen etc...because of the noise. Or they wear ear defenders to cope.

Bukkie I'm sorry you have experienced such unkindness.
I feel sorry for the OP on this thread because she's recieved some unkind comments. My reference to autism was meant to alert people to the very real fact that some of us, my grandson included, find noise intolerable. I was asking people to take into account that we're all different and not to judge by how one is affected oneself. None of us know how another is feeling/affected.
My grandson is 16 and has been bullied throughout his school life.

I know what you said was meant kindly Aldom but as someone who prefers Autumn and Winter and dark nights I am always being accused of being boring, being miserable, being autistic, being pathetic, bring stupid, being antisocial to name a few insults I have been called over the years. Sun worshippers just cannot understand people like different things. I don't call summer lovers names but they seem to think it's acceptable to call Autumn and Winter people names.

Bukkie

Aldom - it's unfair to suggest someone is autistic because they don't like noise. Selfish people who inflict their noise on others are the problem and spoil summer for all.

What I said was meant kindly. I know how much my grandson suffers from other people's noise. I have already expressed sympathy for the OP regarding her situation.
It was after my first response that it occurred to me that the OP could be austitic and extra sensitive to noise.
I suggested this in an empathetic way.
And by the way, there's nothing wrong with being autistic!

We moved to a newbuild area where we are much closer to our neighbours than previously but we’ve coped with the extra noise. Or rather, I have, as Dh is deaf! We’re quite close to a playpark but that doesn’t bother me.

The worst noise comes from barking dogs. How do their owners manage to sit serenely in their houses when their dogs are outside barking non-stop? Luckily, if the windows are closed it muffles the sound but I feel sorry for anyone who has a baby or small child and lives next to these anti-social folk - especially the one whose dog sometimes barks at one or two in the morning!!

Why is it that children can no longer laugh and giggle? They have to scream as if a mad axe man is coming after them. In our previous house, the next door but one's offspring and their chums just screamed and screamed. In the summer, I just had to shut all the windows and disappear to the other end of the house. Atrocious. Unnecessary.

Thank you so much Whywhywhy! X

Happy birthday Crossstitchfan

Birds! that triggered another memory of living on the edge of west London . Summer, the green squawkers arrived en masse. Parakeets, not native of course, the explanation for their presence, apocryphal maybe? some escaped during the making of The African Queen at Shepperton Studios well they'd obviously adapted to a harsher climate because that was years ago. They were very prolific in the area where we lived and very noisy!

We have children in the gardens of two of our neighbours and they're really not that noisy, just shouting excidetdly and "letting off steam" as someone said.Noises of parties and barbecues doesn't bother me either. I like to hear people enjoying themselves. Anyway , wadda'ya' gonna' do when you you have your own barbie if you can't live with other peoples'?
About 8 o'clock every night at present a gang of Belgian Ring-Necked Doves have an almighty scrap in one of our garden trees which amuses OH and I no end.
Strimmers and Lawnmowers -it's usually us making the noise albeit within controlled French noise limitation time limits.
I'm sorry Fflaurie feels this way. Hope she's not a bit depressed.

I fully agree with you 1000%!

I hate the summer and all the noise.

I think the time has gone expecting people to have a bit of thought for others.
And tho I like hearing kids playing I hate the trend for girls of any age to scream their heads off everywhere from back gardens to pub gardens.

Aldom - it's unfair to suggest someone is autistic because they don't like noise. Selfish people who inflict their noise on others are the problem and spoil summer for all.

My elder son and his family live in Kew which is a beautiful place. Not far from the tube, lots of independent shops and the Gardens. But! It is in the Heathrow flight path. When I first stayed with them I couldn’t believe the noise. Low flying aircraft, one after the other. Another ‘but’ - one gets used to it. I would suggest the OP moves.