• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

Creepy Small Villages

I've mentioned before that creepy Buckshaw Village (really now a town) in the North West of the UK. Son's friend had to move there for work recently. Within a couple of days of moving in a couple of neighbours complained to him that his green garden utensil bin (brand new) in his back garden was not appropriate to the area. The same week washing his friends very small (but new) van on the drive, another neighbour asked him how long "that van was going to be on his drive". In both cases he ignored the idiots (a man after my own heart). I do know that in some estates it is a condition that no vans can be parked on your drive - surely an infringement of liberty?- but still.

A place to be avoided at all costs I would say.
 
Pete, the van objection might be due to a local covenant on the land preventing certain activities. Round here you cannot keep pigs in back gardens, certain types of fencing cannot be used, restrictions on business advertising etc. My house has one that forbids the sale of alcohol on the premises.
 
PeteS said:
I've mentioned before that creepy Buckshaw Village (really now a town) in the North West of the UK. Son's friend had to move there for work recently. Within a couple of days of moving in a couple of neighbours complained to him that his green garden utensil bin (brand new) in his back garden was not appropriate to the area. The same week washing his friends very small (but new) van on the drive, another neighbour asked him how long "that van was going to be on his drive". In both cases he ignored the idiots (a man after my own heart). I do know that in some estates it is a condition that no vans can be parked on your drive - surely an infringement of liberty?- but still.

A place to be avoided at all costs I would say.
Click to expand...
Those neighbours would have a fit around here.

Although to be honest, it does annoy me when people don't take their bins in and have their gardens looking slummy etc.
Had one of those sort a couple of years ago. I hated the horrible oik.
 
Eyespy said:
Pete, the van objection might be due to a local covenant on the land preventing certain activities. Round here you cannot keep pigs in back gardens, certain types of fencing cannot be used, restrictions on business advertising etc. My house has one that forbids the sale of alcohol on the premises.
Click to expand...
Yes you have to look at restrictive covenants very carefully when buying new or very modern houses. I suspect most people don't.
 
Frideswide said:
The rotting sofa and the disembowelled fridge or washing machine...
Click to expand...
Even bins annoy me, let alone those sorts of things.

Some people have to keep their wheelie bins at the front if they live in a mid terrace (I wouldn't, but it makes it easier for them so a lot do), but if you're going to do that, at least have it parked neatly, keep it clean and the lid down.
I would put some trellis around them to help hide them as well.

A lot of these rough types though, like my ex neighbour, don't seem to understand how bins work. You put it out, the bin dude takes it away and you take it back off the pavement as soon as you can- not leave it on the pavement for over a week, especially when it's outside someone else's house. He also used to chuck the recycling out of his kitchen window (at the back) and if it missed the crate he just left it to blow everywhere.

And the idiot even used my bin without asking, which didn't go down well.

As for vehicles, I don't really care as long as the owner isn't a twat.
 
I'm just back from a long weekend in London (did ya miss me?) and passing innumerable houses which have clearly been turned into flats, from the number of bins out at the front has made me realise just how UGLY is the average wheelie bin. I saw some beautiful old houses (now flats) with quite attractive frontages, ruined by the addition of multiple bins.

I guess forcing everyone to have bin stores would be a pain, but why aren't houses equipped with a place to keep bins?
 
Space & size of property.
The 'trend' now is to maximise occupancy for whatever building is adapted into 'buildings of multiple occupancy'. The house wot I grew up in was a large, end-of-terrace Victorian. Judging from Streetview, this has now been turned into four different flats.
Thus, buildings which once might've had one old dustbin has now 2 per household.
 
catseye said:
I'm just back from a long weekend in London (did ya miss me?) and passing innumerable houses which have clearly been turned into flats, from the number of bins out at the front has made me realise just how UGLY is the average wheelie bin. I saw some beautiful old houses (now flats) with quite attractive frontages, ruined by the addition of multiple bins.

I guess forcing everyone to have bin stores would be a pain, but why aren't houses equipped with a place to keep bins?
Click to expand...
The aforementioned former kn*b head neighbour who moved to another rented property- a semi detached in a nice area/road - still keeps his outside his front door (I walk past with the dog occasionally - and sometimes I accidentally knock his wing mirror in) and they're not even neatly positioned, just dumped, when it would be very easy to take them around the back.

Everyone else on that street keeps them hidden. Why on earth you'd want them outside your front door anyway, I don't know.
When I heard he'd moved there, I knew straight away which one his house was.

It would be very easy to put up a trellis frame to hide them in any case.

Perhaps it's a status symbol, like with the ubiquitous shopping trolley that you always see outside scummy places.
 
My cottage has its drawbacks, but fortunately when someone installed the shed they put it in with clearance behind it, which forms a brilliant out of sight place for the bin. recycling and random bits of wood and card that I am positive will come in useful one day. Only problem is that it means I have to drag the bin the length of the garden, down a flight of steps and out of the shared right of way. Fine now, but I can foresee a day when a full bin combined with the steps might be a wee bit much.
 
catseye said:
My cottage has its drawbacks, but fortunately when someone installed the shed they put it in with clearance behind it, which forms a brilliant out of sight place for the bin. recycling and random bits of wood and card that I am positive will come in useful one day. Only problem is that it means I have to drag the bin the length of the garden, down a flight of steps and out of the shared right of way. Fine now, but I can foresee a day when a full bin combined with the steps might be a wee bit much.
Click to expand...
Can't you get your cupboard tenants to take the bins out, or are they too busy on other tasks?
 
trainn.jpg


maximus otter
 
Stormkhan said:
Some people decorate their bins. I believe there's even plastic sheet-stickers with foilage etc. sold.
Click to expand...
Our bins are often used as al fresco easels if I'm doing a spot of painting or spraying. I'll then paint numbers on the bins or touch up the ones I've already done. Works of art, my bins. :cool:
 
Swifty said:
Wychnor in Staffordshire is inbetween Burton on Trent and Lichfield and is a suitably Fortean type of place as any IMO .. I spent most of my teenage years there, the name translates as 'valley (or 'vale') of the witches' .. originally called Hwickinore, Roman encampments are also recorded, the hamlet was later ruled over by Phillip de Somerville who lived at Wychnor hall and also started the tradition of the gifting of a flitch of bacon to any couple who could not argue for a year and a day.
Click to expand...
I have lived in Staffordshire for , oh , must be 17 years nearly , so I must give it a visit.... Talking of spooky names , my mother's maiden name was Wycherley and I consider myself a proud Wycherley so I guess I need to seek out where that name derives from
 
gojiramonkey said:
I have lived in Staffordshire for , oh , must be 17 years nearly , so I must give it a visit.... Talking of spooky names , my mother's maiden name was Wycherley and I consider myself a proud Wycherley so I guess I need to seek out where that name derives from
Click to expand...
I remember one of my sister's ex husband would refer to my two sisters and my mom as THE WYCHERLEY WOMEN in dark reverence
 
gojiramonkey said:
I have lived in Staffordshire for , oh , must be 17 years nearly , so I must give it a visit.... Talking of spooky names , my mother's maiden name was Wycherley and I consider myself a proud Wycherley so I guess I need to seek out where that name derives from
Click to expand...
One thing you need to know is that you'll be turning off the fast moving A38 onto a a tiny stone bridge that looks like something out of Postman Pat just to warn you. It's tiny so use your indicator in loads of time to pull the possibly dangerous turning off safely (I had to learn to drive there). Vehicles are cranking 70 behind you up to here ..

https://www.instantstreetview.com/@52.742675,-1.72661,11.06h,-10.06p,1z,Lt8gJk_uJ0JVWEKNyYIiug

Then you're on Wychnor Lane. There's no shops or pubs there, the church is down the road to the left which I've just been told is going to be decommissioned due to lack of attendance. After that, it's a long straight narrow road that will eventually lead you to Wychnor Hall on the left. I expect they've got a bar or snacks or a lunch menu these days. There's not much else to see other than that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wychnor

When I was a teen living there, a much older couple loaned my Dad a historical collection they'd built on deeper bits of Wychnor's history including brief mentions to the witch naming connection (nothing 'juicy' as I remember it sadly). I asked him what he'd done with that scrapbook when we left Wychnor, I think he passed it on to a neighbour I'm still friends with so I can ask my dad if you're interested? .. he usually makes back ups, I don't know if he did with that but I know the bloke who might have the 'master copies' with any luck.

edit: I've just emailed my Dad. He knows where those records are now and hopefully we can find out more later.
 
Last edited:
gojiramonkey said:
I have lived in Staffordshire for , oh , must be 17 years nearly , so I must give it a visit.... Talking of spooky names , my mother's maiden name was Wycherley and I consider myself a proud Wycherley so I guess I need to seek out where that name derives from
Click to expand...
MrsF's old boyfriend had that surname. He was from Shavington (near Crewe).
 
gojiramonkey said:
I have lived in Staffordshire for , oh , must be 17 years nearly , so I must give it a visit.... Talking of spooky names , my mother's maiden name was Wycherley and I consider myself a proud Wycherley so I guess I need to seek out where that name derives from
Click to expand...
I did a quick Google, and once I got past reading about the Wycherley Murders (honestly, I'm so easily distracted...), got this:

from Wycherley Hall in Stanwardine in the Wood (Shrops) which is recorded as Wycherley in 1396. The place-name derives from an uncertain first element (perhaps a derivative of Old English wice 'wych elm') + Old English lēah 'wood woodland clearing'.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top