He sounds like a total sleaze. I’d prioritise screening him out one way or another. He could easily stand having a cigarette facing the other direction…
My thoughts exactly. If you do put a screen or trellis there, put it well away from the fence so he can't peer through at you.
We got a water feature at our local garden centre about 3 years ago which consists of about half a dozen small waterfalls. Sound is lovely. It isn't plastic and I nearly have hernia whenever I have to move it.
Tell me about it!
I only had to move it once, when I installed mine, on my own.
I'm pleased about that as it weighs 157lb.
When I got mine they brought it out to the car on a sack truck and loaded it into the car for me. That wasn't much help when I got home and needed to get it back out.
If you part own the fence you might consider some bamboo screening similar to this https://www.screwfix.com/p/apollo-bamboo-garden-screen-4-x-2m/5339k and fix it to the fence for additional privacy. Our neighbours have done that to the bottom half of the garden as their parents now live in a timber cabin at the bottom of the garden (that's another story). They aren't overlooked by us, but are from houses which run at right angles to our houses.
We got a water feature at our local garden centre about 3 years ago which consists of about half a dozen small waterfalls. Sound is lovely. It isn't plastic and I nearly have hernia whenever I have to move it.
Tell me about it!
I only had to move it once, when I installed mine, on my own.
I'm pleased about that as it weighs 157lb.
When I got mine they brought it out to the car on a sack truck and loaded it into the car for me. That wasn't much help when I got home and needed to get it back out.
That sounds tough.
Mine arrived in a large stout cardboard box strapped to a pallet. I imagine it had come from America in the carton. It was securely wrapped in heavy duty hessian coffee sacks, there were enough beans left to make a cup of coffee had I a mind to.
I managed to get it out of the box and onto a sack truck at the side entrance to my garden. I strapped it down and dragged it up the two steps and along the path to near where it was to sit. Then dragged it along a bit of plywood into position. Not something I'd like to do again.
I meant to ask this earlier but, how was he even able to message or text you @gilla.walmsley? Did he already have your phone number, and does his wife know he was doing that? As @Wild_Violet says - why does he need to smoke his manky fags in that position, looking into your plot? My daughter had a friend at school, whose father was like that. I wasn't remotely interested, but needless to say, it made it very difficult when she wanted to have the friend round, or to go there to play. I was a single parent at that point, and I became increasingly uncomfortable, especially after a specific 'incident'
I know what you mean about the cameras @JennyJ, and you do have to be quite careful, but it was more about the action of doing it that I though might just have an effect
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I think they left me a note with his mobile number on not long afterwards when letting me know about some work they were having done so I replied to that, hence he got my number. Right from the get-go the volume and content of texts was just way, waaay too over familiar. I have always tried to be polite but abundantly clear that I'm not interested in engaging in personal conversation. Obviously it would be easier to be harsher if I didn't have to live next to them for years to come! He started to follow me on social media at some point (not sure how he found me) and then the commenting starting. I genuinely don't think there is anything sinister in it, from my own experiences there is a sub-section of men who see a single, young (ish) girl and just assume I must be desperate for a partner or some male attention
The funny thing is, the couple that used to live their with their young daughter were so lovely - during the first lockdown and my first summer in the house we grew quite close and used to hang out quite a bit. They would bring me round a plate of food when they had a BBQ and I looked after their little girl a couple of times etc. It somehow worked out that the dad and I had exchanged numbers about house admin stuff so we were the two who used to communicate (and have still kept in touch after they moved!) but it has never once felt odd or inappropriate and always feels like a 3 way conversation with his wife involved too, just through his phone! It goes to show how different these things can feel and how it really all is about context and intention.
Fairygirl - manky fags indeed, his voice is also just so loud and aggressively cockney too! (I'm obviously from the same part of the country but his is... more pronounced shall we say!!)
I've got someone coming round to quote me for the garden works today - very excited!
I really hope you get a good solution @gilla.walmsley. Take your time with the plans and quotes you're given, and make sure it's what you want. I know exactly what you mean about how messages can be fine in some circumstances, and totally inappropriate in others too. In my case, it was before mobile phones, so that was easier! The fact that he's 'found' you on social media is creepy though. Can you block that, and make it clear the reason you're doing it? I don't use Facebook or any of these other things, so I have no idea how they work.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
You can block people on social media so no need to interact there. You can also block numbers on mobile phones. You possibly need to be a bit more pro-active in that area?
We got a water feature at our local garden centre about 3 years ago which consists of about half a dozen small waterfalls. Sound is lovely. It isn't plastic and I nearly have hernia whenever I have to move it.
Tell me about it!
I only had to move it once, when I installed mine, on my own.
I'm pleased about that as it weighs 157lb.
When I got mine they brought it out to the car on a sack truck and loaded it into the car for me. That wasn't much help when I got home and needed to get it back out.
That sounds tough.
Mine arrived in a large stout cardboard box strapped to a pallet. I imagine it had come from America in the carton. It was securely wrapped in heavy duty hessian coffee sacks, there were enough beans left to make a cup of coffee had I a mind to.
I managed to get it out of the box and onto a sack truck at the side entrance to my garden. I strapped it down and dragged it up the two steps and along the path to near where it was to sit. Then dragged it along a bit of plywood into position. Not something I'd like to do again.
Yup. It was only when I got it home I noticed the 38kg label on it. I ended up cutting the box away in the boot of the car and, thankfully, the water feature was in two sections. Now it's put together it can only really be moved as one item.
Good luck with the quote etc. today If they are any good, they may come up with ideas that you (and the forum !) hadn't thought of yet. Are you getting more than one quote? The general consensus is to get around three if possible to give you a good comparison.
Posts
If you do put a screen or trellis there, put it well away from the fence so he can't peer through at you.
When I got mine they brought it out to the car on a sack truck and loaded it into the car for me. That wasn't much help when I got home and needed to get it back out.
As @Wild_Violet says - why does he need to smoke his manky fags in that position, looking into your plot?
My daughter had a friend at school, whose father was like that. I wasn't remotely interested, but needless to say, it made it very difficult when she wanted to have the friend round, or to go there to play. I was a single parent at that point, and I became increasingly uncomfortable, especially after a specific 'incident'
I know what you mean about the cameras @JennyJ, and you do have to be quite careful, but it was more about the action of doing it that I though might just have an effect
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The funny thing is, the couple that used to live their with their young daughter were so lovely - during the first lockdown and my first summer in the house we grew quite close and used to hang out quite a bit. They would bring me round a plate of food when they had a BBQ and I looked after their little girl a couple of times etc. It somehow worked out that the dad and I had exchanged numbers about house admin stuff so we were the two who used to communicate (and have still kept in touch after they moved!) but it has never once felt odd or inappropriate and always feels like a 3 way conversation with his wife involved too, just through his phone! It goes to show how different these things can feel and how it really all is about context and intention.
Fairygirl - manky fags indeed, his voice is also just so loud and aggressively cockney too! (I'm obviously from the same part of the country but his is... more pronounced shall we say!!)
I've got someone coming round to quote me for the garden works today - very excited!
I know exactly what you mean about how messages can be fine in some circumstances, and totally inappropriate in others too. In my case, it was before mobile phones, so that was easier!
The fact that he's 'found' you on social media is creepy though. Can you block that, and make it clear the reason you're doing it? I don't use Facebook or any of these other things, so I have no idea how they work.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Yup. It was only when I got it home I noticed the 38kg label on it. I ended up cutting the box away in the boot of the car and, thankfully, the water feature was in two sections. Now it's put together it can only really be moved as one item.
If they are any good, they may come up with ideas that you (and the forum !) hadn't thought of yet.
Are you getting more than one quote? The general consensus is to get around three if possible to give you a good comparison.