Keep it Green

[Bod ...]

Nice to read somebody else with civic pride. Well done for making an effort and shame on the council jobsworths.

My late Great Aunt lived on a stretch of road set back from the main road. In between it and her road was a large section grass with trees. The residents helped maintained that patch of land and even planted bulbs which flowered in Spring. She was the last 'original resident' of that road, having lived there since 1947. They're all gone now and the new owners, although alright to talk to do not care a jot for 'curb appeal' -- none have maintained the patch of land on the front, they all park on it and have torn it up with tire tracks. Having been to that house since I was born I hate driving past it.

I remember my late Great Uncle who would be out on the front every week pulling up weeds, painting his front wall every other year, keeping the windows washed, etc.! I'm proud to keep the front of my own home well-presented.

Thank you.


There was a time when my town was clean and well kept. It now seems many don't give a ****

 

[Brigadier]

True my dogs shìt does belong to me. However I've often picked up others dog poo that been left on the path so that people don't step on it
(Mrs Bod has also)

Do I carry that around with me on my walk? Or do as I do stick it in a random bin that's been left at the edge if their garden?

You've already said that you'll carry on doing as you please, so why ask me?

 

[Bod ...]

You've already said that you'll carry on doing as you please, so why ask me?

I like your opinion

You've never waited to pick up someone in your car on a double yellow line.

You are as I see whiter than white.

Ironically that makes you a top fella as I see it.
Nothing less

 

[Odds]

HappY EartH DaY
​

 

[robinbanks]

I can't imagine the earth is happy on any day!

 

[Ihavenojob]

I got land on the side of my house that I have always maintained.

Ask the council if you can buy it,

Think yourself lucky. Bristol charge £21 for the bin and £50 p.a. to empty. Been charging from day one - which is quite a few years ago.

£85 pa here for 26 collections pa.

 

[Bod ...]

Ask the council if you can buy it,

Have and they said no

 

[Odds]

Have and they said no

How much would it cost to buy? Land ain't cheap. Ask again, with an added caveat that a proposal to improve a patch of waste ground would be good for the environment, then ask them if such an improvement would qualify for a reduction in your Council Tax in future, if they took up the initiative outlined in the OP.

 

[Bod ...]

How much would it cost to buy? Land ain't cheap. Ask again, with an added caveat that a proposal to improve a patch of waste ground would be good for the environment, then ask them if such an improvement would qualify for a reduction in your Council Tax in future, if they took up the initiative outlined in the OP.

I couldn't afford it now what with all the time I've not been working..

I applied to buy the land for roll on roll off parking.

It would have taken upto 3 vehicles off the road.

I would have landscaped it to look good with lighting and a bin for public use that I would manage.
I said I'd keep the original hip rose plants as well as other flowers and plants.

Wasn't interested.

 

[conny]

I think our garden waste service is about £70 this year. Never used it as I compost my own cuttings and burn/shred any branches & twigs. The ash or shreddings then go into the compost to help with the nutrients.

 

[robinbanks]

I applied to buy the land for rolls on

Would you be able to afford it if you sold someone them?

 

[Bod ...]

Would you be able to afford it if you sold someone them?

I'll go back

 

[diy_fun_uk]

Nice to read somebody else with civic pride. Well done for making an effort and shame on the council jobsworths.

My late Great Aunt lived on a stretch of road set back from the main road. In between it and her road was a large section grass with trees. The residents helped maintained that patch of land and even planted bulbs which flowered in Spring. She was the last 'original resident' of that road, having lived there since 1947. They're all gone now and the new owners, although alright to talk to do not care a jot for 'curb appeal' -- none have maintained the patch of land on the front, they all park on it and have torn it up with tyre tracks. Having been to that house since I was born I hate driving past it.

I remember my late Great Uncle who would be out on the front every week pulling up weeds, painting his front wall every other year, keeping the windows washed, etc.! I'm proud to keep the front of my own home well-presented.

Although you need to be careful not to look at history through rose-tinted glasses (i.e. there were horrible neglected places to live decades ago just as there are now) I think broadly, more people took greater care of their property and the surrounding area compared to present day. Some of this was due to the post war era (WWII) when areas were rebuilt/rejuvenated and when people moved into newly built council estates, often coming from dwellings that were no longer fit for purpose. So they tended to take greater pride.

As you've touched on, my mum will tell stories of how my gran kept her council house spotlessly clean, including the step at the front door and the path leading up to the door. She would also scrub the pavement area immediately outside her house, a few feet either side. Many of the residents did this, meaning most of the pavement was always clean.

I moved into an ex council house with mum ~30 years ago. Next door lived an elderly couple who had lived there for decades. They were in the old school mould referred to above. I couldn't believe it when we hadn't long moved in, I looked out the living room window one day and there was the old boy from next door sweeping up fallen autumn leaves from a grassed area outside our houses! Needless to say, a few years later when he was too infirm, no one else took that batten up!

Of course nowadays many people still keep their property in good order, however I suspect the number of people faithfully scrubbing their front step or tending the (public) area immediately outside their property has dropped significantly.

 

[conny]

Nice to read somebody else with civic pride. Well done for making an effort and shame on the council jobsworths.

My late Great Aunt lived on a stretch of road set back from the main road. In between it and her road was a large section grass with trees. The residents helped maintained that patch of land and even planted bulbs which flowered in Spring. She was the last 'original resident' of that road, having lived there since 1947. They're all gone now and the new owners, although alright to talk to do not care a jot for 'curb appeal' -- none have maintained the patch of land on the front, they all park on it and have torn it up with tyre tracks. Having been to that house since I was born I hate driving past it.

I remember my late Great Uncle who would be out on the front every week pulling up weeds, painting his front wall every other year, keeping the windows washed, etc.! I'm proud to keep the front of my own home well-presented.

My mum & dad spent over 30 years in their last house and turned the gardens into a haven. Dad completely ripped out the patchy front lawn(?), and created a beautiful rose garden over the next few years and won prizes in the local church fete. They did the gardening purely for pleasure and I think me and my sisters inherited the bug, (no pun intended).
After they had both died, we sold the house and around 12 months later I went back to the area to see a few old friends/neighbours. The new owners, (who didn't know who I was), had ripped the roses out, cut down the well kept privet hedge and removed the gate and posts. In their place was a mish-mash of paving flags just dropped on the bare soil with two old cars sitting on them. One of which had a severe oil/hydraulic fluid leak of some sort. I thought Onslow from 'Keeping Up Appearances' had moved in! So I'm standing there for a few seconds, just looking, and this bloke comes to the door with his wife(?) behind him. He asked me what I was looking at and I said I was just remembering the way the gentleman, who lived there before, had beautiful roses in the garden. Can't remember the exact words now but it was basically, We're not interested in all that crap, (sh*t), too much f*c*ing about, plus a few other comments about waste of time etc so I just walked away.
A year or two later I was looking on Google maps for something and decided to have a loo at my parents old home and was totally gobsmacked to see the huge back garden was like the remains of a battlefield! It looked overgrown in places, the flowerbeds didn't exist, the fences were bent and leaning and there looked like a trampoline laying on it's side all bent and twisted. It was actually heart breaking to see such a sight. I felt sorry for the neighbours having to put up with people like that moving in.

 

[Odds]

My mum & dad spent over 30 years in their last house and turned the gardens into a haven. Dad completely ripped out the patchy front lawn(?), and created a beautiful rose garden over the next few years and won prizes in the local church fete. They did the gardening purely for pleasure and I think me and my sisters inherited the bug, (no pun intended).
After they had both died, we sold the house and around 12 months later I went back to the area to see a few old friends/neighbours. The new owners, (who didn't know who I was), had ripped the roses out, cut down the well kept privet hedge and removed the gate and posts. In their place was a mish-mash of paving flags just dropped on the bare soil with two old cars sitting on them. One of which had a severe oil/hydraulic fluid leak of some sort. I thought Onslow from 'Keeping Up Appearances' had moved in! So I'm standing there for a few seconds, just looking, and this bloke comes to the door with his wife(?) behind him. He asked me what I was looking at and I said I was just remembering the way the gentleman, who lived there before, had beautiful roses in the garden. Can't remember the exact words now but it was basically, We're not interested in all that crap, (sh*t), too much f*c*ing about, plus a few other comments about waste of time etc so I just walked away.
A year or two later I was looking on Google maps for something and decided to have a loo at my parents old home and was totally gobsmacked to see the huge back garden was like the remains of a battlefield! It looked overgrown in places, the flowerbeds didn't exist, the fences were bent and leaning and there looked like a trampoline laying on it's side all bent and twisted. It was actually heart breaking to see such a sight. I felt sorry for the neighbours having to put up with people like that moving in.

It's a shame to see such a garden neglected and i get the feeling an offer to reduce Council Tax to such people wouldn't make any difference - they probably avoid paying it if possible. It feels like one step forward, two steps back, sometimes.