November 11th. Early morning wake-up call

Last night Lisa & I took Elizabeth & George to Star City to spend a couple of quid on the arcades. We got back at about 9.45, watched 'Take Me Out' and went to bed. Lisa got up at 5 and went to work. I carried on sleeping.

8.08AM bang, bang, tap tap tap tap tap tap tap. Bang Bang Bang Bang, tap tap tap. On the wall, right behind my bed. Then again, alongside our room - against George's wall. Bang Bang, tap tap tap. Then in unison.

Initially, I thought birds were on the flat bit of our roof, but when it started in Georges room it became very obvious that our neighbours had realized we were having a lie-in. This is a rarity, as we have a 2 year old which dictates everybody's waking hours!

When it was going on in his room and mine simultaneously, it was proof that it was yet another attempt from our neighbours to wind us up. I turned on my phone, it unfortunately takes about 3 minutes to fire up, and by the time I got it running to a level where I could use the (admittedly, ropey) camcorder function, they'd stopped.

It got me thinking about noise in the bedroom, and how knowing that they listen to everything we do and then try to cause trouble, how that has affected our bedroom life. It's killed it. To be fair, it was dying anyway, as far as that room is concerned. It's next to the kids! But joking aside, it's a worry we shouldn't have to fret over.

Whilst lying there this morning, wondering if they were going to start the banging again, I took a picture of my headboard:

It's been like that since we moved in, cushioned so it doesn't bang the wall. Not from our rampant activities (that don't happen there, aforementioned kids!), but because I'm an insomniac, and I do turn over and over all night.

Another case of us being sensitive to our surroundings, yet still being under attack and spoken of as 'nuisances'.

November 8th - Local Community Support Officers called - against us!!!

So following today's events, the police community support officers turn up at our doorstep. Bill & Mary called them to complain against our noise. Though the officers had to remain impartial, which is totally understandable, they were clearly aware of the bigger picture. They weren't aware of this blog, and of the calls to the police from us documenting the harassment we receive from the neighbours (Bar the incident where the neighbours daughter attacked lisa for absolutely no reason whatsoever). They were lovely and polite, took away the address and said they would check the logs.

I'm sure that'll be it for a while, but I'm fed up now and am going to move. I have enough stress in my life to be dealing with without having this farcical situation thust upon me by two spiteful neighbours.

Third time lucky?

November 8th - veiled threats again.

9.30 start mopping, put some music on, fairly loud - house to myself. Make sure front door is shut (it joins the living room, which adjorns neighbours house)

10.00 They send their Grandson round (the one they threatened us with once upon a time)"Can you turn it down". Me "Yep, after the housework, in around 15 minutes.

Bill and Mary our actual neighbours appear, they're all getting into a taxi, so they're not even going to be in!

Mary pipes up "We can hear it every morning"

ME: "Yes, usually between 10 and 12 when the kids are at nursery. We could have it on technically between 7.30am and 11pm, that's the when the noise pollution law is in place, but we don't, just in the morning"

MARY: "Whilst you're doing your downloading, we'll see about that"

ME: "No, when I'm doing the housework (Hold dripping mop aloft)"

MARY: "We can hear it all the time" ME: "No, just in the morning, especially the once a week George is in nursery, such as now - thus, mopping!" MARY: "Yeah yeah, well, we'll see what happens then"

Another threat despite me actually making sure the music is on at a reasonable time of the day and only for a short length??? They definitely seem to be starting a trend of complaining again lately. They don't know how good they have it, we get the kids in bed for 8/9 every night, we don't have loud music on after 3pm, and only for a short while in the morning. UPDATE: Spoke to police about the case, as they told me to update them - the original offiecer has left, and the person I dealt with gave me generic answers about noise being the councils problem - despite the fact that the issue isn't so much the noise, as the neighbours pestering us at any given opportunity, so it feels like we're on our own now. Again.