Marching winds

Posted on March 17, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Anti social behaviour, Children's protest, Climate change, Flooding, March winds, Noise, Party, Rain, ResponsibilityLeave a comment

It’s still blowing a gale out there as the partygoers shout and swear and slam their car doors shut and head off into the night.

There’s been flooding in the Conwy valley in Wales and in the north west of England. Scotland and Northern Ireland have also had their fair share. The situation is relatively normal for this time of year, but the number of floods we get most years seems to be increasing.

In the meantime on Friday young people from across the world went on strike again from school to protest about the state of the climate and how it is getting close to more than a 1.5 centigrade rise in average temperatures. If this happens the world climate may not recover and it is the young who will have to live with the consequences. Scientists have said that if things don’t get better in the next 12 years the world will reach a tipping point into climatic chaos.

It is interesting to reflect the differences in attitude of the partygoers tonight and young people across the world. It seems a tenuous link, but I think it may be valid. The difference between bad behaviour, fighting, swearing and a peaceful protest.

I leave you to decide.

Bump bump bump

Posted on March 17, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Angry, Annoyance, Anti social, Blogging, Can't sleep, Deafening, Disturbance, House music, Life, Loud, Loud music, NoiseLeave a comment

It’s 1.30am and I’m being kept awake by a fast low beat and occasional bursts of shouting from the pub across the road. I will not identify them because I don’t wish to have trouble from them. But there are young families in the street and the noise has been getting worse recently after quietening down for a while. So I’m sitting here plotting revenge like raw prawns tucked under the seats? (Imagination only, I won’t follow through). But when you can hear the music over an adventure movie we were watching earlier you know its loud. Im hoping this is the last record as they tend to turn the sound up at the end of the night? No another record has come on. More thud bump thud. Like a fast heart beat.

The volume goes up and down. Like someone is opening a door and letting more sound out then closing it again. I think the people listening will be stone deaf by the time they are in their fifties! Me. I’m going to make a nice big mug of cocoa and try and relax… Oops loud again! Grr

Noise outside

Posted on February 27, 2019February 27, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Disturbed, Life, Milk bottles, Nervous, Night, Noise, Prowler, What's happening?, Who was that?Leave a comment

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My heart is thudding in my chest. I just heard something outside and now I don’t want to go to bed!

I put our empty milk bottles outside near the bins. They in turn are pushed up near the gate at the side of our house. The bottles are glass and they are out of the way so you can’t see them at night. About 10 minutes ago I heard one get knocked over. Then the shadow of a figure walked past the glass in the front door. I’d got the living room light switched off as I was preparing to go to bed.

We had my husbands motorbike taken a year ago although we got it back. We also had a bicycle stolen a couple of months ago. This has bought all those memories flooding back.

After a couple of minutes I turned on the living room light and looked out the door up the hill. I saw the figure of someone in a white hoody wandering slowly up the hill. What bothered me was he turned round and looked back. He was too far away to see features – about 100 yards so I doubt he could see much of me. But I’m in a dilemma. I’m tired out because I’m ill. On the other hand I want to stay awake a while longer in case he comes back. Logic tells me this is unlikely because he knocked over the bottle and secondly because I now have the light on and I looked out at him…. .

I hope he feels as spooked as I do! I have turned the radio off so I can hear any other sounds. We are having a ground anchor fitted for the motorbike and getting a heavy duty shed to store the bikes so hopefully that will deter people in future. A lot of these things are not planned but are done by opportunists . But I’m not going to bed yet!

Update: decided to ring the police. They will get someone to keep an eye out for him if they are in the area.

Incessant chatter

Posted on February 13, 2019February 13, 2019 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Chatter, Chatting, Life, Noise, Poem, Poetry, Quiet, Sound, TalkingLeave a comment

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All I hear is chatter, chatter.

Shelves in the shed

Now who’s dead?

Rugby goal posts

Radio hosts

He can’t stop talking

About mamod trains

Steam engine running.

Gas and Electric

Phone call chatting,

Constant rattling…

Over the radio,

Over the TV.

My mind switches off.

I’m overwhelmed.

By his talking at me

To me.

Just…

SHUT UP!

The wind is moaning

Posted on December 9, 2018 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blogging, Fun, Humour, Life, Moans, Noise, Sound, WordPress2 Comments

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Like fingers plucking at strings, or air blown across the top of a bottle.

We knew we had bought cheap windows. But I didn’t expect the moan when the wind was in certain directions.

First the front window started to ululate gloomily, a long rising note, not too high pitched. Only when we have a northerly wind does it start up with a tune.

Then we noticed one of the kitchen windows joined in with its own moan. This does not happen when the trees are covered in leaves. But when the shelter blows away as autumn progresses the light moaning starts to return, gradually deepening as a storm intensifies.

You really couldn’t get more excellent moans. Just add the motor from the fridge making puppy dog whines as it starts spinning up and you have a whole set of spooky sound effects even when you least expect them.

Angry voices

Posted on November 18, 2018 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Angry voices, Noise, Nuisance, Peace, Public house, Short story4 Comments

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1am, the pub opposite is letting people out after a night of music and booze. I hear, but don’t see the clatter of bottles being thrown in the skip. The punters are waiting for taxis or a lift. Then one ugly angry voice is raised. I won’t go and look. I know that they sometimes get really rough over there and I don’t want to intervene. I have heard fights in the past outside our door, women screaming at each other. But I’m fearful of reprisals, my car is out there, near them, old and battered it doesn’t need any more damage.

Shouts, angry voices swearing and cursing. Oh go away, get your taxis home. Unfriendly men with a chip or two on their shoulders . Car horn peeping, laughter and a fairwell. Diesel engine growling. Headlamps shine in through the window as a car three point turns….. Its getting quieter Some voices fade off into the distance. Others shout goodbye. Another Saturday night is over.

Noises outside

Posted on October 11, 2018 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Dark, Life, Night, Noise, Sleep, TiredLeave a comment

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It’s dark outside and I heard clunking noises out there a few minutes ago. I got a torch and turned out the kitchen light so I could shine it through the window Couldn’t see anything. Then I checked the front and back doors were locked. And tried to see through the side window at the front of the house. But staring out all I could see was the padlock on the gate.

Waiting as quietly as possible is difficult when the fridge suddenly starts up when you are trying to listen out for extraneous sounds.

Now I’m nodding off. It’s early in the morning and I can hardly keep my eyes open. I’ve not heard any more noises, except the cats chasing each other.

I can hear my heartbeat in my ear. I really need some sleep.. So I’m going to bed.

So this spooky tale has me going to sleep .. Not spooky at all really…..

Noises

Posted on August 9, 2018 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Blog, Cats, Humour, Life, Noise, WritingLeave a comment

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I live in an old house, which creaks and groans like old houses do. Normal, everyday squeaks….

But when we had new windows fitted we got a couple of added moaning noises. For some reason if the wind is in the south the kitchen window moans quite loudly, and if it is in the north the front window whistles. Still this is better than the road traffic noise we used to suffer from.

I am aware of other sounds, like birds thudding heavily as they land on the kitchen roof. The patter of their feet while you are in the bathroom. Water collects on the roof, so they often come down for a drink.

The loudest noise comes from the fridge. When the pump kicks in you can hear it groaning and whimpering into life, like a sad puppy…..it gradually settles down, but in the middle of the night when I’m making myself a coffee it can be quite disconcerting.

Other noises include the mad scrambling clatter of cats paws as they chase each other up and down stairs. One cat has a bell on his collar and it rattles as he moves. Little purring noises as they gather speed.

But the loudest noise of all…. when someone keeps talking when I’m trying to write!

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Noise