I've been through hell as well - the woman next door had her kids on drugs because she said they were all hyperactive - believe me, she should have looked at her own behaviour! When I first moved in and was talking to her, she would smack her kids across the face if they dared to try and get her attention, she would say about what time of the day I would vacuum, that she didn't want us to get double glazing until after she did, that the Close had arranged to have the Millenium Party on our joint bit of front garden so the tree in our half had to come down (no-one else, the other side found out, had heard of a Millenium Party, unfortunately they found that out after we had been talked into letting her husband chop it down - she just wanted it rid of so that there wouldn't be any blossom on her part of the lawn in the spring).
What else... constant parties until 3am, doors being slammed as soon as we turn the lights off at night, piles of cat-you-know-what plus the litter put over our flower borders, verbal abuse when I cleaned the front windows (haven't cleaned them in 3 years!) .. and this in a decent area on a newish estate. She told me that when the house was being sold by the original owners, if she didn't like the look of the viewers she would get the kids to make as much noise as they could. She told the whole street just how much furniture we had moved in, she kept asking me to babysit and look after the house when they went away the first couple of years, but wouldn't return any favours..and the list goes on!
I complained to her once about a party and she said we ought to move to a retired peoples complex (we're in our early 40s and are definitely NOT boring!) and that it was a shame we didn't have any social life (we do but choose not to have all-night parties at home, that, stupid me, would keep her kids awake!) It did make me ill a couple of years ago - but now after my next exams we're just finishing off decorating before we put it on the market

, hopefully one of her friends will buy it!

And I found out the best way to cope is when we're kept away at night, wake them up in the morning at 5.45am!!!!!

It's took five years but I think she's finally learnt! Unfortunately my grandparents have written diaries about their noisy neighbours but once the diaries are handed over there's peace for just a couple of weeks then it starts up again so I don't think it's worth complaining officially. I just wish some people would be fair to others instead of very selfish. Sorry, rant over!!!! I'll be back to my usual chilled-out self in a minute!!!!
