Firstly for those who dont know what these are these are, they are like paddling pools but are much larger and deeper. I had never seen or heard of these before this summer when one of our next door neighbours installed one in their garden (after having first dug up their lawn and laid it all to paving to make room for it!). I have to admit their timing was impecable since we have had had good weather ever since they got it!
The down side (other than being jealous on hot days) is that the pool is that it is very popular with the neighbours kids and their friends. Now i dont begrude them having fun but their activities tend to be nosy affairs just at the time I want to be out in the garden for a quiet potter about. There is also the fact that the pool is right next to our boundary fence where I grow my tomatoes. They regularly get showered with a mini tsunami over the fence and I am concered about the effect this obviously chemicaly treated water is having on my plants, not to mention scorching when it happens when the sun is hottest.
Forgive me if I sound like a 'Victor Meldrew', I dont mean to sound like one I just wanted to get this off my chest. I seem to be the only one who finds it a problem.
I am just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience or has got one of these pools and can tell the 'other side' of it.
hmmm, well we have one of those very pools, and our kids LOVE it, and yes, it is popular with step daughter number one, and the little girl over the road. However, our garden is quite wide, and we have it plonked dead central on the lawn so it bothers nobody, and to be honest, we live in a neighbourhood of families, so kids playing is all part of gardening around here. The chemicals we use - cholorine, is used in teeny amounts, and the water has been splashing all over my garden for 8 weeks or more now, and so far all that has happened is the grass is thick, green and well watered! Don't however let it near any ponds as the cholorine will kill the fishies!
My moan ;D is our neighbours older kids have one of those large trampolines, and for a while they had it tight against our fence at the only place where there was a gap in the shrubs, so when they were bouncing, we could see them, and they could see us. I bought a new plant, and they moved the tramp, so all's well that ends well.
It is hard, your home is your castle, and you want peace and harmony in the garden, however, for me, the children want and need to play out, and we have provided a safe and happy haven for them to play in. If more children played out, making games, camps, climbing trees, fishing for taddies in the pond, picking the green tomatos off the tomato plants and giving them to mummy to save her picking them later ::), riding their bikes and generally having some good clean healthy fun rather than sitting in front of the TV or computer all day, I'm sure mindless vandalism, rudeness and general loutness wouldn't exist!
Phew, off soap box, relax shoulders and breath.... ;D
Dont get me wrong, I'd rather children have fun in the fresh air and in the safety of a back garden, rather than on the streets or sitting in front of a computer screen. Its just it can be a little too close for comfort and 'in your face' at times.
I apologise if I sounded a bit selfish. its just that the evenings are the only time i can enjoy the garden and be outside, and this is the time when activities are at their peak so to speak.
Mind you last night after they'd finished and gone inside, it was still very pleasant aout there, even if it was quite late. Of course Such evenings are rare and growing rarer, and you cant always sit out until 9.30 at night.
Its a hard one isn't it.
My neighbour has moved their trampolene away from the fence,it used to terrify me that one of her VERY young kids would hurt themselves on the fence. Now the climbing frame is there. When I want to sit quiet I get shouted at and have balls,toys and dummys lobbed over into my flower border!
I agree kids should be out playing,mine are ,they don't have lots of garden toys and seem to enjoy themselves more,meaning that they are engrossed in what they are doing and don't want to shout over the fence.Maybe it's because I'm out there too and we play together alot? My neighbour's kids are usually on their own.
Must admit that pool sounds just the ticket! ;)Our garden is probs too small.
Tell you what winds me up more than anything else when I'm outside...other people's music/radio.
Mini - lke how mini?
Chlorine? Oh, dear - after 12 descendants, never thought about chlorine.
They are all still with us!!
The noise? I get embarrassed about ours next door, but folk 1/4 mile away have a proper pool & most of what we suffer is envy!!
One wants to blame parents for lack of social sense, but I realise that you cannot make children operate within a certain waveband.
Music? Different matter!!
Quote from: Heldi on July 18, 2006, 10:50:49
Tell you what winds me up more than anything else when I'm outside...other people's music/radio.
Forget music, try windchimes...
Please, NO!!
My grandson's girlfriend's parents have just purchased one of these pools.It has given them great fun over the past few weeks. Jodie's Dad has a stressfull job and it is nice for him to come home and have a nice swim and sit by the side of the pool. They do have the luxury of a 2acre plot so no problems with bothering neighbours.. I spend a few hours with Jodie's Nan (83) every Wed evening and the only thing is I keep thinking is what I could do with a bit of their garden. Other than quite a few planters round the edge of their large patio the rest is grass, but as parents are working, keeping chickens and having three dogs (one a lovely great dane) I don't think they have time for gardening. (Maybe they don't even like gardening, must ask them :))
Lorna
There was one of those extremely large wooden windchimes two doors down from my garden. It made the most awful clunkety clunk. It went when the owners moved but then a huge metal one arrived ! Terrible noise. I thought these things were supposed to produce a sound to calm the soul not drive you to drink! I have only ever heard one windchime that I have liked. It makes the smallest tinkling sound ever,really sweet. It's on someones allotment so I think that maybe even it is too much for a small town garden and it was turfed out!
I don't mind kids making a noise when they are playing but I tend to check my two if I think they are getting over excited,laughter is great but shouting and screaming is horrid! Maybe I'm just an irritable so and so,I don't like dogs barking either lol! Mine (dog)is indoors faster than a fast thing should she utter a single woof. Actually she rolls on the grass making the strangest noises,like she's being strangled or something,that makes me laugh...as long as she stops NOW!
I'm so envious about those pools. :)
When we went camping last weekend, all was nice,we were by the tree swings so all the kids on the campsite were there having a great time. Lovely sounds of laughing and general merriment. Idle chatter and some music floating about on the breeze. No problem. Then a car arrived. Up went the tent all the while rave type music blasting from the car. Car doors and boot left wide open. Young couple? Young lads? Nope two women, one about 40 odd and the other bit younger? (Hard paper round.)Kids in tow which they lost within the hour.Turned up in someone elses tent. Music went on until late night >:( I was incensed. How blinking rude,selfish and unsociable. Other campers left and more still walked past giving me looks of sympathy and many comments were made. I was so tempted to sink to their level and crack open a bit of AC/DC or some Guns and Roses. I didn't.