Is your neighbour a pest or a friend?

NEIGHBOURS, everybody needs good neighbours — or so the song goes — but how many of us really know the people next door?

A survey by polling group YouGov revealed that Britons are lonelier, less neighbourly and have fewer friends than they did in 1980.

Reporter DAWN MARSDEN hit the streets of Uppermill to see how friendly Oldhamers really are.

Sybil and Frank Ellis, from Mossley, say they are friends with most of their neighbours and have several family members living on the same street.

Sybil added: “We are close to the neighbours on both sides. We have lived there for more than 30 years as have many of the other people on the street.

“We speak to each other on the street and we keep an eye on each other’s houses when someone goes away.

“We used to be closer when the children were younger as I think children break the ice but it is a very friendly street.”

Nicholas Boeckx, from Birmingham, is visiting family in Uppermill and says he has good neighbours.

He added: “When my children are poorly, neighbours have looked after the house while we sort things out.

“I don’t use social-networking sites but I think they can be useful if you live far away from your friends.

“It is much better to talk face to face. There is a real community spirit where I live.”

Deborah Williams, from Uppermill, said: “I know my neighbours very well and there is a real community feel in the village as a whole.

“My generation doesn’t really understand Facebook but I have just joined and I have been able to get in touch with old friends who I thought I wouldn’t see again.

“It’s not the same as talking face to face but it is useful. I would rather have a few face-to-face friends than hundreds of online friends.”

Jacqueline Ward and Anne Kirkham were neighbours for 32 years in Friezland until Jacqueline moved to Rishworth recently.

Jacqueline said: “There was a strong community spirit until lots of building work took place and then it was destroyed as there were so many new faces and names to learn.

“Before that happened we used to have street parties and we were all friends.

“I had keys for the neighbours houses so I could check on them when they went on holiday.”

Anne added: “I think Facebook is good for sharing photographs with friends and family but people talk to strangers on there and I don’t think that’s right.

“It’s good for keeping in touch but it takes away from face-to-face interactions and leads to the decline of neighbourliness.”

Michael Goodwin has recently moved to Uppermill after living in Springhead for 15 years.

He said: “We all used to look out for each other on my street and do odd jobs at each others houses.

“I was friends with a few of my neighbours. I have a Facebook but I only have 40 friends on there.

“Some people abuse it but I take it with a pinch of salt and don’t believe everything I read.”

Denise Barrass, from Shaw, said: “I think of my neighbours as friends and we socialise together.

“As people come and go it can lead to a decline in community spirit.

“People are also working longer hours and different shifts now so they don’t have time for face-to-face meetings as much as they used to.

“Facebook is good for people who don’t have the time to keep in touch the traditional way but it scares me to think about youngsters using it all the time.”