It’s utterly bizarre.
I live on a quiet estate in a chocolate box village. Even though there hasn’t been any threats or violence, it’s very odd and unsettling. I am concerned as other things have happened today which leave no doubt that I am a specific target, I’ve no idea why or what the objective is, nor the connection to my neighbours. The whole thing is totally ludicrous and more than a bit mental.
The neighbours are organising a neighbourhood watch scheme, and I’ve got a couple of companies coming to give me quotes and advice as I don’t have the necessary tools to install it.

They’ve not issued any threats or violence, it’s just totally bizarre and suspicious behavior. The first time it happened they sat outside for a while after he’d been to the door, I went out and took photos and told them to scram but at only 5’2 I’m not barging through anyone, but I figured they won’t mess with crazy. Unfortunately, the headlights were on full beam so you couldn’t make out the reg. The second time they scarpered as I was already on the dialing the police before the end of the conversation.
I’ve just had another call from the police, they’re concerned and my house and phone numbers have been flagged as priority. The officer suggested Ring but said that it probably wouldn’t capture reg plates, I’ve moved my car further up the drive to give a clearer view of the road for now and I’ll order cameras in the morning. My head is mince and I can’t make decisions today.
I’ve got no idea what’s going on, or why and how I’m involved in it. I’ve gone through all the people who may have a grudge, the comings and goings of my neighbours incase my cat crapped in their garden or their cat went in someone else’s, extremist groups in the area and possible properties for sex trafficking or county lines.
It’s just so strange

Thanks for all the suggestions, I’ve ordered door bars and almost made a decision on cameras.
A neighbour has come forward with more information and to check if we are ok. It’s getting even more bizarre, he noticed two women with not much more than suspenders on walking about appearing lost in the afternoon. There was a couple of other things he saw that were out of place, but didn’t really catch his attention until later. The same car also came to his door earlier in the evening, he noticed that it wasn’t welcome at mine but hadn’t connected the dots at the time. The police are now doing regular patrols and the organised crime unit are back in touch.

Aw, I feel for the wee dude but the cabin beds are cool. There’s generally a bit of space underneath behind the furniture for a den (sweet stash). My kids love them and they’re great if you have limited space. I hope you’ll all have sweet dreams

Lol Esme, that’s what this guy did to someone else before and I wondered if they were expecting some lockdown lowdown 😂

Nah, I’m no conspiracist and this would be an obscure method of intimidation for them. I’ve experienced the wrath of the corrupt before and they leave you with no doubt what will happen if you don’t wind it in, the Rotherham social worker who blew the whistle is an example. I’m looking at all the possibilities no matter how minor, as Cinnamon_girl and the police have suggested.
It could be an extremist group, but I’d have thought they’d be more upfront and aggressive about their objectives. So that leaves the unhinged guy doing it for thrills. Anyway, it’s all just speculation until I can get more evidence and not good for my mental health when I’m wondering whether it was something I said on here, or if I looked at someone the wrong way in the supermarket, or did I steal a Strava Kom…
I know I’m outspoken but I do always endeavour to be considerate and this has left me feeling quite vulnerable.
I’m looking at the recommendations above and making comparisons so that the next time someone comes the police can track them, thanks.

Kahl, you’d be surprised at what goes on when you upset the powers that be and that Cinnamon_girl may be on the money. Yes, I have upset a public body and they have used shady tactics before, I dismissed it as paranoia but my lawyer confirmed that that sort of thing does happen. However, I have been inactive on that front for a while and it seems odd that they would choose that sort of intimidation now. Unless it’s my landlord, but they could easily take me to court. Personally, I only know one person unhinged enough and has MO of this sort of random crap, but it seems like an awful lot of effort for him to go to.

Ginsterdrz, the landlord is on the list 😂
I wondered if it could be something to do with drug dealers the first time, I don’t think they’d make the same mistake twice. The organised crime unit is aware

TheArtist, that’s where it gets all obscure. When I ask who it is, they ask if this is [address]; when I ask why, they say that someone sent them here; when I ask who, they won’t tell me. They then return to the car. It’s happened twice, on a similar date at a similar time.

Thanks for the advice and bentandbroken for the concern, I feel like I’m in a lockdown soap opera and I’m now wondering who I know has the capacity to hold such a grudge against me. The guys do knock on the door and reply to me, so I don’t think they’re after my diamanté earing but someone is out to give me a fright, the people coming sound just as confused as I am.
I’ve been looking online at reviews and I’m going to try and measure up the distances that I need to be able to view. I’ve picked up similarities in behaviour as they approach which are unusual, so I know where I need to focus the camera on but the angle is awkward.

Yeah, I gave a good description of them to the police as they get out of the car to knock on the door. It’s the car registration that I really need to identify them, although it’s been a different private hire cab each time. They park so that the car is in the shadows of the street lights, with the headlights on full so that I’ve not been able to get a decent photo from my phone (probably because I was shaking so much too)

That’s a good point swedishmatt, it will have to work in the dark

It’s certainly got me spooked, somebody must have a grudge 🤔
Does ring work as cctv? I need something which can view the street to catch reg numbers as well as faces at the door, I’d like a camera to cover the rear of the property too (as well as an alarm and a couple of security guards with big dogs)

Would a personalised cabin bed work? They are not as high as bunk beds and have a desk, he could then have a gaming chair and room for a sofa too

https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwj6uZqa1snpAhVrgFAGHaVBDHAYABAtGgJkZw&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESP-D2NPDDZda9c59MD-Pw8QhgHrTskhlxNaYOqB7aYbD5-w0S9xJOU3ekpKTyZuTZzMTlm-KBDVgFCwWJPSuS0A&sig=AOD64_3-QsB96uwEdOEJeFu9xfQyPYhE9g&q=&ved=2ahUKEwi9wpOa1snpAhV9SBUIHbYBCc0Q2toBegQICxBM&adurl=

Sorry Poah, I’m aiming to be objective and trying to refrain from being emotive, I’m perhaps a bit blunt as people jump to conclusions and attack me personally. I must have misread posts, how does personal experience debunk research into thousands of people? I read anecdotes as that people see themselves and others doing their darned hardest to do the right thing and want recognition for it, and that I should shut up because it is assumed that I’m an extreme feminist, victim, and that I’m speaking from personal experience.
I’ll admit that I am shaken by the vitriol demonstrated on this thread but I hope that I’ve responded considerately.

Lol, Rona you’re winning the women’s sexual insult bingo. I wonder why mtb in particular has adopted the names in reference to athletes, is it because its popularity rose during lad/ladette culture?
Are we owning the insults and reaffirming them as positive? I’m sure a few were flung at me in the minds of forum users for pointing out that the majority women do most of the housework and childcare. Well done to the men who have raised their hands to say that they do their share, research also suggests that you get recognised for your efforts more often. Your experience isn’t reflective of what “most” relationships are like.
I was rattled after the inflammatory comments, insults, and speculation toward me I feel quite isolated and feel the need to state that I’m being objective, I am not a raging feminist who hates men (nor am I a 13yr old boy in an abusive relationship). I’m not commenting on your individual circumstances nor mine, I accept that every situation is different and I’m attempting to raise awareness for those who don’t have it as good as you or I do. The venomous attacks on me, for not falling in line and saying that I’ll jump on the bandwagon, from men and women on this thread show we have a long way to go in mtb.
Thank you to the guys who have spoken up, I hope my thoughts have been conducive in aiding critical thinking and constructive discussion.

Lustyd, you are completely twisting what I said. Nowhere did I say that men aren’t capable or happy, nor did I suggest that. A stable relationship isn’t necessarily an equal one, but I’m not going to go into relationship dynamics now, if you want to do that then start another thread rather than derail what was a fairly rational discussion.
Although kudos for actively demonstrating how women are discouraged from the trails.

So we need to push mens issues on a thread about misogyny, ignoring the barriers which prevent women from cycling?
And you do this by being aggressive and insulting and in effect telling a mature woman to shut up?
Has someone upset you? There’s some great threads on here which have supported other forum users, I hope you find a safe and satisfying outlet for your frustrations. I charge by the hour for “therapy” sessions

Scotroutes, I have a special green tea guaranteed to make you say ahhhh.

Oooo, that’s toxic lustyd. Can you be civil? I backed up what I said with a link to evidence, not with insults and I recognise that there are exceptions. Why are people taking it so personally and attacking me? Don’t speculate as to my personal circumstances, that’s just plain nasty. I think that you are confirming what I said earlier about misogyny and sycophantic behaviour, a woman can’t have an informed difference of opinion of her own.
Have a cup of tea dear.

My apologies Chiefgrooveguru, I miss read your post.
Blackflag: Yes it is, as I said earlier.
Scotroutes, I think women entered the event as it’s the format that appeals, but there were a few reservations about the category names. The female equivalent ladism is ladette, Denise Van Outen looked like she was having fun and I totally embraced the culture in the early ’90s behaving just as badly as the boys. Whilst I may aspire to be a whore in the bedroom I don’t in a bike event 🤣

Poah and Kerley, I’ve provided evidence in an earlier post which demonstrates that women do the lions share of domestic responsibilities, there will be exceptions but they are not the norm.

it was a woman only race series so why would I care what they called the different categories?

You’d be happy for your daughter or wife to be the fastest Whore?
Imagine if mens races were categorised by their sexual prowess? Who’s riding in the Impotent race?
https://www.rootsandrain.com/race4479/2016-jul-23-air-maiden-maidenduro-innerleithen/results/

Have you ever looked at the group dynamics of many families, especially those with young children?

Yes, I have studied humanities, including sociology and psychology. Poah is an exception, and even where men do pull their weight on practical terms, it tends to be the woman who bears the mental burden of organising the household for things like appointments and food shopping. On average men do 6hrs of domestic stuff a week and women do 16hrs, on top of working full time.
It’s interesting that that’s the part of my post that people here have had issues with, yet no problem with calling young women Virgins or Whores.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women-men-household-chores-domestic-house-gender-norms-a9021586.html%3famp

Annabelle, it’s good to hear that younger women riders don’t face similar prejudice as older women, maybe it’s a generational problem.
How do you feel about events such as Air Maiden?
Would you feel comfortable entering the Virgin or Whore’s categories?
I know that it was established by women, but it appears sycophantic in asserting that women are just a ride and a conquest. Is there another national sport that officially refers to women like that?
I used to work as a groom, I’m well used to a tumble, getting dirty, and having to put the physical effort in. Casual sexism and misogyny aside, I think that a major barrier women have in accessing any sport is that we have less free time and more responsibilities than men.

Yes! Yes! Yes! It is. I’ve been the only woman working in a male environment and crude jokes are a laugh, and the smutty calendars in the canteen added a bit of colour (usually to the cheeks of my colleagues) but there’s some ugly misogyny in mtb that I’ve never experienced anywhere else. I accept that there’s physical differences which limit our power, but you often hear that women are too slow or precious in relation to mtb. Womens specific bikes are starting to address our different builds, but I think a sense of caution on the trails often kicks in for women as we reach maturity as we tend to have more responsibility in the home.
Women are greatly objectified in mtb and if they are successful they are treated like trophies. If you watch dh, they still have the pretty blondes handing out awards and interviewing the lads. Women downhillers have to have a certain image and qualification (brother/bf) to gain the right to ride, unless you have awesome skills, it is extremely cliquey.
Thankfully it’s a sport that you don’t need a membership for

Willows have little fluffy catkins rather than berries, I used to hoover them to collect the seed. I’d be inclined to go with a laurel.
The white ones look like a variety of chickweed, there’s over one hundred varieties to choose from.
Alkanet… That reminds me to do my roots.

You should take them to court for failing to collect the vast quantities of rain that fell constantly between September and January.

Seriously though, I can’t believe this level of entitled moaning. A few months ago it was the opposite with floods and raging rivers, and now the sun as come out…

Eh? Have I said something to upset you? Where do you you get that from in my post? I am not an entitled land owner, I was stating the fact that my council has issued a warning to those are; which supports what the OP has observed. I’m environmentally aware and I checked SEPA which shows that my area has had less than average rainfall for 5 of the last 6 months. I’m certainly not moaning about it, what’s that going to achieve?

My council has issued a water scarcity warning, urging people with private sources to conserve water and to look for alternative sources. I thought that kind of thing only happened down south

That Flux Trax album is an absolute classic, mine is well played; Deep Cuts a Sabres of Paradise compilation is another flashback inducing album but my favourites from that era are are Pure Classics Vols 1 and 2.
Dj Shadow has produces some brilliant albums too, Endtroducing… was highly acclaimed.
Dj-Kicks is a series of over 70 albums by different djs such as Nightmares on Wax, Daniel Avery and Nina Kravitz.
Thanks for the post OP, I’m going to have another cup of coffee and a wee dance

Nice speech, the delivery doesn’t bother me but it’s just sound bites if he doesn’t back it with policy or action. At least he’s asking questions but he’s no opposition to the tories when he’s adopting their policies. I’m disappointed so far, and Labour wouldn’t get my vote yet

I read the news and follow current events. Who owns Virgin Atlantic and what do they do? Who has recently asked the government for help? Which idea is Labour supporting in my post above? Anyway, I’m going to trip trap off so you can troll someone else

Our government is funded by taxes, paid by people and businesses registered in the UK. Starmer is suggesting the government bailout the aviation industry, and Branson has been begging the government for money to keep his business going. Branson has a net worth of 4 and a half billion USD, but he can’t stop the pandemic changing the amount and ways of travel. People are going to lose their jobs and giving money to Virgin isn’t going to prevent it, and the only one to gain is Branson.

I wouldn’t accuse him of being a tory if he was suggesting helping workers rather than giving tax payers money to a billionaire whose business is not viable for the foreseeable. How is giving a bailout to Virgin Atlantic going to help the staff? How long will it keep them in a job? How will it resurrect the aviation industry?
If Starmer was interested in working for the people that money would be better invested in them, by providing retraining so that they can have job security in another sector.

Labour are also advocating bailing out Branson to save the aviation industry. All that will do is line Branson’s pockets, surely we’d be better spending the money on retraining staff as we can’t travel with the frequency we did before. Although Corbyn was crap at least he wasn’t a Tory

“It will take a long time to recover from the impact of the virus. The Government must come up with a comprehensive financial support package for the aviation sector and its supply chain which supports almost a quarter of a million jobs.” – @JimfromOldhamhttps://t.co/50xSlm29d6

— Labour Press Team (@labourpress) May 9, 2020

I lived in the center of Haarlem for about a year. I lived on one of the busiest shopping streets leading to the main square, yet it was peaceful with chatter and the occasional bike bell (bar the cathedral bells) . The cycling infrastructure there was excellent, but their culture and society is also very different. It’s not just the network that allows for more bikes, they have restrictions on business practices and scheduled times for car access to certain areas. As a society they have more consideration and respect for each other, and they acknowledge each others presence and an individuals rights; it’s not something I can sum up easily in a few words.
I cycled from Haarlem to Utrecht, Den Hague and Amsterdam, whilst the level land certainly enables longer journeys than in the UK, it was the cycle network that makes it possible. The only time cycling felt sketchy was in Amsterdam, because of British tourists. It’s easy to learn the rules of the road, they will tell you when you get it wrong.

@wheelsonfire1 Cooee, we’re here doing the cleaning, homeschooling and WFH.
Mtb is totally inclusive, as long as all other men are slower than them and women are faster 😉

When people were required to attend their place of work grandparents helped out, schools were open, and wrap around care was available, it’s not now unless you are a key worker. This leaves the primary carer (mainly women) at a disadvantage as they are trying to balance work with the additional responsibilities of care and education.

WFH is extremely difficult for single parents, especially without any available childcare. I wonder if this shift in working practices will mean that less women work in positions and industries where WFH will become the norm.

Economic growth is not necessarily filtered down to benefit those on lower incomes. If we did we wouldn’t need to pay the income support element of UC. Why don’t companies pay a relative living wage? Especially when managers and CEO’s are sitting on property and savings and spending their pound in the Alps. CEO’s aren’t just paid what the market will bear, they’re paid what the culture will accept.
Jacinda seems to have recognised that they cannot rely on tourism to boost the economy and is investing in its citizens instead. Her campaign manifesto was centered around improving welfare and reducing poverty, the pandemic has allowed her to push through with those ideas. They are going to come out of this a lot stronger than the UK, a clap won’t improve anything for your Amazon delivery driver as Bezos squirrels away our economic growth.

🔕🔕🔕🔕!

I’m not even riding from the door anymore, the local trails are far too busy and it’s causing tension with residents and land owners. Although carparks are closed, laybys aren’t and it’s not uncommon to see 4 or 5 cars at each trail head. Coupled with being within half an hour reach of two towns, the trails are much, much busier than normal. (sorry for the link to fb)

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10222966869579073&id=1198848440