Noisiest House In Britain?

Odelle and Stephen Trew are the first to admit they got a great deal on the house, but now theyre afraid they couldnt sell it at any price. The Trews bought their home adjacent to one of Heathrow Airports main runways 18 years ago when air traffic was comparatively light. Now, for part of each day, theyre rocked every minute or so by airliners landing or taking off within a few hundred feet of them. As air traffic increases, theres talk of abandoning the current practice of switching runways through the day to ensure that all the airports neighbors share the noise burden more or less equally and using every patch of pavement available. “If that happened life would be unbearable,” Stephen, 43, told the Sunday Mirror. “I don’t know how they can even suggest it.”

Odelle and Stephen Trew are the first to admit they got a great deal on the house, but now theyre afraid they couldnt sell it at any price. The Trews bought their home adjacent to one of Heathrow Airports main runways 18 years ago when air traffic was comparatively light. Now, for part of each day, theyre rocked every minute or so by airliners landing or taking off within a few hundred feet of them. As air traffic increases, theres talk of abandoning the current practice of switching runways through the day to ensure that all the airports neighbors share the noise burden more or less equally and using every patch of pavement available. "If that happened life would be unbearable," Stephen, 43, told the Sunday Mirror. "I don't know how they can even suggest it." Still, the Trews (and their less noise-tolerant guests) are thankful for small mercies, such as the end of Concorde service. "We used to dread it," said Odelle. "It made the whole house vibrate. The first time my sister came round, she was so terrified she leapt under the coffee table." The family has done what it can to mitigate the noise, including installing triple-glazed windows, and are resigned to having ordinary conversation disrupted and the occasional guest under their table. They say they have no plans to sell because they dont think anyone would buy.