Fast Growing screening - any ideas?

You have a vast choice of climbing plants, clematis (keep its roots cool), roses, russian vine if you want something really quick growing, virginia creeper, the fancy variegated ivies, passion flowers, moon flowers, morning glory, honeysuckle, wisteria. Copy and paste this url into your web browser for more info http://www.gardenseeker.com/best_ten/best_climbing_plants/climbing_plants.htm

Oh, and good luck with the noisy neighbours! It must be difficult for them too if they have young children, when they were smaller our grandsons made far more noise than we liked when they visited.

I wouldn't choose Russian Vine - you'll need a machete and an army to keep it in check.
One that will work quite well, even though it will get 30 feet eventually, is Clematis montana - quite a fast grower, flowers in Spring; it'll twine its way along the trellis reasonably quickly, with good leaf cover in the summer.

We have to keep our Celmatis montana well pruned or it would cover the whole of the potting shed - including the roof!

I know Moongrower, it is very vigorous, but I doubt it would get into a 30 foot long pipe and emerge the other end and produce another 30 feet - I've never forgotten discovering that in someone's garden! It was, of course, Russian Vine, and I've never planted one anywhere after that experience....

I was wondering about bamboo or some sort of grass?

Neighbours are not just noisy they are almost neighbours from hell. The wife screeches at the 2 little children, the husband bellows at the children, the children scream and cry and the husband and wife then scream and shout at each other. Even when they are not all screaming at each other they are shouting. I don't think I have ever heard them just talking in a normal voice. It's the poor little ones I feel for. It's not a happy home.

When i read your post, I immediately thought of bamboo. It makes a fabulous tall screen and would hopefully cushion the racket,but it could take a couple of years to grow tall and bushy. Unless you go to GC and buy a few older ones - bit pricey!
Someone on here will know the name of the type I'm thinking of. It spreads freely.

Bamboo will work if you don't want it to grow up the trellis but, MBD says it will take a couple of years to establish.

trouble with bamboo it can be very invasive and very difficult to get rid of.

I would like to suggest you look at Solanum tuberosum white or blue tiny flowers, a lovely fast growing climber flowers all summer very easy to train and prune if required. Its also hardy.

I sympathise with you. Unfortunately I doubt that any climber is really going to do too much to dampen the noise but at least you won't have to look at the offenders.

I was just browsing the newspaper websites - I saw the following article about acoustic screening for gardens and thought of you. Could get expensive but might be worth it.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardenprojects/6005689/Keep-those-noisy-neighbours-at-bay.html

Thanks again for lovely responses, I do appreciate your suggestions.

I'm guessing bamboo will take too long as I think we will definitely be moving now. Had a truly awful weekend and felt like prisoners in our own house. Only thing we can do now is make it presentable and hope we find a buyer.

What a sad end rosyglo I hope you get good neighbours next time.I dread to think what will happen to those poor children.

if you honestly think the children are in danger then you need to report the parents

Believe me I have thought of it and if I thought for a minute they were being violent towards them I would, but I think (and hope) it's just verbal.

I never thought I would be in this situation and it is very sad because my own grandchildren live very close to me and I hate the thought of moving too far away from them. We have put over 20 years of effort into our home and garden and it will be a wrench but if you aren't able to enjoy it what's the point. Thanks again for your advice, I'm off to try and rescue my lawn now. It's been invaded with purple clover this year :-(