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Original poster

To feel miffed with my neighbours request?

968 replies

Aliceglass · 07/04/2025 18:52

I don’t know if I’m being sensitive or unreasonable here. My next door neighbour approached me at the weekend to give me dates of their summer garden parties.

For context, We live in a terrace of modern houses and we all have similar sized gardens, enclosed by neighbouring gardens, back and side.

So my neighbour told me about her planned garden parties over the next few months and there were 3 dates confirmed, 2 tbc.

But, she has specifically asked us that we don’t use our garden during the days of these parties.

I was a little take aback and said that we don’t have any scheduled bbqs or parties on those dates so they will be fine. But she said they didn’t want us to use our garden, AT ALL!
Apparently it will spoil the atmosphere if I was to “pop to the bins and empty my recycling” or if they could hear the washing machine on a spin if I left the back door open!

I did laugh at this stage and say well I can’t promise to not access my garden for the whole day.

She went on to say how her friends are “well to do” and they would expect privacy and not to be interrupted by unnecessary noise.

I got a little frustrated at this point and I asked if she was just letting me know or if the neighbours the other side were also being asked this. She assured me that, yes they were and they confirmed they won’t be using their garden or the gate to their garden at the back so as to not disturb her.

Am I being unreasonable to think that this request is unusually controlling?

OP posts:
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6
1000DayChallenge · 07/04/2025 21:49

No no no no no no no no no

Please do not give in to this nutters ‘request’. Do you have children? Mine used to have this amazing plug in bouncy castle, slide thing like the one pictured. It inflated minutes and was so much fun. It attracted other kids from the road too… If your children are the right sort of age, you need one. Take that, CF and her ‘well to do’ friends

How dare she!! Cheeky cow

To feel miffed with my neighbours request?
PuggyPuggyPuggy · 07/04/2025 21:49

Don't go in the garden on those days.
DO listen to Heavy Metal loudly, with the windows open, all day.

😆

Muffinmam · 07/04/2025 21:46

Aliceglass · 07/04/2025 18:55

😂 This sounds like a great idea! I can just imagine her face now!

Show quote history

Do it!!!

PurpleFlower1983 · 07/04/2025 21:46

Isn’t that they day you’re power hosing the patio, strimming the lawn and trimming the hedge?!

RockyRogue1001 · 07/04/2025 21:46

Aliceglass · 07/04/2025 19:33

Lol! Well the first one is 3rd May! I reckon my garden will fit 20 (uncomfortably) 😆

Show quote history

I'm in!

I think <flicks through empty diary>
Yup!

I'm free on 3rd of may.

I think you need an ann appropriate play list and some decent speakers!.
Lots of misogynistic rappers
And sexual content

JustSawJohnny · 07/04/2025 21:45

She only asked you not to use your BACK garden, OP

#AnyoneFeelAnIbizaFoamPartyComingOn

Crazyworldmum · 07/04/2025 21:45

I would be borrowing a barking dog in that day , mowing the grass and doing a bbq

Original poster
Aliceglass · 07/04/2025 21:41

TheMimsy · 07/04/2025 21:10

@Aliceglass im just over the border in Lancashire if you are indeed in Yorkshire.

if you let me attend your Garden Party Interruption Event I can bring a tatty knackered patched up campervan and leave it on your front street outside her house for the day before and after her event. I will of course need to sleep in it and display my hand washed undies under the windscreen wipers to let the air dry.

I can exaggerate my northern accent and swear like a trooper and discuss dodgy political opinions at ‘don’t have an inside voice’ volume.

Will bring my own Richmond sausages, disposable barbecue (slightly damp and smoky) and a variety of Lidl offerings.

I’m just imaging her face now!! 😆

OP posts:
anonforthis1 · 07/04/2025 21:40

it's definitely the time to host a Sing-A-Long-a "insert musical of your choice" but preferably it has lots of tricky notes to not hit and all of your invited friends are tone deaf, loud and enthusiastic singers. And have dogs who also enjoy singing

Original poster
Aliceglass · 07/04/2025 21:40

JudgeJ · 07/04/2025 21:11

I wonder how she will organise the parking for her garden parties? Were I the OP I would encourage all the neighbours to park on the street on those days if they usually park on drives.

Show quote history

Oh that’s another story, you best believe she has taken upon herself to be parking police when others have visitors! Let’s hope she applies the same rules to herself!

OP posts:
ApolloandDaphne · 07/04/2025 21:38

She is batshit. All very well to give heads up in case her party disturbs you but to suggest you mustn't use your garden at all in CF territory for sure.

Flopsy145 · 07/04/2025 21:36

Oh I would have so much fun, every appliance on every window open, a BBQ with some strong smelling high fat meats specifically, maybe some Skrillex on repeat. Borrow a particularly yappy dog.

How entitled is she 😂 that's top tier CF

Squigglesandgiggles · 07/04/2025 21:36

She’s fucking nuts. Use your back garden op. I think you should have a bbq in fact and let the kids play with water guns

Pasithean · 07/04/2025 21:34

We have a really tall old pigeon loft on our land (well a garden big enough for a pony ). You can have it 😆😆😆😆😆

Thirteenblackcat · 07/04/2025 21:33

DanielTheGhostGangbanger · 07/04/2025 21:30

I've posted this story before.

I used to live in a terraced house with neighbours who were really loud and also liked to mix with friends who considered themselves above the common folk. When they built a bar at the bottom of the garden, I knew it was going to be a pain. The gardens are only about 30 feet long and 10 feet wide so we were right on top of each other.

I'm autistic and struggle with noise. Unfortunately my study was right at the back of the house and I was working when they held one of their rowdy garden parties. I was desperately trying to work and just being blasted with noise and constant shrieking from their garden. I think that's what drove me the most mental - the screaming from the bottom of the garden to someone who was in the house. Repeatedly. Oh, and the performative laughter and screeching. And this went on from hours, starting just after midday.

I realised the only thing to do was to blast out some music of my own to drown the fuckers out. I hadn't really used iTunes that much but I had it synced up to the speaker. So I put some music on and it really helped me concentrate. I managed to tune out the music (constant noise is easier to ignore than intermittent screaming) but gradually I realised that I'd been playing The Cunts Are Still Running the World by Jarvis Cocker. At full volume. Absolutely no question at all that they heard it. Not censored. Full obscenities.

It wasn't even a song I'd downloaded. I think someone had sent it to me as a joke, and it had saved into my Library.

I turned it off as soon as I realised, but obviously they'd heard. They did seem a lot quieter afterwards, but I'm not sure if that was my imagination as I couldn't stop laughing to myself. It might just have been that I stopped caring because I was too amused 😂

Love this so much

RealEagle · 07/04/2025 21:33

OP would you like to borrow my youngest grandson for the day?He will quite happily kick a football against the fence for the entire time her garden party is going on.

ClearHoldBuild · 07/04/2025 21:33

I thought you were going to say they were inviting you. But to tell you that you can’t use your garden is ridiculous. I’d get friends round with children and dogs, bbq, paddling pool and trampoline.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 07/04/2025 21:32

That is totally and utterly batshit!

Thirteenblackcat · 07/04/2025 21:31

Do you have a washing line? Put your ugliest underwear on the line and leave it there all day.

Play some prodigy at full blast

sprinkler on only slightly wetting their side

bonfire

buy lots of wind chimes

lawnmower

hire a bouncy castle

DanielTheGhostGangbanger · 07/04/2025 21:30

I've posted this story before.

I used to live in a terraced house with neighbours who were really loud and also liked to mix with friends who considered themselves above the common folk. When they built a bar at the bottom of the garden, I knew it was going to be a pain. The gardens are only about 30 feet long and 10 feet wide so we were right on top of each other.

I'm autistic and struggle with noise. Unfortunately my study was right at the back of the house and I was working when they held one of their rowdy garden parties. I was desperately trying to work and just being blasted with noise and constant shrieking from their garden. I think that's what drove me the most mental - the screaming from the bottom of the garden to someone who was in the house. Repeatedly. Oh, and the performative laughter and screeching. And this went on from hours, starting just after midday.

I realised the only thing to do was to blast out some music of my own to drown the fuckers out. I hadn't really used iTunes that much but I had it synced up to the speaker. So I put some music on and it really helped me concentrate. I managed to tune out the music (constant noise is easier to ignore than intermittent screaming) but gradually I realised that I'd been playing The Cunts Are Still Running the World by Jarvis Cocker. At full volume. Absolutely no question at all that they heard it. Not censored. Full obscenities.

It wasn't even a song I'd downloaded. I think someone had sent it to me as a joke, and it had saved into my Library.

I turned it off as soon as I realised, but obviously they'd heard. They did seem a lot quieter afterwards, but I'm not sure if that was my imagination as I couldn't stop laughing to myself. It might just have been that I stopped caring because I was too amused 😂

Returnofthemark · 07/04/2025 21:29

Tell her you also have plans confirmed to be in the garden with your children on those dates so sadly, there's a bit of a diary clash.

However, as a good neighbour, you do offer a service in which you take your children out for the day instead so as not to cause noise and as she's a neighbour, you'll accept a discounted rate of £100 per day to do so.

Payment upfront and everyone's a winner.

Gagaandgag · 07/04/2025 21:26

wow 😂😂😂

Wishihadanalgorithm · 07/04/2025 21:26

OP, this has won the internet for me today! I’ve laughed out loud at the cheeky fuckery from your NDN.

Clearly you are going to ignore her request and be as loud and obnoxious as possible. Please, please, please report back after garden party number 1. 😃😃😃

madaboutpurple · 07/04/2025 21:26

You might want a BBQ on those days as it might be hot. I would not want to take orders from a neighbour.

notatinydancer · 07/04/2025 21:25

can you hire a bouncy castle and invite a load of kids round and provide lots of sugary snacks?