AIBU to expect neighbours to move their barbecue away from our house?

During the lockdown my nephew and mate came over to fix an issue with the alarm. Next door were having a picnic in the garden. I politely warned them we would be testing the alarm in case it frightened the children. We only planned to test it once for a few seconds. One was rude and told my nephew he "should not be there" despite the fact that essential works (but not picnics) were within the rules. We tested the alarm 10 times over the course of an hour. It drove them indoors. I am a vengeful bitch.

I would be finding some noisy drilling, lawn cutting, strimming and jet washing of car and patio every time they had a barbecue. If they are entitled to entertain you are entitled to keep your garden tidy and do DIY jobs. And of course it suits you to do these essential jobs while the weather is fine.

You could also keep a pot of creosote and brush handy to top up the fence when it is a nice sunny day and they are lighting the bbq. The smell should put them off their burgers!
Or put fans outside to blow any smoke away from your doors and windows…..

I’d be having bonfires every time they have their bbq out, but I’m petty af

Surely the smoke into your house is a nuisance that you can report to the council? Keep a log!

If your properties are council owned then report to the Council. If not, check even so as it is invasive.

The bloke should not be shouting at anyone, and they shouldn't be noisy late in the evening. But a few BBQs over the summer isn't a big deal. You would be much better off leaning into it rather than getting so worked up over something pretty minor

I’m trying to think of something not very nice you could put on a cheap bbq . Like manure

Hi @Tam182

I am an avid BBQ'er. I BBQ all year round, and I am on several BBQ forums. This issue comes up a fair bit. I have never had any issue with any neighbours throughout the 30 yrs I have been in it, long before it was popular as it is now. That is because I am a reasonable person. On the forums, many BBQers have unreasonable neighbours and have had issues.

Taking what you have written at face value, you sound reasonable, and your neighbours sound dickish and entitled. Your husband is going to end up coming to blows with this bell end, and it will end up with him getting hurt or getting in trouble. If he will shout at a woman on her own doorstep, then no point in ever trying to reason with him, and equally, his wife, who will back him up because these guys shout at their wives too, utter cretins.

I am going to be a BBQ snob now to suggest that he sounds like he has a grill-type BBQ up against the wall and mainly grills. Is this correct? It does sound like it is charcoal, not gas, but he could just be burning the food.

My suggestion, without being silly, is to buy a new or second-hand bullet smoker for your DP and get heavily into low and slow cooking. I set a large turkey going for about 10 hrs at night. That 10 hrs of delicious, wispy smoke wafting into next door's open windows at night. I would then try my hand at smoked fish and cold smoked eggs, which make the most delicious egg mayo sandwiches.

Fight fire with smoke !!

Pour weed killer on the bamboo encroaching on your garden.

You like them? What's to like? They're cunts

Play Death Metal with your conservatory doors wide open and the speakers angled towards them 😇😇😇

Next time they are abusive 999

Plant leylandi hedging and let it grow. That will push the smoke back to them.
Start booming out awful music.
Wait for them to have open windows and light a bonfire.
Put lots of badger screaming machines on your boundary, with super flashing screeching disco lights.
Mow your lawn at 8am. Get the hedge trimmer going at the same time.
i am sure this is not the right answer, but very very tempting!!!

They sound like our next door neighbours. Entitled, selfish twats. It's awful. While I would be tempted to get the hose out while they are barbecuing, these things can escalate and no one wins. We're just counting down the days until we can afford to move while bracing ourselves for yet another alcohol fuelled garden party this weekend where he falls out with someone and ends up scrapping on the street with one of their guests (I kid you not).

Fight fire with fire, they're arseholes, liquid ass works 😁.

Jeez bamboo! That’s the bigger problem, not least if they set fire to it. They clearly don’t care about the impact of their actions, selfish.

I’m amazed they don’t set fire to the fence or the bamboo. I am a bit nervous about such set ups since my arse hole neighbour set the hedge in fire and we lost all our sheds, garden office, 50k worth of damage, 52 trees and nearly lost the house.

id contact the fire brigade for advice.

I would be more concerned re the Bamboo. Google is there a problem with bamboo in the UK.

Definitely convenient to store it there but fire risk to use it there - especially with that plant. Not really space there to use it, so obviously trying to be annoying.
Completely unsuitable to be using it in that position!
Just had a quick Google and in gardens, BBQs should be at least 3m away from trees, fences and sheds. BBQ should be placed in such a way that smoke doesn't blow into neighbours windows!!

When they're out, get a stool /ladder and pour honey/maple syrup/something sticky over the wall onto the BBQ. Hopefully will be covered in ants and flies next time they want to use it. Check they don't have CCTV first!

So they really are just being arses.

Hope that bamboo is potted. Our neighbours is invading our garden 😩

I just done see why they’re being such arses about this. It’s clearly not pleasant to have smoke directed at your house. Who on earth would dig their heels in and insist on it staying? I don’t know anyone this inconsiderate, I really don’t.

Set up a padding pool and trampoline and invite a group of children round. Provide water pistols, balloons and perhaps a few recorders and a kazoo. Sit back and watch the carnage.