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AIBU?

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AIBU to keep our lights up despite neighbour complaining?

1000 replies

AutumnLighting · 01/09/2026 22:51

We moved into our house just before Christmas last year. We are one of 6 houses on a lane in an u shape and our house is directly opposite one of the other houses. All of the houses are set back so we are not close to the houses opposite.

When we moved in last year, we put up lights on our house and in two of our trees at the front of our house as well as 2 nutcrackers and a Christmas wreath on the door. Nothing garish, just white lights. Every time we saw the neighbours opposite they would comment on the lights and decorations. They said things like that’s is a lot of lights, did you leave any in the shop for anyone else, we certainly can’t miss you etc. We took the lights down in January.

This is now our first autumn in the house and my husband has put up some lights along the front of the house, a garland around the front door and a wreath on the door. We went out for the evening and have come home to a note from the neighbour opposite which said she doesn’t like the lights, none of the past neighbours have ever put them up and that the lights will give her migraines like the ones we put up at Christmas did. She would like us to remove the lights.

How do we respond to this? My husband thinks we just ignore it but I said she will talk to us when we see her if we don’t go over and talk to her about it. He said he’ll tell her not to look at the lights. What would you say? We obviously plan to put the lights up for Christmas again this year so that isn’t going to go down well either.

We know she has moaned about other things to some of the other neighbours like their grandchildren playing outside on their bikes so she seems to be a moaner.

Edited by MNHQ to add a Cancel The Cheque Klaxon: this thread has moved on quite a lot so it's worth reading through all the OP's posts before replying

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
somanychristmaslights · 02/09/2026 23:49

Sorry your family has had to go through that. And great that your other neighbours are supportive. Keep us updated with what the police say!

User573359 · 03/09/2026 00:39

My neighbours opposite have Christmas lights that flash, and I hate them with every fibre of my being. I love still lights. More the better. But flashing is horrible. Every year I think there are ambulances in the road, and then my heart sinks when I realise it is their lights. The flashes mean I can't sit in the living room without blinds and curtains drawn and still I see them. They keep me awake at night around the edges of the curtains. I have to move rooms. They give me stress and anxiety. The flashing of your Christmas lights has chased this. Very anti social. Switch to still, warm lights. White lights remind everyone of hospitals..

User573359 · 03/09/2026 00:43

Sorry, I hadn't read the full thread. I've changed my mind. Flash away at those racist idiots.

ConstantlyFuriosa · 03/09/2026 00:53

Please do think of the wildlife. It’s all very well and good posting an incendiary update about your racist neighbours and then loads of spite posts saying ‘make them even worse and flash non-stop’ but you are still being horribly antisocial and selfish to wildlife.

Humans can be so fucking selfish. Don’t be like that.

WordFinder · 03/09/2026 00:54

User573359 · 03/09/2026 00:39

My neighbours opposite have Christmas lights that flash, and I hate them with every fibre of my being. I love still lights. More the better. But flashing is horrible. Every year I think there are ambulances in the road, and then my heart sinks when I realise it is their lights. The flashes mean I can't sit in the living room without blinds and curtains drawn and still I see them. They keep me awake at night around the edges of the curtains. I have to move rooms. They give me stress and anxiety. The flashing of your Christmas lights has chased this. Very anti social. Switch to still, warm lights. White lights remind everyone of hospitals..

I bet your house is closer to your neighbours than OPs is to to hers, from how OP describes her house.

WordFinder · 03/09/2026 00:55

ConstantlyFuriosa · 03/09/2026 00:53

Please do think of the wildlife. It’s all very well and good posting an incendiary update about your racist neighbours and then loads of spite posts saying ‘make them even worse and flash non-stop’ but you are still being horribly antisocial and selfish to wildlife.

Humans can be so fucking selfish. Don’t be like that.

Are all these sudden animal lovers vegan?

Absolutelynot2 · 03/09/2026 03:07

AutumnLighting · 02/09/2026 21:31

The distance from our house to theirs is so far that the lights really wouldn’t cause an issue. This isn’t like many roads where the driveways are only the length of few of cars. The drives are really long, as well as having the hedges to obscure the view so it was obvious there had to be something else going on. I didn’t expect it to be racism but my husband and kids say they always have to think of it as a possibility. It’s so depressing for me, but much worse for them.

Didn't you say they were awful to other neighbours too? Surely they're just bonkers, what has that to do with racism? Or is everyone they're unpleasant to not white?

Absolutelynot2 · 03/09/2026 03:23

Absolutelynot2 · 03/09/2026 03:07

Didn't you say they were awful to other neighbours too? Surely they're just bonkers, what has that to do with racism? Or is everyone they're unpleasant to not white?

Oh, wait I saw he used a racial slur. Ignore my last comment.

AutumnLighting · 03/09/2026 03:29

Absolutelynot2 · 03/09/2026 03:07

Didn't you say they were awful to other neighbours too? Surely they're just bonkers, what has that to do with racism? Or is everyone they're unpleasant to not white?

They asked my husband if he could speak English, called him a racial slur and then told him to go home. Do you think that’s just bonkers and not racist? 🤔

But yes, all the other people they’ve made complaints to are not white. I didn’t think of racism until they said what they did today. They also didn’t moan at the couple who used to put lights up who are white which I think I said on a pp. I don’t think anyone can deny it’s all racism but some people will still want to tell us it isn’t. 🙃

OP posts:
Absolutelynot2 · 03/09/2026 03:42

AutumnLighting · 03/09/2026 03:29

They asked my husband if he could speak English, called him a racial slur and then told him to go home. Do you think that’s just bonkers and not racist? 🤔

But yes, all the other people they’ve made complaints to are not white. I didn’t think of racism until they said what they did today. They also didn’t moan at the couple who used to put lights up who are white which I think I said on a pp. I don’t think anyone can deny it’s all racism but some people will still want to tell us it isn’t. 🙃

Did you miss the comment directly below where I said I now saw he'd used a racist slur and to ignore my own comment? It was immediately below my own comment and quoted my own comment.

Oh wait, must have been racism on my part, right?

Also, I didn't deny it. I asked a question. Is that racist too?

Now you're the one who's sounding bonkers. Some people say racist things. Not everything is racist. I certainly wasn't being nor was I denying racism, I asked a question.

And then I (unracistly) corrected myself.

HTH.

AutumnLighting · 03/09/2026 03:48

Absolutelynot2 · 03/09/2026 03:42

Did you miss the comment directly below where I said I now saw he'd used a racist slur and to ignore my own comment? It was immediately below my own comment and quoted my own comment.

Oh wait, must have been racism on my part, right?

Also, I didn't deny it. I asked a question. Is that racist too?

Now you're the one who's sounding bonkers. Some people say racist things. Not everything is racist. I certainly wasn't being nor was I denying racism, I asked a question.

And then I (unracistly) corrected myself.

HTH.

Edited

I was writing my reply to your first comment so your follow up wasn’t visible. Mumsnet HQ did put a warning on my first post to say the situation had changed and suggested reading all my pots before replying. Thanks to whoever asked mumsnet to do that by the way and to Mumsnet for doing it.

OP posts:
Absolutelynot2 · 03/09/2026 03:51

AutumnLighting · 03/09/2026 03:48

I was writing my reply to your first comment so your follow up wasn’t visible. Mumsnet HQ did put a warning on my first post to say the situation had changed and suggested reading all my pots before replying. Thanks to whoever asked mumsnet to do that by the way and to Mumsnet for doing it.

Ok. Anyway, I am sorry they were arseholes to you and sorry they made a racist comment. I'd be ignoring them from now until the end of time, any requests they make would go straight in the bin.

Starlight7080 · 03/09/2026 03:56

Well done for reporting them. They sound awful . Its nice your other neighbours are supporting you.

pepperminticecream · 03/09/2026 04:22

Absolutelynot2 · 03/09/2026 03:42

Did you miss the comment directly below where I said I now saw he'd used a racist slur and to ignore my own comment? It was immediately below my own comment and quoted my own comment.

Oh wait, must have been racism on my part, right?

Also, I didn't deny it. I asked a question. Is that racist too?

Now you're the one who's sounding bonkers. Some people say racist things. Not everything is racist. I certainly wasn't being nor was I denying racism, I asked a question.

And then I (unracistly) corrected myself.

HTH.

Edited

Yikes. Your offense and repeated sarcasm over racism makes your thought process really clear.

mrschocolatte · 03/09/2026 05:10

Sorry this happened to you OP. I know racists live among us but to have these vile people living in close proximity is a horrible feeling. I’m glad you’re reporting it.
I’ve lived on this planet 55 years now and done all the ‘right’ things so as not to invite this kind of shit. But I’ve come to the realisation, nothing I do really makes a difference. I’m so bloody tired of trying to turn the other cheek and be the better person. These people think I’m no better than shit on their shoes. Well, I’ll make sure now that shit gets smeared all over their nasty, ugly faces - metaphorically speaking of course. I’m going to be ‘that’ person that will always call racism out when I see it. And I don’t give a fuck what anyone thinks. Anyone who doesn’t like it, can shove their ‘race card’ slurs, that they like to throw about, up their arses.
Sorry for the sweary outburst but I’m raging on your behalf!

Absolutelynot2 · 03/09/2026 05:15

This reply has been deleted

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StephanieErin · 03/09/2026 06:35

Wow that took a turn. I’m very sorry you and your family experienced that and so glad the community of your road are rallying around you.

pusspuss9 · 03/09/2026 06:40

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Pipsquiggle · 03/09/2026 06:43

Sorry you are going through this. What racist dickheads they are.
Well done for reporting

Error404FucksNotFound · 03/09/2026 06:48

What's disturbing is you reading someone has been racially abused and call it playing the race card.

ItsOkItsDarkChocolate · 03/09/2026 06:54

@AutumnLighting

So sorry this happened. V glad it was recorded and that you’ve decided to report them. And that the neighbours are being supportive too!!

Think you may still B a bit U for light this early in the year though! 😂 However, it is getting darker and more autumnal, subtle lights can be nice and as you say, welcoming, but didn’t you say you had a wreath up too?!

I’m sure there’ll be a lot of lights up very soon by the sounds of it!

Enjoy!

(Edited for typo).

Undecided2025 · 03/09/2026 06:57

Absolutelynot2 · 03/09/2026 03:42

Did you miss the comment directly below where I said I now saw he'd used a racist slur and to ignore my own comment? It was immediately below my own comment and quoted my own comment.

Oh wait, must have been racism on my part, right?

Also, I didn't deny it. I asked a question. Is that racist too?

Now you're the one who's sounding bonkers. Some people say racist things. Not everything is racist. I certainly wasn't being nor was I denying racism, I asked a question.

And then I (unracistly) corrected myself.

HTH.

Edited

Are you asking op to read all responses before commenting, checking usernames for updates, yet not following the mn update that advises you to read all of op’s updates and calling op unhinged?! An apology for your misunderstanding would have sufficed.

iwishitwouldstartraining · 03/09/2026 07:02

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

No.

There are many issues that have eclipsed the original question about lights, including complaints about a non existent cat and demands that the OP restricts visitors and their adherence to the Highway Code.

HutchMadras · 03/09/2026 07:04

All these tossers advising escalating the light display, by getting bigger. brighter noisier ones. plus other insane add ons, are okay, because they don't have to live with the fall out, in the process you might find your once supportive neighbours. less so. Light pollution is bad, make no mistake, but we live in a selfish world where our 'rights' to do exactly as we want to, seem to be the way we are going, and nuts to everyone else.

Rpop · 03/09/2026 07:08

cantbebothered101 · 02/09/2026 22:30

why on god’s earth would anyone worry about whether the plonker racist neighbours get migraines or not 🙄

Because as I said a few posts down, I hadn’t seen the up-date (despite trying to read all of OPs posts).

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