Last fucking straw

[sarahC40]

Handhold please and advice (on how not to utterly lose my shit or get arrested for this). It’s not been a great lockdown.

Saving Grace: my garden. Lovely tree, probably in the wrong place but predates the houses, was cut down without warning, so that my view, which was of said lovely tree, is now of the back of someone’s house. They have now closed all of their blinds because, yes, we are now overlooking each other.

The tree is in no man’s land between the gardens - it doesn’t belong to them. They’ve got down everything that overhung my garden (my son woke up to find men climbing over my fence and most of tree gone) and they’ve left a twenty foot high stump. My other neighbours were open mouthed in shock, so this isn’t just me sounding off; it’s horrendous.

I know there’s nothing that I can do, but I would like some vengeful suggestions that I won’t act on but will help me as I try to stop crying at the fucking awful sight of their fugly house.

@Eteri

God, these twats and the wankers who buy classic homes so they can gut them and put in a plastic ikea furniture are some of the worst people on the planet. If you want a sterile hospital of a home, build one. Don't destroy history.

Fuck them.

She will be hoovering the garden soon

What absolute bastards. Are you going to look into who owns the land? Enjoy choosing the biggest most gorgeous tree you can find and afford.

@sweetnessnfight

Her garden was probably in complete shade due to the tree

No full sunshine. Bathed in it yesterday. This tree is at the far end of her long garden and the end of my short garden.

Willows are beautiful and grow fast. I would be putting one in at the bottom of your plot.

@fourquenelles

So sorry OP. Unfortunately they walk among us. I attach an example of this sort of idiot. This Magnolia was, granted, allowed to run riot and it is in the wrong place in a tiny terrace garden but hey why not chainsaw back just one side? Maybe because that chap is not the owner but the next door neighbour who did this by stealth one afternoon! He very kindly left all the cut off branches in the garden for the tree owner to dispose.

There are all sorts of words that I’d use - my 75 year old mum summed it up nicely last night: your neighbour is a fucker. I thought that out it quite well. Keeping her busy looking for trees.

@5zeds

I have just been reading that you can't pollard a mature tree. this is confusing. My parents had a line of pollarded trees when I was a child. They we’re definitely mature. The trunks were huge.

Was just reading it off a tree surgeon’s site...I will be delighted if the stump (with very dejected wood pigeons sitting on a badly sawn branch-grows back; the trunk at the back my house is now sawdust.

@ssd

Just wanted to come on again and say I get it *@sarahC40*, I really do. Its utter shit. Please come back and tell us what you said to the neighbour.

She’s hiding. I’ve managed to get her phone number and said that we need to talk, but she declined the call and her phone is now off. Popped around and I know she’s in as I can see into every single room of her house, but she won’t answer.

[quote Daleksatemyshed]@sarahC40 in the stress of Covid and breavement your garden gave you peace, that tree was your comfort, what bloody bad timing your stupid neighbours should choose now to have it cut back. I'm sorry some people don't understand that for many of us nature is far more important than a tidy garden .[/quote]
Thank you. You summed it up well.

Well she can't ignore you forever...

@RileyG73

This is a huge over reaction, tearful, snotty etc?

Goodness, please don't murder your neighbour

Thanks for your amazing contribution. 👏👍👏

@moanieleminx

Well she can't ignore you forever...

I will just open my window and call to her before she scuttles back into her utility room.

I wouldn't talk to you either right now, your sense of grievance and hatred is quite sobering.

@sonicsonic, everyone is struggling with Covid, each in their own way, but to have the anniversary of a bereavement on top is really hard. Can you not understand that yes, this is about the tree in part but also about the rawness of @sarahC40 sense of loss? It would be kinder if you could show a little compassion

@sonicsonic you don't understand clearly what an impact this tree felling could have on dozens of creatures now and in the future. During covid nature has been a constant, restorative element. The planet is dying at the hands of humans and sometimes when something happens right in front of your face it's pretty damn upsetting.

@Firenight

Willows are beautiful and grow fast. I would be putting one in at the bottom of your plot.

Not in a small garden! Willows contributed to the subsidence at my uncle's old house.

@RileyG73

Hysterical women women being hysterical. Cheers. 😂

Oh you again! How lovely! Another wonderful contribution 😂😂😂😂😂😂👏👏👏👏👏👏

@kournikovax

Scarily obsessive to lurk around her house waiting for her to talk to you. She doesn't owe you anything.

If I saw you I'd call the police.
The tree is gone. She hasn't got magic beans to grow it back to stop you 'sobbing.'

I have asked her to speak to me; I’m standing in my house. Is that ok with you? I really feel that I need your approval...actually on the other hand, you could just stroll on by. See you later, friendly poster 😘

@sonicsonic

I wouldn't talk to you either right now, your sense of grievance and hatred is quite sobering.

Mate don’t worry, you don’t have to concern yourself. Please feel free to pass on by with my grateful thanks. I’m not sobbing today, cheers - got all of that out of my system. I am resigned to the situation and I don’t hate anyone in the world. I do think she’s a thundering idiot, but I will find articulate ways to express that, dearie. So glad that you posted 😂😂😂

Just to be clear: I didn’t go around and look in her windows; I don’t need to - I can stand in my house and see into every room bar the loo and the utility room (except when she lets her dog out, when I can see in there too). 🙄

kournkovax If I saw you I'd call the police.

Well, she'd better get used to it as thanks to her knobbish selfish action she's going to be seeing a lot more of the OP without the tree providing privacy isnt she?

I do not understand people that can destroy nature without a second thought and your neighbour sounds awful but I am heartened by most of the supportive responses on your thread OP.

Having had some lovely, kind, solidarity filled posts and support from so many, I will gratefully write down all of your suggestions for planting and for the couple of posters who seem a bit concerned about me - thanks, loves - really, really appreciate it 😂

nature lovers - you’re headed for Nirvana. Off now, for a snooze with my cat.

sarah - your neighbour thinks that if she can avoid you for a week then you will let it go.

Don't let it go. I wouldn't let it go. If it takes a decade, pull her on this.

Let her fear stepping out of doors for the rest of her life.

Let her never be able to put out her washing without checking in every direction to make sure you aren't lurking behind the fence ready to remind her what a sly cow she is.

Get what's left of the tree protected so she can't cut more bits off if it regenerates.

And plant something fast growing and messy where it is likely toself-seed all over her lawn.

I would be fuming too op. I hope your beautiful tree grows back but I would plant a lovely row of silver birches and maybe some rowans. Fantastic for wildlife, the birches are home to ladybirds in particular, and the leaves of the silver birch give dappled shade and beautiful colour in the autumn. Sadly you'll have to put up with looking at your neighbours during the winter months, but you could always cover the tree in fairy lights then 🤔

Also, I wonder if you could apply for one of these if the tree starts to regrow? www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=213 Or even have it added to the trees you plant as you would be worried they'd do it again.