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The holidaymakers next door

532 replies

mindutopia · 17/04/2022 19:55

Just a rant really, I know I’m not being at all unreasonable. We live in a very rural area that is somewhere people like to visit. It’s pretty and remote and lovely. The only house within about a mile or more is a holiday let. Owners are lovely and actually bought the property back that their grandparents used to own 60 years ago. We have no issues with them. We also have no issues with 95% of their guests. They are usually very quiet and respectful and all that.

We had a family arrive yesterday for the week, with a 5 & 10 year old (we have a 4 & 9 year old, so great we thought!). They came over to play yesterday afternoon, fine.

I woke up this morning to their 5 year old in our lounge (we have like 5 doors, it’s a big old farmhouse, we don’t lock them usually at night as literally no one bothers us down here). I returned him to his family. Hmm

They attempted to come over several times today but I sent them back as we were having an Easter egg hunt in the garden and also having lunch. They finally came over again in the afternoon (I was in the house tidying up after lunch). We live on a farm so I can’t really see much from the kitchen, or else if I’d seen them, I would have intervened.

The 5 year old got into our chicken pen, let all the chickens out, threw about £5 worth of food and grit everywhere, and then appeared in my lounge (I was tidying up toys) and chucked 4 eggs on the floor (thankfully didn’t break!). I’m over it. Hmm

I only discovered the chickens let out (for foxes to eat) and food thrown everywhere just now as I went to tidy up outside for the evening. I went to knock on holiday let’s door but was dark inside downstairs and I could hear kids in bathroom upstairs so they are obviously doing bath and bedtime now.

I’ll speak with them tomorrow, but I just needed to rant. We’ve had so many people traveling to our lovely part of the country the past couple years and it does provide income for many local people (not Dh and I, we work in careers totally unrelated to tourism). But these are the first CF we’ve had in a long time and it just irritates me. Every time I’ve returned their children to them, they’ve just been in the kitchen, drinking, and oblivious. We had a bonfire burning today. We have a river with deep fast flowing water. We also had our puppy out this afternoon, who is lovely but very big and jumpy, which is why we are careful to only have her off lead on our own farm. She definitely could have injured one on these kids in excitement if we hadn’t known they were wondering around our land. And also just the damage and expense to our livestock. I’ve had to clean out the duck and chicken houses because they filled them with pellets and they can choke without access to water. They’re here 5 more days! I will go have a word in the morning, but in the meantime, just arghhhh!

OP posts:
EvenPhilip · 18/04/2022 14:29

@duskyspringfield

YANBU. They’re shit parents
Probably the most accurate and level headed post on this thread. Grin
QuestionableMouse · 18/04/2022 14:30

@tcjotm most doors I know (mine, my sister's, my parents' house) don't work like that. You lock them with the key from either side and they're locked and won't open again until the key is used.

ExMachinaDeus · 18/04/2022 14:32

Personally I would never sleep in an unlocked house, bloody hell thats crazy.

I grew up on a rural property - our drive was quarter of a mile long and our nearest neighbour was half a mile away. We never locked our house unless we were going away on holidays. I've never had a key to my parents' house.

QuestionableMouse · 18/04/2022 14:32

@longwayoff

Planet London and perhaps other cities too. You'd be amazed what can happen if you don't lock your doors. I know 2, separate, people who have found a drunk sleeping it off in their sitting rooms. 2!
Rural Devon is vastly different from London through!

I live rurally in the North East and on a normal day, see hardly anyone passing! Just glanced out of the window and there's not a soul in sight!

ExMachinaDeus · 18/04/2022 14:33

It's what one is used to. Not crazy - just different.

sonjadog · 18/04/2022 14:38

I live in a small village and most people here don't lock their doors. In fact yesterday I went into town for the afternoon and when I cam home I realised that the backdoor had been wide open all day. I never realised this was such a controversial thing!

sonjadog · 18/04/2022 14:42

This actually reminds me of a few years ago when I mentioned taking my dog in the car with me on errands and leaving the window open and I was absolutely jumped on because my dog was bound to get stolen if I did that. Something that has never happened in the area in which I live in my lifetime. Some posters really do have problems with the concept of people living in different areas to them...

SuchAsSeals · 18/04/2022 14:44

I live in a safe rural area and still always lock my doors, but if someone else doesn't want to, I don't care. Up to them! I'm probably overly cautious, and we all have our own way of doing things.

The bigger problem, imo, is the child letting the chickens loose and feeding any of the livestock without asking first. That (and throwing perfectly good eggs) is the part that would infuriate me. That and the shuddering thought of what could happen if he injured himself while wandering around the farm unattended. His parents are horrible! No excuse for such negligence.

HeadacheGrey · 18/04/2022 14:44

Bloody hell when I lived in rural Lincolnshire I went out for the day once and accidentally left my keys dangling in the front door. Got back and they were still exactly where I left them. Some places are that safe to live!

I've done that before (more than once) and we live in a busy town 😱

ExMachinaDeus · 18/04/2022 14:48

Don't know why people are taking issue with the OP - it's the lazy neglectful parents in the holiday let who are taking the mick. Allowing a 5 year old to roam, and trespass, and bringing up a child so that they don't know they shouldn't throw hen eggs on the floor. Terrible parenting.

Daftasabroom · 18/04/2022 14:52

It's the flip side to that Crocodile Dundee scene when he gets to New York and thinks all those people must be really friendly to want live so close to each other.

Ikeptgoing · 18/04/2022 15:07

Please can PPs stop DERAILING the thread. Angry. It's irrelevant whether OP locks her doors or not, the holiday makers young child was wandering unsupervised by his/her parents around OPs working farm having climbed into their land at age 5!

I will groan loudly if there's one more idiotic post on the repetitive and irrelevant very different issue of whether someone like OP locks their house doors or not!!

Trudij123 · 18/04/2022 15:10

I live in a village in rural Devon - barely anyone locks their doors here. I do at night usually, but I have forgotten my back door from time to time.

Unsupervised children are a nightmare though and what he did ( and his parents !) was really naughty. Hopefully they can get sorted out today and it doesn’t happen again.

Tinabn · 18/04/2022 15:19

I want to know where you live if it’s too dangerous to keep your doors unlocked but safe enough for a five year old to wander for quarter of a mile on their own.

Mellowyellow222 · 18/04/2022 15:20

Any update today?

I can’t believe the parents let a 5 year old wander on a farm! So dangerous.

Bootothegoose · 18/04/2022 15:21

Christ alive, I've read some shit on here but I think this tops it!

Their five year old (possibly with SEN) has been so unsupervised that he has been able to wander off for extended periods of time at all times of the day into other people's houses.

Thank fuck for him and his parents you're not psychopaths!

Hawkins001 · 18/04/2022 15:24

@Ikeptgoing

Please can PPs stop DERAILING the thread. Angry. It's irrelevant whether OP locks her doors or not, the holiday makers young child was wandering unsupervised by his/her parents around OPs working farm having climbed into their land at age 5!

I will groan loudly if there's one more idiotic post on the repetitive and irrelevant very different issue of whether someone like OP locks their house doors or not!!

I understand your perspectives , but on the flip side, what would you think the better areas are to focus on, for example, saying how irresponsible the parents are and has the op discussed this with the parents ?
Lorw · 18/04/2022 15:24

OP, it doesn’t bear thinking about what could have happened to that little boy, he obviously has very neglectful parents.

Hawkins001 · 18/04/2022 15:27

@Lorw

OP, it doesn’t bear thinking about what could have happened to that little boy, he obviously has very neglectful parents.
I think that's why there has been a big focus on the locks, to prevent hazards or help to prevent hazards.
Oatsandstuff · 18/04/2022 15:31

@wordler

So if cctv because worried about burglars of farming equipment
Seems odd to then be so relaxed about family home which is presumably spitting distance from the farming equipment!

Hertsgirl10 · 18/04/2022 15:38

[quote Oatsandstuff]@wordler

So if cctv because worried about burglars of farming equipment
Seems odd to then be so relaxed about family home which is presumably spitting distance from the farming equipment![/quote]
@Oatsandstuff

Seems odd that people are more concerned about the doors being unlocked than a 5 year old
Non verbal kid is wondering around a strange area onto a farm and close to water, but what people’s issue here is OP and how she doesn’t lock her doors but has CCTV.

Oatsandstuff · 18/04/2022 15:39

I’m not “concerned” either way
Chewing the fat on mumsnet before getting stuck in to laundry tbh

WhatNowwwww · 18/04/2022 15:39

@caecilius1

I sympathise with you OP re the lack of boundaries with the holidaymakers' DC, however, I can't imagine ever leaving property unlocked either when I'm in or out of my house. I would never even leave the patio doors open/ unlocked even when just nipping to the loo. Its not a city thing, it's a security conscious thing; your insurance would be invalid for starters if the worst happened.
Insurance isn’t invalid from leaving doors unlocked when you’re in the house, even if you’re asleep. As the Police confirmed to me when I was burgled in the night and realised I had forgotten to lock my back door after taking the bins out the previous evening.
Hawkins001 · 18/04/2022 15:45

@WhatNowwwww

Actually it seems it depends on the policy and the insurance company rather than just going by what the police officer said,

www.confused.com/home-insurance/guides/what-can-invalidate-house-insurance

huffyhufferson · 18/04/2022 15:45

Hope you have got it sorted.

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