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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:
Blondeshavemorefun · 20/04/2022 22:15

Def need to see pic of Large puppy 👹

I get you are in the country and no neighbours etx

but no way I could sleep with doors unlocked

def get owners to put in their blurb for visitors that they don’t roam alone around the farm

PyongyangKipperbang · 20/04/2022 22:21

I think you need to photo the damage so when the owners see it, or the next set of renters complain about the state of the garden, you can provide proof that it was in fact the CFers that did it as they will claim that either it was ok when they left or that it was like that when they got there but "I didnt like to say anything"......

YesYouAre7 · 21/04/2022 00:11

cherish123 · 18/04/2022 01:08

This brat sounds horrendous. Parents obviously refuse to discipline or take responsibility. I would speak firmly to the parents tomorrow. This is never acceptable. Also - lock your doors at night.

Um the OP said they are Neurodiverse so I think it's a bit UR to call them a ‘brat’!

Starlia · 21/04/2022 03:07

This thread 😆
OP I live on a farm in a very rural location in a different country. We never lock our doors. Nobody can sneak into the house without labouring up the very long driveway, alerting one large house dog and three slightly smaller working dogs, and tripping the automatic lights around the sheds and fuel tanks.
They are more than welcome to the TV and laptop though. I would prefer that to them taking the quad bike, feed or diesel fuel.
Haven't had any masked armed intruders around these parts since the bushrangers though. Would give the local newspaper something to report on other than the stock sales.
I would however quite enjoy watching someone try to steal the very cranky, one-tonne bull.
My youngest was 5 when she helped us move the cattle on her little quad bike and push them through the yards to drench them. She was always supervised despite being very sensible. It only takes one kick from a mama cow.
I would raise holy hell if I found an unsupervised 5 year old on my property. It is so incredibly easy to die on a working farm.

Itshonestlynotthathard · 21/04/2022 07:35

all those country dwellers gleefully telling us they never lock their doors

guessing you have all decided not to get any home insurance that covers any kind of theft or malicious damage? As would be total waste of money.

Itshonestlynotthathard · 21/04/2022 07:37

And do you all live next to a holiday let with a high turnover of guests?

ArcheryAnnie · 21/04/2022 08:58

I am fascinated with people being so cross with the OP for not locking the house. That is so not the point here! Her house insurance has no bearing on this odd problem of CF holidaying parents nearby!

FredDamsey · 21/04/2022 09:25

This reply has been deleted

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

TheArtfulBlogger · 21/04/2022 09:38

Oh @FredDamsey where have you been??? Those insightful gems have been needed for days now!

Thank goodness no one else has said them hundreds of times

OP - "lock things" and "talk to them" . Why has no one else said such pearls of wisdom?!!

WalkWithDignityAndPride · 21/04/2022 09:44

TheArtfulBlogger · 21/04/2022 09:38

Oh @FredDamsey where have you been??? Those insightful gems have been needed for days now!

Thank goodness no one else has said them hundreds of times

OP - "lock things" and "talk to them" . Why has no one else said such pearls of wisdom?!!

I hope you haven't upset them with your reasonable rebuke @TheArtfulBlogger. Not much worse than a Damsey in distress.

BlueSlate · 21/04/2022 09:55

I've only read half of the OPs posts and I'm really amused at the horror she doesn't lock her doors 😁

It's really standard when you live in a very rural area - especially on a farm where your life happens as much outside as in and everyone's coming and going. It's one of the things I used to love about it!

Doesn't mean the local holidaying families can treat it as an extention of their own place though!

BlueSlate · 21/04/2022 09:58

I've only read half of the OPs posts and I'm really amused at the horror she doesn't lock her doors 😁

It's really standard when you live in a very rural area - especially on a farm where your life happens as much outside as in and everyone's coming and going. It's one of the things I used to love about it!

Doesn't mean the local holidaying families can treat it as an extention of their own place though!

Vodkaskirts · 21/04/2022 11:13

Bonkers the pair of you

TheArtfulBlogger · 21/04/2022 11:50

WalkWithDignityAndPride · 21/04/2022 09:44

I hope you haven't upset them with your reasonable rebuke @TheArtfulBlogger. Not much worse than a Damsey in distress.

😂😂

Itshonestlynotthathard · 21/04/2022 12:18

I always chuckle at the posters who scorn posters that haven’t read page after page of enormous threads, but rather just the OP and then thrown in a comment without much thought.

The assumption that everyone is as dedicated to mumsnet as them, that becomes truly invested in threads and can’t comprehend that for some of us… we don’t actually really give a toss either way about threads. We just have a spare ten minutes and over a coffee have a quick peruse of mumsnet.

for some - mumsnet really is so very important to them! 😂

sillysmiles · 21/04/2022 14:01

I always chuckle at the posters who scorn posters that haven’t read page after page of enormous threads, but rather just the OP and then thrown in a comment without much thought.

But is the thread is already 500 posts in why would you think a) what you have to say in new/insightful or b) there hasn't been more information added that has changed the slant of the OP.
If I see a long thread and I cba reading it - then I just skip it.

OhLordyWhatNow · 21/04/2022 14:21

@Itshonestlynotthathard

I always chuckle at the posters who scorn posters that haven’t read page after page of enormous threads, but rather just the OP and then thrown in a comment without much thought.

The assumption that everyone is as dedicated to mumsnet as them, that becomes truly invested in threads and can’t comprehend that for some of us… we don’t actually really give a toss either way about threads. We just have a spare ten minutes and over a coffee have a quick peruse of mumsnet.

for some - mumsnet really is so very important to them! 😂

Gosh, you sound like you read magazines not books.

Why don't you use the filter function then you could miss out all the bits you find dull and move on after your 10 minutes with coffee rather than berate others for actually reading and taking an interest.

There are many reasons for reading a whole thread in its entirety including:

Interest in the subject
Similar personal circumstances
Long journey
Being unwell/ hospital stay
Insomnia, or
Just because they want to, etc.

And none of the other posters owe you an explanation.

TheArtfulBlogger · 21/04/2022 14:42

can’t comprehend that for some of us… we don’t actually really give a toss either way about threads

yet here you are... the irony 😂

MsAdoraBelleDearheartVonLipwig · 21/04/2022 18:03

Well that was predictable. What looked like a really funny thread about cheeky holiday makers turned into a pedantic and boring whinge about whether people lock their house doors at night.

falloutcheer · 21/04/2022 18:43

sillysmiles · 21/04/2022 14:01

I always chuckle at the posters who scorn posters that haven’t read page after page of enormous threads, but rather just the OP and then thrown in a comment without much thought.

But is the thread is already 500 posts in why would you think a) what you have to say in new/insightful or b) there hasn't been more information added that has changed the slant of the OP.
If I see a long thread and I cba reading it - then I just skip it.

Fair enough
Some still like to make a comment!

falloutcheer · 21/04/2022 18:47

TheArtfulBlogger · 21/04/2022 14:42

can’t comprehend that for some of us… we don’t actually really give a toss either way about threads

yet here you are... the irony 😂

I love mumsnet. Perfect to scroll through when waiting for DS to come out of practise. Or if I’m having a quiet day at work.
Sure I will comment.

but the idea that others care so deeply about the “quality” of a mumsnet that they scorn other posters for not having read the previous 21 pages…. Bit odd actually.

each to their own and all that

colourmebladd · 21/04/2022 18:53

Classic mumsnet!

OP - I found an unsupervised 5 year old in my house

Mumsnet - Why was your door unlocked?

Grin
TulipsHere · 21/04/2022 21:37

@colourmebladd

Classic mumsnet!

OP - I found an unsupervised 5 year old in my house

Mumsnet - Why was your door unlocked?

Grin
Madness isn't it? 😩😩😩
labazslovesliving · 23/04/2022 19:12

probably no idea of how the country really works aka The Good Life. Apart from locking doors could you possibly put a padlock on the main gate to stop anyone coming in the yard? I think the owners need to state in their literature to have respect for neighbours

MiddleAgedBlokeHere · 23/04/2022 20:50

Point out to these holidayers that farms are dangerous places for the unfamiliar. Lots of sharp objects about like mowers, sickles and scythes, saws, and so on. Fences to fall off, working machinery to get caught in, I'm sure you can draw up a list. Oh, and their children might eat things that do them harm, chicken feed, fertiliser, pesticides and so on. You could make it sound terrifying!