To be cross that my next door but one neighbour had a bonfire on Saturday when my washing was still on the line!

[Bluebell99]

My dh came home from getting a take away and asked if the washing was still out as the neighbour had a bonfire. So I went out to get it in, shouting what inconsiderate person would light a bonfire without checking if his neighbours had washing out. I may have swore a bit. I then sent dh round to speak to him, which he did do politely and ask if next time he could warn us. Apparently he was apologetic. Would you have been pissed off too?! Thing is, we never have bonfires, we take our rubbish to the tip, and it isnt the first time neighbour has done this, but it is the first time we have gone round to speak to him.

So none of you have ever had a load of washing ruined by bonfire smoke. And would not be bothered if bonfire ash was landing on your clean and dry clothes. My dh was very polite to the neighbour. You wouldn't be bothered at having to wash and dry a load again . OK.

I might've tutted a bit but would not have sworn and sent my dh round to have a word, no.

Yes I have had washing ruined by bonfires and BBQs.

No I wasn't particularly bothered by ash. And no I wasn't bothered at having to wash the load again.

It's not like this is happening every day is it OP? He's not doing it deliberately to piss you off.

What about barbeques though? That's far worse for your washing than bonfires.

I shouted over the fence during the summer 'bastard neighbours with that blasted barbie again', - whilst noisily as possible unpegging the washing.

They are very good friends though and had invited us round..

I've just realised this guy doesn't even live directly next door but two doors away.

Is he supposed to check the whole street's washing lines before having a bonfire? Smoke can travel a long way you know.

It's hardly onerous it is to wash it again, though, is it?

Unless you are walking 3miles each way to the local waterfall to wash it by hand on large rocks surrounded by doe-eyed forest nymphs singing a happy tune whilst you toil?

Yes, it's annoying. My neighbours dont give a damn and do it regularly. However, I also don't expect the farmer to tell me when he's muck spreading and the clothes smell a whole lot worse then!

So you had to wash it again. Not really end of the world is it? Have you never had your washing rained on, or shat on by birds?

But, Chaos (I refuse to use your Hallowe'en name before October :P), isn't that how we all do it? Only mine nymphs have a more redeeming feature than doe eyes....

The council is unreasonable to say "check that neighbours are not sat out in their gardens". Surely it's "sitting", not "sat"?

I feel your pain. I seem to be surrounded by pyromaniacs who just love to burn crap.

It really, really pisses me off tbh. You might have a nice drying day (the only one that week possibly) and some fucker decides to light a fire. Or be enjoying the evening sun on the patio, and have to shut yourselves indoors instead.

We might not "own the air" but then neither do the firestarters. A bit of consideration wouldn't go amiss.

Is he supposed to check the whole street's washing lines before having a bonfire?

That would be a neighbourly thing to do, yes. Or stick a note through everyone's door to say they'd be having a bonfire at such and such a time (another neighbour of mine does this).

But what if you want to have a bonfire spontaneously?

If your husband was bring a takeaway back......was it teatime?
If so, pray tell, what was the washing still doing out? Perhaps Mr Pyromaniac thought "ohh there's MrBluebell on his way for the weekly madras, so Mrs Bluebell will have done all the housework, so I can set fire to my rubbish, no problemo."

Some people really should live alone in big fields. (but then you have to factor in those pesky dormice)

YABU.

Its just one of those things. Not sure where you live though, as some areas have restrictions on fires.

Its happened to me, both sides... I've had washing out only to have to bring it in again when someone starts a fire... but I've also had a fire in my garden without checking every neighbours' garden for the state of their smalls.

So glad I live in London where bonfires are banned .

It's hardly onerous it is to wash it again, though, is it?

It is when drying days are few and far between, especially when you're out at work or wherever all day, or the wash is an entire week's worth of school/work clothes and it's late Sunday afternoon...

What particularly pisses me off is that there really is no need to have these fires - absolutely none at all.

How "spontaneous" can it be to make a huge pile of sticks? Takes time, surely?

But what if you want to have a bonfire spontaneously?

Then you should wait. However if your pile of stuff combusts spontaneously then I guess it can't be helped.

YANBU for being annoyed about it, I would be too (and have been before when neighbour decided to burn a mattress in his garden on a gorgeous sunny day when me and my children would have liked to be outside but couldn't due to the smell and acrid eye-watering smoke).

However YABU for going out and ranting and swearing. The quiet polite chat was the eventual right way to go.

At least DH behaved like an adult.

I wondered about the time too. Takeaway time is normally after a drying period in a day isnt it?

It is a pain yes but YABU for shouting & swearing.

It's only bonfire-smell, which isn't bad. DP always smells like fire anyway, he's a Firefighter.