to think one person shouldn't hold a village to ransom?

[feelinglikepeaches]

I have recently moved to a rural village. It's about 400 houses - a friendly place to live and very good at holding village events. With the Queen's birthday coming up the parish council wants, along with many other places across the country, to hold a street party on the Sunday afternoon (June 12th). The only viable street to close (because of emergency access to an old people's home and through access) would inevitably mean that some houses would have their access cut-off. One of these houses has already advertised an open garden on the same day as part of the national open garden scheme. The chap concerned has been very vocal/aggressive in campaigning for the street party not to happen. I have some sympathy for him as this open garden was organised many months ago and I recognise that the open garden raises money for charity- however his house is up for sale so it seems very hypocritical. I'm told that for whatever reason the road closure would have to be on a Sunday and that the consensus was that the afternoon would suit the village better- so it seems that it is not possible for the date and time of the street party to be moved. I would like to get involved with the event to meet more people and get involved more with village life but I don't want to walk into a big feud! Is the house owner being unreasonable?

He isn't being hypocritical, to get in the yellow book his garden must be pretty exceptional and loved. The village would be hugely unfair to put pressure on him and make him feel bad. Make other arrangements! Do it the day before.

Your parish council sound like selfish arses like a typical parish council

And it could absolutely be done in the church hall - they just don't want to.

This is so midsomer murders, I love it.

I was thinking 'Little Britain'

Why can't you use the Church Hall?

I mean all of it, not just the loos.

Or are their any fields or other open spaces? Portaloo hire isn't expensive, so you don't actually need to be near a building with loos.

And perhaps you could stand for the parochial church council next time round, because it doesn't sound to me as if they have explored all options. And, echoing previous post, there might be a generations old backstory to this.

OP... You watch yourself that you don't get unwittingly drawn into the role of 'cat's paw' here. You're new to the village and from your language, it seems as if the villagers have been prompting you quite heavily and you're trying to fit in so picking up the poisoned chalice with alacrity.

The Village is being unreasonable; this man is not.

Don't get involved, let a seasoned villager do it and just join in the event. I agree with the poster who said that there's no need for it to be a 'street party'. A village hall will do just the same.

Do you have a local park or other land you could hold the party on?

It'll rain.

The most erudite comment on here.

In fact with the vagueries of the British summer, a hall would be much more sensible. People will then gravitate outside if it's sunny. They might even go and look at the man's garden.

Why can't the party be in a different date?

So garden man organised an Open Garden event, has been planning it and it has been advertised for ages by a third party.

399 other people decide that they are going to make access to his house difficult by blocking s public highway/right of way/his usual access, at exactly the same time. And this was decided without any consultation with him.

No wonder the poor chap is feeling aggrieved.

It's not the poor bloke holding a village to ransome, it sounds like a village bully boy I got the man. Using ridiculously stupid terms like 'hypocritical', and feeding silly newbies those lines. An open garden is a far bigger deal than some crappy street party for someone that doesn't give a shit about you or yours.
OP I suggest you shut up, grow up, wise up, and then, if you have any decency, explain to the party planners why they are wrong.

I think you're right Lizard- I'll keep out of it.. Yes is a bit Midsomer Murders- with a bit of Miss Marple going on too! I think there must be a bit of history to this as views on both sides seem quite polarised. I know he opens his garden quite a few times in the year so am guessing it's a good one. Is it possible to change a time or date as Blank suggests once something goes into a yellow book ? Thanks for your views- am off to pretend to clip roses in the garden whilst peering suspiciously over the hedge---

I would also let this be a lesson as to how the village can behave when you don't do what they want tbh!

Living in a village, I would agree with what LyingWitch said about standing back from it.

I cannot see that he is being hypocritical or unreasonable. He is just fighting his corner, for something that has probably been at least 2 years in the pipeline, if the programme I watched about such things is to be believed.

Party in the hall, decorate the streets with bunting, make it one big celebration.

Agree with Tiggery, this sounds exactly what is happening. I wonder why the man is moving? He sounds quite ostracised and isn't being treated in any way decently.

I'm with the fella and his open garden day. The rest of village including you on your opening post seem happy to walk over his plans.

As others have said, as a newbie don't be so enthusiastic about getting too involved in village life so soon. You will find everyone has their own agenda.

I've been here over a decade and still refuse to get involved with village politics! It's much less stressful from the outside looking in!

Another one for Team Garden. The village is being U, not garden man.

He can't change the Open Garden event, not only are they advertised months in advance but quite often they're co-ordinated across areas too so it's not just a case of him deciding to move his event. The parish council can choose a different weekend or hold their party indoors. It sounds as though they're trying to ride rough-shod over him but it really isn't one person holding lots of people to ransom. There will be lots of people intending to visit his garden.

Nod and smile to everyone involved on all sides and go away that weekend!

Mmm, maybe the village choosing that date and that street wasn't accidental but deliberate sabotage. Where's Marple when you need her!

Just to add, availability of local parking is one of the things the NGS team look at before one is accepted for the open gardens scheme. If the parking by his house becomes unavailable during an open garden event it could affect his ability to be registered...which, as stated above, could impact on the value of his property.
It takes at least a year to be accepted on to the scheme as they assess your garden at the same time of year that you are expecting to open and then follow your progress to bring it up to scratch/maintain it over the next 12 months and then they elicit feedback from your visitors which decides whether or not you can stay in the book. It must be really quite a big deal for him.

I live in a midsomer murders type village - OP steer well clear of the village feud. I repeat: Do Not Get Involved!

Let the villager elders sort it out.

The village I grew up in always holds its village events on the public grassy areas and/or in the village and church halls. However romanticised the village council's idea of a street party is, a whole village even isn't suitable for one. No street will be big enough to accommodate 400 houses worth of people. It would be much better to have it in a big open space.

So even if we completely ignore the awful way the man with his open garden is being treated, the parish council are being totally unreasonable to plan an event so poorly and at such short notice too.

And, yes, keep out of it if you want to actually make friends rather join sides in existing feuds.

Agree, he can't just change it; the date was probably not his choice.

Can the street party date be changed? I don't know anything about the Queen's Birthday business –is it actually a fixed date, or just 'a Saturday in June' as Wikipedia tells me? If the latter, the party could be on another Saturday.

And it makes no sense to call him 'hypocritical'.