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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to think this is pretty obnoxious?

67 replies

Neolibera · 23/02/2018 12:29

I live in a medium-sized Home Counties town. As you drive in to the town, you drive through an oldy woldy village with several cottages, a village green and a pub. Let’s call this village Sydham Green.

In plain view of the road, there is also a very large house - definitely modern, but built in sort of manor-style.

The inhabitants of this house recently put up a sign at the front of their front garden, by the pavement - a pole with a small wooden board hanging from it - that said Sydham Hall.

A few weeks later, they decided that that sign clearly wasn’t noticeable enough, so they now have a huge sign, about 2 by 2.5 metres, with ‘SYDHAM HALL’ written on in huge letters, propped up against the side of the house.

It’s not used as a guesthouse or for any events, it is purely a residential house. And it’s not a historical landmark, it’s a new build.

Is it just me who thinks this is rather obnoxious behaviour? It seems to me like they’re flaunting their wealth to anyone who drives past and to all the villagers who live in far smaller houses. It’s not even like it’s a real authentic stately home - it was built about 20 years ago!

OP posts:

VladmirsPoutine · 23/02/2018 13:35

@Chatterbitch . I'd too go with this: "Sydham Castle".

Pearlsaringer · 23/02/2018 13:39

Or put a sign up outside yours “The Actual Sydham Hall”.

TheHungryDonkey · 23/02/2018 13:50

Won’t make any difference to deliveries. The name of our building is outside in 2 ft high letters but couriers still sit in the van outside and call me because they can’t find it.

BoredOnMatLeave · 23/02/2018 13:56

Even if it was for deliveries who names their house "hall"?!

Take a picture for us

CheeseTheDay · 23/02/2018 14:01

Mine and DH's home only has a house name, as our house sits in a small private, unnumbered road, and there are only two other properties in the road. These are all very old houses, so they're historical names. Our house name is along the lines of 'Bluebell House'.

A couple of years ago, a 'McMansion' type home was built on land, located on a (numbered) road leading out of the village. New builds these days, always have a house number as their official address, unless build in a private unnumbered road (like the one we live in). It didn't stop the couple who bought the McMansion, adopting a house name (which they are free to do, but in that case, it should only ever be used with the house number), and erecting an arrow sign (pointing up the small drive) out the front reading 'Bluebell House'. I kid ye not. Their official address was House No, Street, and thus the sign should have simply stated the House No, with the arrow pointing up the drive. Sure enough, council told them to change it, pointing out there is only one proper 'Bluebell House' in the village. Cheeky fuckers!

kinorsam · 23/02/2018 14:10

Our (fairly shabby 1960's-built) road has a vair posh name, but then there was a manor house on the site centuries ago, the name stayed with the field name, and when the developer came along they used it for the road.

Perhaps this manor house is actually built on the site of an ancient one?

LAlady · 23/02/2018 14:16

I live in a cul de sac. Houses are all different and the largest of of the houses has taken to naming itself “.... Manor”. This caused much hilarity at the neighbours drinks party, which for some reason they weren’t invited too. We are fairly new residents and get on with everyone. Including the inhabitants of the “Manor”

blueyacht · 23/02/2018 14:18

I'd get a marker pen and add a P then a US to get SYDHAM PHALLUS. I'd also draw a cock and balls.

But I am puerile.

ShotsFired · 23/02/2018 14:22

@Neolibera And it’s not a historical landmark, it’s a new build... It’s not even like it’s a real authentic stately home - it was built about 20 years ago!

I drive past an 'Autumn Lodge' several times a week.

Said "lodge", being, of course an early 80s Barratt Box home on a bog standard residential housing estate, with number 23 and 27 either side.

RoseWhiteTips · 23/02/2018 14:25

No class; no style. Poor idiots.

WildWindsBlowing · 23/02/2018 14:31

YANBU at all, How hideous.

I thought you needed planning permission for signs. Do they have this?

Is there any sort if village organisation which could explain politely that it is definitely out if keeping and ask them to remove it?

It is terribly pretentious of them to call it a hall as though it is the local manor house.

zzzzz · 23/02/2018 14:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

InMySpareTime · 23/02/2018 14:36

Tape a letter "O" over the Y, I'm sure they'd love to live in "Sodham Hall"

Qvar · 23/02/2018 14:36

Well how else do you expect people to know how important they are?

Bonez · 23/02/2018 14:40

It's probably due to deliveries like others have said.

Wanderlusting99 · 23/02/2018 14:45

Definitely needs planning permission, if you want it down give planning a call :D

raspberrysuicide · 23/02/2018 14:45

I bought a small house in Lincolnshire that didn't have a name or a number! It wasn't on the main road either it was down a little track. The previous owners had lived there for 60 years so it was just known as their surname.
So we were lucky enough to be able to name it ourselves.

UnmitigatedBollocks · 23/02/2018 14:48

I don’t see it as obnoxious. More silly and pretentious. It wouldn’t bother me at all.

BreakfastAtSquiffanys · 23/02/2018 14:49

A friend put up a simliar large sign outside her new build as deliveries for the builders couldn't find it.

Sydham Twats might also be working from home and clients can't find them

christinarossetti · 23/02/2018 15:05

This is hilarious!

I'll change the details slightly so as not to our myself, but a house on our road has done the equivalent of putting a pond in the front garden with a large sign saying 'The Lakes' next to it.

It makes me smile every time I go past, especially when the coloured spot lights come on in the winter.

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 23/02/2018 15:05

Is it their actual address though? As in, when they bought it/built it was that what it was called rather than having a number? Or have they literally just made it up and added it to the house?

RidingWindhorses · 23/02/2018 15:10

I don't think it's obnoxious, I do think it's hilariously nouveau riche.

SweetMoon · 23/02/2018 15:14

Perhaps they are about to open as a business? Like a retreat or beauty therapy or something and getting the sign up before opening

Notsooriginalwerther · 23/02/2018 15:15

A house near me (couple towns away) is called ‘fart lodge’... I’m not even joking, it’s a normal house on a numbered street. Very funny when my 3yo nephew walked past, asked what it said and I replied ‘that house is called fart lodge’ and he asked if he could live there. No, no you cannot. Ever.

MammaAgata · 23/02/2018 15:31

Ahhh.. I think you've just described my neighbour. Bless him.

In his case one of his most memorable things he did (and still does) is buy a ride on mower and mows the village green outside his house. In stripes, as if it belongs to him. He does this every Saturday despite the council coming along and mowing it also. He has threatened to arrange for little wooden posts to go round the green so no-one can park on there, and also according to his wife they are going to arrange with the council to have sleeping policemen installed all up and down our lane. Isn't that nice of them?

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