Neighbours having massive firework display

[Cole24]

AIBU to think that my neighbours should have at least given us a heads up that they were putting on a massive firework display?

We live in a small village with one housing estate which is quite densely populated, but it's a very quiet area. We recently had new neighbours move into the house next door (it's a semi-detached property) and we haven't seen or spoken to them yet.

Tonight they are having a very long and noisy firework display, it's been going on for at least 45 minutes and it's been constant the entire time. As I mentioned the property is semi-detached and the gardens are very small, it doesn't seem safe to have a firework display so close to the house, as a result it's very close to our house too.

We have a 5 month old baby who's been woken by them and a young cat who's absolutely terrified. Our area is very much a pet friendly place with most of the neighbours owning cats or dogs and so fireworks aren't popular around here.

Since they're right next door in such close quarters, with the fireworks being unreasonably close to our house, AIBU to think that they could have let us know by knocking the door or dropping a note in?

If you read this far then thank you!

Can’t see what difference it would make if they had let you know tbh, unless you would have made plans to go out of course. My neighbours have had fireworks going off tonight, they haven’t told me and I wouldn’t expect them too.

@Roselilly RTFT

@ScreamedAtTheMichelangelo totally agree!!

A member of our local fb page put a complaint on about neighbours letting off fireworks in the front garden and that two cars were damaged, one being dented and the second a shattered windscreen. I remember a few friends in London buying fireworks but when we looked at them we realised that we had to have 75' of clearance for some so had to take these back. That meant a 150' wide and long to keep debris in the garden.

I like to watch a display of fireworks but I do have some issues with those who don't consider where the debris of their fireworks land. We are asked to be considerate and let people know in advance about bonfires so do people do that?

Fireworks are going off now and it's not the 5th.

It’s common human courtesy to let your neighbour with a child and pet know you are going to be letting off explosives in your garden!! 1) so you can perhaps keep your kid in another room and 2) so you can ensure you have your cat indoors - anyone who disagrees is a massive entitled nob and all that’s wrong with illmannered, selfish society

2) so you can ensure you have your cat indoors - anyone who disagrees is a massive entitled nob and all that’s wrong with illmannered, selfish society

And it's common sense to keep a pet in on the 5th November and anyone who doesn't is pretty damn stupid!

It’s not a matter of manners in decline. I am 53. Every year since I can recall my parents have let off fireworks in their back garden (quite a few off them some years). They are considerate, caring people. Never once have they alerted their neighbours. Possibly because it is bonfire night. They would not dream of letting off fireworks any other night of the year. But honestly - it is very precious to expect a warning for a firework display on 5 November.

Even without a warning from your neighbour, the cat should be in anyway. It's been standard advice for decades. Any cat owner who doesn't do this is a massive knob.

Thank you for all of the replies, I certainly wasn't expecting this many!

I understand why some people my feel I am being 'precious', I of course kept my cat in incase of fireworks and had it been in the distance it wouldn't have been an issue.

The display ended up lasting around an hour and during that hour it was relentless bangs and flashes. The windows were shaking and though inside with the tv turned up my cat was still shaking behind the sofa.

Our entire driveway was blocked by the cars of their friends/family who visited to see the fireworks and this was for approximately 3 hours. This morning our garden is covered in debris and what looks like a whole firework lodged into our lawn ( I haven't let my husband or cat go near it just incase!)

My daughter was struggling to sleep and we had finally got her to sleep when the fireworks started (I'm sure any parents can relate to the frustration). Had we known in advance then I could have put her to sleep in a room on the other side of the house and turned up the white noise in the hope of keeping her asleep.

Fireworks from further away wouldn't have been an issue and of course I wouldn't expect any neighbours whose property is not attached to mine to give us any advanced notice.

Thank you to all who seem to understand my frustration, though I fully accept that they were within their rights and at least it was on the one night of the year where it's acceptable.

YANBU Think there could be safety issues if they are very close. Check out for New Year, they may be the kind to have fireworks then too. A heads up would be the least they could have done.

We had a small fireworks display. We let all the neighbours know (except the arseholes next door, but that’s another thread). All were fine, some others also had some. We had the garden ones (non-noisy) and a few Big Bang rockets. We are mindful we have scatty cats and nervous guinea pigs. Was all v successful - however, to have such a massive and long display and not give you a heads up is a bit shit.

I once went to an organised display wje it was very windy and a still burning firework landed on the crowd.
We have had had garden displays all my life. My kids have been lighting them under supervision? since they were 3 or 4.i think demystifying things like this is

important for. Childs development and long term safety

@Tvstar my brother was allowed to light a firework under supervision when he was about 9. The wind blew it over, he got a face full of sparks etc and had to go to hospital.

I cannot believe anyone would let their 3yo light an explosive.
Why do fireworks need to be demystified? They're hardly essential items.

My neighbour didn’t warn me about a Halloween party, when it wasn’t even Halloween!, that went on to 3.30am, with drum and bass so loud it made my rib cage reverberate. You got off lightly.

Wow. I crap myself when there are sparklers around. But letting little children light fireworks 😮
Even licensed events sometimes have a firework not work as planned and there are accidents.
Of course, it's parents choice I am just surprised.

I'm sorry to say the days of having any consideration for neighbours has sadly gone. Ours extend their houses, park outside other peoples houses and never a word of kindness for anyone older than them. I most certainly think it is polite to warn people, so sorry for you. You know what if they're in trouble, guess whose door they knock at. One of ours once got locked out by her children (the little darlings), knocked at our door, husband opened door, hardly a word passed between them. She charged through our house and jumped over the garden fence.

park outside other peoples houses

What... they park on a public road?? Bastards!

We have had had garden displays all my life. My kids have been lighting them under supervision? since they were 3 or 4.i think demystifying things like this is important for. Childs development and long term safety

Yep. A long stay in a burns unit will certainly demystify explosive devices for a 3 year old.

Do you also demystify your household electrics? Cooker? Boiling kettles? Have you taught them what happens when you put a hairdryer in the bath?

Top tip- children don't need to DO dangerous things to learn they're dangerous.

New neighbour you have not welcomed to the area and not spoken to had 45 minutes of fun on firework night
How terrible

@Maz54 people park outside your house? What's the problem with that?

Personally I don't think neighbours have changed and it was better in the good old days. Talking to people older than themselves? I'll talk to decent ones, cantankerous ones I'll ignore, same as any age group.

@spanglydangly so your suggestion is that I must be cantankerous? Thank you for that. We are all very considerate in my area it's new people moving in that are the problem. We have always had great get togethers with our neighbours and as they age around us I am one of the first to help them, I don't think that makes me cantankerous. If I have ever had to park outside a neighbours house due to works at the house etc. I always let them know and ask if it's OK, it's common courtesy to do so.

Not suggesting anything @Maz54 I was referring to your comment that "neighbours these days" don't have a word of kindness for anyone older than them...

Asking to park perfectly legally on the road outside someone's house is not common courtesy it's life.

I can see how anyone moving into that type of regime would want to distance themselves immediately .... I certainly would.

@Maz54 Parking on a public road doesn't require telling anybody, nobody owns the bit of public road outside their house.
I have come across the view in rl and decided it came from a time of many fewer cars on the road.
It is a completely unrealistic expectation today.

There's a real divide regarding what is acceptable manners code these days.

All too depressingly I find myself increasingly blanked saying things like 'Good morning/evening' or after stepping to one side to let people pass there's no thanks. Getting on the bus, you've waiting for ages but someone who just turned up steps in front of you.

My neighbours have parties that start at 10:00am and finish at 6am without so much as a heads up or notice (but when they want help arranging some committee do involving baking etc they let you know in advance) and our parking spaces are taken up by neighbours who don't even live on the street. Courtesy is in rapid decline. Mind you I live in London so maybe it's a local effect and not reflective of the country?

Biggest problem with bonfire night is that it's no longer just one night. Shit stretches from Halloween through to sometimes several nights after. Obviously Diwali often falls around the same time, which accounts for an extra day of fireworks but it's mostly because people buy a shed load of them and let them off night after night.