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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it's my bloody house and garden so I'll have a bbq or bonfire if i want too?

328 replies

Werkwerkwerkwerkwerkwerk · 09/04/2020 23:16

Just as the title suggests really.

We're already confined to our homes for the most part, why are people now trying to control what we can and cannot do in our own gardens?

Need to find as much joy as possible or I'll join all the other near alcoholics that have evolved at this point.

OP posts:
Eckhart · 10/04/2020 09:54

Your neighbours on both sides and across the back are also perfectly at liberty to stand facing your back door and scream as hard as they can from 7am until 11pm. Would you think this was ok behaviour, or antisocial?

Please consider others. Bonfires when we all want our lungs to be as strong and healthy as possible are quite antisocial. Can't you imagine that someone might have a bed bound, frail granny who lies in bed choking from your bonfire fumes coming through the window?

Thripp · 10/04/2020 09:55

I haven't got a garden, so there's no risk of me lighting a bonfire - but I never knew they were such a big thing.

Bit like loo brushes, I suppose.

greathat · 10/04/2020 09:56

Bonfires trigger my asthma :(

madcatladyforever · 10/04/2020 09:56

Chuck your grass clippings into the countryside for fucks sake, they are biodegradable. Unless you live in a town. I've got a big heap of chopped up garden rubbis in a corner of my garden and it's staying there until the tip reopens.

mumwon · 10/04/2020 09:58

neighbour had bonfire last week all day- for the fist time in a couple of years I had to use Ventolin -it went right through the house & the smell in my garden & everywhere reeked for days - the fire service has asked people not to because of increased fire risk & the neighbours didn't even warn us & it started in the morning & lasted all day. My dh cut up all the tree trimmings into smaller pieces & has bagged it up neatly (using compost bags) to be taken to the dump when they open again - we have also started a compost heap (using branches as the 4 sides horizontally which uses some more of the larger sawn off branches & if he can do this why cant others?)

Zenithbear · 10/04/2020 10:01

Bbq fine
Bonfires that are not on bonfire night are started by selfish ignorant arseholes

Looneytune253 · 10/04/2020 10:01

@Werkwerkwerkwerkwerkwerk I don't know if you've realised but there's a little bit of a respiratory infection going around? Some people are struggling to breathe so clean air is really important to them especially *sarcasm

MotherofKitties · 10/04/2020 10:01

BBQs, yes. Fire pits and chiminea's, yes. Bonfires, no.

Why would you have a bonfire?! The only time I've ever heard of people having bonfires are when it's 5th November and it's council-ran, or they have a huge amount of land to do it privately and away from others, ie on farms etc. Lighting a bonfire in close proximity to others when people can't leave their homes and gardens would be downright inconsiderate and dangerous.

Anyone suffering or recovering from CV19 or anyone who has asthma etc wont be able to breathe properly and it would make the whole area stink. Just toast some marshmallows over a bbq instead.

SpillTheTea · 10/04/2020 10:01

Bonfires on bonfire night are fine, not so much any other time.

SoupDragon · 10/04/2020 10:01

Chuck your grass clippings into the countryside for fucks sake

Don't go fly tipping garden waste.

LakieLady · 10/04/2020 10:05

Oh and not everyone has a compost bin, they’re not the norm where we live at all

We bought ours.

It's brilliant, we compost all our peelings, grass cuttings, some weeds (not the more vigorous ones), dead leaves in autumn, and add unprinted cardboard which helps the balance of the chemicals get to the optimum. Ours also gets added horse shit, whenever one of the racehorses from the neaby racing yard craps near our house (I go out and pick it up with a trowel and a bucket, much to the amusement of the people across the road, who clearly think I'm batshit Grin).

We get the most fantastic compost. I gave a sack to my neighbour, and one to my MIL, who are both really keen gardeners, and they raved about how good it was.

Cheeeeesecaaaaakkkeeee · 10/04/2020 10:05

What about a small fire pit, smaller than a bbq with logs meant for burning. Not garden waste bonfires?

Hannah021 · 10/04/2020 10:05

Bonfire in ur garden? What if fire still spreads? Firemen are just as critical as NHS even if they arent covid interfacing!! God ppl are mad

bettybattenburg · 10/04/2020 10:05

Having a bonfire is extremely selfish. It's lovely weather and you'd be forcing any neighbours to sit with all their windows closed.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 10/04/2020 10:06

I generally only do a bonfire in the evening so it isn’t spoiling someone else’s washing etc. I don’t see the problem with either BBQ or bonfire occasionally.

ironicman · 10/04/2020 10:08

You aren't being unreasonable at all. What's the problem with having a bonfire. We just say, "Hi"to the neighbours and "by the way we are having a bonfire later on & didn't want you to leave the washing out." I wouldn't say or do that if they'd literally just hung it out but we always have a bonfire in the evening anyway.

ExD1938 · 10/04/2020 10:09

Surely a bbq for just your family/people living in your house, is allowed. Its people having bbq's and inviting the whole street that are off limits?

LaMarschallin · 10/04/2020 10:10

To think it's my bloody house and garden so I'll have a bbq or bonfire if i want too?

As well as what?

Beautiful3 · 10/04/2020 10:10

Bonfires should be banned. They are anti social and prevent others from enjoying their gardens. Bbqs are okay from 6pm onwards. Gives people a chance to get their washing in.

SoupDragon · 10/04/2020 10:10

What's the problem with having a bonfire

I assume you'd be perfectly happy with neighbours playing music with a heavy bass line at full volume through the evening.

bettybattenburg · 10/04/2020 10:11

ll. What's the problem with having a bonfire. We just say, "Hi"to the neighbours and "by the way we are having a bonfire later on & didn't want you to leave the washing out.

So you are telling your neighbours that they can't have their laundry out because you are having a bonfire! That's selfish.

ironicman · 10/04/2020 10:11

No it isn't necessarily "extremely selfish." Why is it? If for example you have a long garden and aren't going to smoke neighbours out then how is it selfish?

Sirzy · 10/04/2020 10:11

ironicman

And what if your neighbour said “actually I would rather you didn’t because I have respiratory problems”?

Or even “please don’t I want to be able to have my windows open without smelling the smoke”?

LakieLady · 10/04/2020 10:12

Oh, and our compost bin is home to slow-worms, which eat slugs and are an asset to any garden!

coldlighthappier · 10/04/2020 10:14

If your aim was to make yourself sound like a selfish moronic cow then you’ve succeeded. Of course you shouldn’t have a flippin bonfire. And if your bbq produces massive clouds of black smoke then no you shouldn’t have that either.