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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think that having a bonfire is pure laziness

123 replies

chloeb8 · 30/04/2021 18:23

It seems that people around here are always having fires in their gardens. There is a tip quite close by so I just don’t understand the need! Not to mention the fact that it’s a PITA to surrounding houses. I think it’s very thoughtless and don’t know why people can’t just go to the tip to get rid of stuff (and yes the household I’m talking about have cars)

OP posts:

nancywhitehead · 01/05/2021 07:08

I think bonfires are quite a lot of work really!

But if your neighbours are bothering you with bonfires then you should just have a word. There are usually rules that you can only have certain types of fire in your garden that don't disturb neighbours. Our council only allows a small camp fire/ BBQ in residential areas.

ButtonMoony · 01/05/2021 07:10

A fore is by far the easiest way to get rid of garden rubbish, cardboard, wastepaper etc.

It was however a bit damp here last weekend and dh is currently sans fringe or eyebrows from getting it going

Can't help but smile at the recyclers who carefully load the car up and do a recycling trip, generating a load of pollution as they go so their cardboard can be shifted by a couple of big machines, squashed by a big fuel burning machine. Moved to another depot on a lorry, unloaded by another fuel burning machine...... you get the idea.

Don't forget that all those machines that had to be built just so people can recycle also generate their own carbon footprint, as does the production of the factory that built the machine that was then shipped on cargo ships and lorries

Ifailed · 01/05/2021 07:13

We have a large garden and the garden bin would hold less than 10% of the grass cuttings each week and is only collected fortnightly. I load the car with all the bags of grass cuttings and so two tip trips, about 30 miles
Why aren't you composting all of this?

SuperMonkeys · 01/05/2021 07:13

Depends on your local tip etc. Here we have a once a week booking system, and the green waste bit won't take any wood with a diameter of greater than 20cms. If you have a large garden then you can very quickly get overrun. Having a sensibly sized and times bonfire is completely logical. We are rural however, and it is expected.

GarlicMonkey · 01/05/2021 07:18

Erm.... because I get very few days off & instead of multiple tip trips with old decking, having a fire in the evening & roasting marshmallows with the kids is much needed fun family time. If my (retired & p/t) neighbours don't like it, they're free to do a few tip runs for me while I'm at work.

Fizbosshoes · 01/05/2021 07:22

This is totally outing for anyone who lives where I do, but our tip is open by appointment only, and they are absolute goldust to get, and you have to book at least a week in advance (by design, not due to demand). You are also limited to 3 trips a month, which is stupid because often you'll not need to go for months, then will do some work and need repeated visits.

Lots of London boroughs have this system. We've been trying to clear out a relatives house after they died and it's a nightmare. The slots are only half an hour so you can only do one car load of stuff at a time. The tip where we live is open limited hours, with limited bays and the queues are often over an hour. (We haven't had bonfires though)

BikeRunSki · 01/05/2021 07:25

If you take garden waste to the tip, what’s its onward destination? Our local authority would incinerate anyway. Having transported it there in wagons. Arguably, a large commercial incinerator with cats etc to manage the toxicity of the output will be less polluting than localised small scale bonfires, but the there’s the impact of taking the garden waste to the tip, then from the tip to the incinerator.

Onedropbeat · 01/05/2021 07:51

It’s Beltane and is traditional to have a bonfire to dance around today

BoyTree · 01/05/2021 07:52

I see two thirds of forum goers think it's OK. I can only assume they either live in the countryside or a naice leafy suburb with massive gardens, or they just don't give a shit.

Or maybe the majority of people like bonfires...?

Woodpecker22 · 01/05/2021 07:53

@Thewinterofdiscontent

Always gobsmacked by people not liking the smell of woodsmoke or barbecue. They are fantastic evocative smells of summer. I spent much of last night sniffing the air happily as it had wood fire (not mine unfortunately), a hint of rain and it still wasn’t dark at nearly 9pm. It was amazing.

It is not so great when you wake up in the middle of the night unable to breathe. Last summer it was hot and I went to bed with the windows open. I woke at 2am thinking my house was on fire. The smell of a smoldering bonfire had permeated everywhere. We are surrounded by trees on 2 sides and the smoke is unable to escape and just hangs around in the air.

I have a large garden and have never felt the need for a bonfire, tip visit or green bin. Shredding large bits, composting and having a wildlife area where things are left to rot works well. We also have a log burner indoors but I ensure wood is fully seasoned before using it to avoid particulate pollution.

People that have bonfires are anti social and largely do not care about their neighbours asthma, drying washing or the environment.

Puttingouthefirewithgasoline · 01/05/2021 07:55

When your in cheek by jowl terraced housing I think you should have to apply for a special licence, because it affects soooooooooo many people, loads of people quickly shutting windows, bringing washing in, dc can't play outside.

We have large garden and never had to have a fire.
We use the tip where necessary.

It's selfish. We have to adapt to where we live, if we want to be kind that is.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 01/05/2021 07:56

My cunty neighbours keep having bonfires. I want to strangle them. We can't open the windows or sit in the garden. It's at least once a week.

I inconvenience them in minor ways to make myself feel better about it - park an extra car on the road so they have to park two streets away, don't accept their parcels.

They're selfish pricks and I despise them.

Puttingouthefirewithgasoline · 01/05/2021 07:58

And one of dd has inhaler and breathing issues it's cruel really.

I'd love a fire pit but I couldn't have knew same as I love music, id like to sit in the garden with music.. I can't I wear head phones.

Puttingouthefirewithgasoline · 01/05/2021 07:59

any repeat behaviour that affects your life can certainly be reported to eh and they can have a word.

Unfortunately the odd bonfire, fine but repeat behaviour, no.

pictish · 01/05/2021 08:01

@HunterHearstHelmsley

My cunty neighbours keep having bonfires. I want to strangle them. We can't open the windows or sit in the garden. It's at least once a week.

I inconvenience them in minor ways to make myself feel better about it - park an extra car on the road so they have to park two streets away, don't accept their parcels.

They're selfish pricks and I despise them.

Think the problem lies with you there tbh.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 01/05/2021 08:07

@pictish Bless you. I do what I do because of their behaviour. They can't be arseholes and expect everyone to be lovely to them.

pictish · 01/05/2021 08:15

No, you behave like that because that’s how you choose to behave. They don’t make you do anything. That’s who you are.

Chicchicchicchiclana · 01/05/2021 08:21

We've had 2 small fires in the past 12 months. Don't even light them until 9pm. I am certain that these have caused less bother to my neighbours than their perpetual woodburners all winter have caused to me.

TwinkleToeMatilda · 01/05/2021 08:23

I feel your pain. My dick head neighbours have them almost every night. The thing is they burn things that they just shouldn’t. We had the fire brigade out one time due to them burning freshly cut bushes in the garden so of course the smoke was out of control and the fire had to be put out. I came out to my car yesterday morning and it was COVERED in muck from their fire. I don’t mind the odd controlled fire here and there but come on some people just shouldn’t be trusted with it 😕

Puttingouthefirewithgasoline · 01/05/2021 08:25

Wood burners... That's another issue, luckily my neighbours only use them in winter, even though I have to have my window open all year, I only get a whiff, however Neighbours are both very vocal eco warriors, always telling us what they are recycling then I read that wood burners are very damaging to the planet!

Puttingouthefirewithgasoline · 01/05/2021 08:26

Twinkle, report them to eh at council, it's actually not allowed to have them every day and certainly not to burn rubbish

HunterHearstHelmsley · 01/05/2021 08:31

@pictish

No, you behave like that because that’s how you choose to behave. They don’t make you do anything. That’s who you are.

I didn't say they made me do anything. How bizarre. You are correct that I choose to do it because they are cunts. They make things unnecessarily uncomfortable for others so can have a bit of unnecessary inconvenience in return.

When you have to have your windows clamped shut every weekend in the summer because of some absolute halfwit burning shit in their garden then you tend to not think too fondly of them.

coogee · 01/05/2021 08:32

I think it’s very thoughtless and don’t know why people can’t just go to the tip to get rid of stuff

How far away is the tip? Ours is a 20 mile round trip, so we don't do it very often. Mind you, we don't do bonfires either.

TwinkleToeMatilda · 01/05/2021 08:36

@Puttingouthefirewithgasoline so many people have complained about them but the council are SO slow at taking any action. One gentleman went over there and asking nicely if they could stop because his vans were getting ditched from the muck of the fires. Apparently the neighbours response was “so?” My partner has also gone over there but I am afraid there is no arguing with stupid! Shame because other than them it’s a lovely neighbourhood.

Bluntness100 · 01/05/2021 08:41

You say bonfires in your title, so they are all burning garden waste or rubbish? And you’d prefer them to take the waste to the tip?

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