To feel almost murderous rage at my inconsiderate neighbours

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I live in Devon. I’m not joking when I say it’s been raining solidly (and I mean solidly) for 45 days now. We are the worst hit area in the country, massively flooded, haven’t seen the light of day really since Christmas. It’s been bloody awful.

Today I wake up to a gorgeous blue sky and think… WASHING!!! And everyone on the estate clearly has the same idea - lots of full washing lines everywhere. Our first chance to dry clothes outside since October!

Not only that but twice a year or so I wash all my sofa cushion covers. They’re stiff fabric so it takes 3 loads, but I finally got them all done by 2pm and popped out.

I’ve just come back and some arsehole a couple of houses away has only gone and lit a massive bloody bonfire. Fucking why???? All my washing is ruined and stinks, including the sofa cushions. My neighbours must feel similarly. The first beautiful day in months, and outside reeks and is making my eyes water.

AIBU to think while it’s not illegal (as no doubt I will be told!) this is the height of arseholery, and who the fuck has a bonfire when it isn’t November 5th???

Arghhhhh

If you live in the country, have to constantly cut large hedges, prune trees and shrubs etc, having a bonfire is very useful. It’s impossible to fit in the car. So we have a couple of bonfires, late winter when it’s late afternoon and drizzling. No one is hanging out washing when it’s drizzling

Yes and heaps of mucky straw from mucking out stables can’t be taken to the tip.

Same. I’ve never understood it.

But presumably when you live in the country you don’t have neighbours, or at least if you do have neighbours, you have enough space on your property to light the bonfire without bothering them.

Ewwwww people

Talk to them. Tell them everyone's got washing out. Although they are thick not to realize.

Everything on it will be soaked, for a start. Normally, it's in contravention of by-laws to light a bonfire in daylight hours. That's just two reasons these people shouldn't have lit one.

In the daytime in the sun. Any normal considerate person would wait until the evening.

Compost it and sell it!

Not worth the aggro

We do have neighbours and some even have woodburners….so there you go. Twice a year and in the rain isn’t going to do much damage and all the ash mixes well with our mountains of composting….

Very true. But marvellous for the flower beds!

But do you agree with wood burners?

The bit of Australia I'm in, a suburb, bans backyard bonfires completely. A bit of it's the smell, but mostly it's the possibility of starting a bushfire as the area is heavily treed. Oh, and most houses are timber framed.

BUT

They provide big bins for garden waste and collect it every week.
I can see how LAs are up against it with the money in the UK, but people would be less inclined if they knew they would get their green waste collected in this way.
I don't know what the fuck you do with weirdos who burn household rubbish.

I missed November 5th bonfires when I first arrived, but have got over it.

Very smelly

Can’t believe 12% think yabu!
Obviously they are the bonfire lighters!
People saying they like the smell of wood smoke/Barbecues, fair enough but do you want your washing smelling like that?!
I love the smell of Tarmac (yeah I’m weird!) but I don’t want my clothes and soft furnishings to smell like it!

You’re doing Devon all wrong if you can get annoyed af a bonfire.

We used to live 50/50 in Devon & the Midlands.

Part of the charm of Devon is people do what the fuck they want, when they want 🤣.

We had a fire pit and only used it about 5 times for toasting marshmallows in autumn in the evening. It really did smell. Now we have a gas firepit table so get the affect without the smell. They’re selfish arseholes. My dad used to have regular bonfires but in the evening and mum made him check out the window upstairs that nearby gardens didn’t have washing out.

I remember a day like this when my children were tiny.

I was so sleep deprived I could have cried seeing the smoke blowing over. I knocked on every door until I found the culprit. He was apologetic and put the fire out, too late but I was still thankful.

I’ve no idea why you’d have a bonfire in a residential area during the day.

No, absolutely not. I think they’re dreadful things - if anything, possibly worse than bonfires!

Me neither.

Nearly 50 years since we bought our first property and never felt the need/urge to light a bonfire…

You are missing out on one of life’s great pleasures

Smoke travels.

Every single year first beautiful day and some idiot thinks I'll destroy the air quality 🤦‍♀️ and have a bonfire

So does the noise from screaming brats