Fallen out with my neighbours over fireworks

[williamsis]

Is it me or are my neighbours totally irresponsible.

My daughters pony is frightened of fireworks and on new years eve I came home from the pub early to make sure she was fine at midnight when the fireworks went off. Got her all settled and went to bed, at one o'clock my next door neighbours decided to start again when they got home from the pub. They proceeded to let fireworks off (not tame ones) just 20 yards from my stables which are housed in a 17th century barn also storing hay and straw.

I asked them to stop as it was very late the pony was stressed and I was concerned for the barn. We also asked them to point them into countryside across from our houses where they would do no damage, needless to say we had an arguement and now are not speaking. I have never fallen out with my neighbours in all the addresses I have lived.

[specialsparkle3]

Selfish Bas----ds ! Too right I wouldn't be speaking to them, but then I'd proberbly be locked up by now for g.b.h. I suppose you had better try to talk to them and politely try to explain the terrible things that can befall a pony exposed to this sort of stress, i.e. laminitis, colic etc. and if they STILL don't listen, (and I suspect they won't, if they were ignorant enough to do it in the 1st place) Then say next time you will call the Police, I think it's now illegal to set off fireworks after a certain time, not to mention the risk of fire !Good luck!

[sharon]

Sometimes these things are inevitable, I have fallen out with my immediate neighbour twice, once over a tree I asked to be cut back as it was rubbing my garage roof, 6 months later a limb fell off through the roof - I was not happy, it blew over after about 12 months, then another of his trees roots came up through my driveway, again I asked politely but we ended up falling out, he did get it removed after a polite but firm letter from me.

I have decided now that we will never see eye to eye so just completely ignore him, its easier that way, if anything else crops up I shall just write to him.

You were well within your rights to tackle your neighbours on all the accounts you mention in my opinion.

[jen1]

no your not being unreasonable they were out of order,i have a huge house up the rd for me that used to have a bonfire party every year and when i asked them to let me know when they would be setting them off they said, why? there house is right next to our farm,which leads me to belive that they and you neighbours are just not aware of terror they reign on our animal when they have there so called fun! sorry your in this predicament,happy new year ,

[kofihorse]

willaimsis - I had almost exactly the same situation. A neighbour setting off huge fireworks and having a bonfire about 30 feet away from my wooden stable. I called the Fire Brigade and told them that my stable was in danger of being set on fire. They came out and made the neighbours put out the bonfire and told them in no uncertain terms not to be so stupid as to set off fireworks there again. The neighbour called me "deranged" and has never spoken to me since but I don't care.

Every year, I put a letter through her door asking when/if she's having fireworks and every year she ignores me, so I now move Kofi away to a farm livery for a few days - so far, she has not had either fireworks or a bonfire again.

I do not care if morons like that blank me for the rest of my life as long as my horse is safe!!

The other thing you can do is ask your local Fire Brigade to send out their Safety Officer to have a look at the situation and ask him for his advice. Sometimes they are prepared to warn off people before they do anything - he will be able to see where they were doing it from if you get him out soon.

[maislow]

God would say you were well within your rights & it is illegal but I can't remember if it's after 11pm or 12am but either way they were later than that so technically they were breaking the law. I wouldn't worry about usetting them, as if they don't have the courtesey to respect your animals or property they are so not worth worrying about

[roo]

Sadly you arent alone. We're actually moving house for this exact reason. I had to send my boys away for two weeks over Bonfire season and we have just got back from new years being posh travellers on some land owned by a very lovely person who let us and our boys camp for the weekend so we could escape.
Your neighbours were actually breaking the law if they were setting them off at 1am. The law is currently any day up until 11pm, Midnight on Nov 5th and 1am on New Years Eve....any later is illegal. Not before 7am either!
Some people are just so wrapped up in their own world they dont give a t**s about other people, animals or safety. Selfish sods huh?

[williamsis]

Kofihorse your idea about getting a fire safety officer is actually quite funny as my husband is a fireman (so he was well qualified to explain to them the risks) but to send an official round would be entertaining.

[jan]

Found this - might be worth while signing the petition - I am going to, I am fed up with fireworks going off all the time.

www.ethical-business.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=170

[williamsis]

I signed it a while back when we had to handle my daughters pony at bonfire night, but thanks anyway.

[jinks]

good for you too many people say nothing, even if there was not a pony there I would have questioned them fireing them off in the house/barn direction anyway. idiots, I live in a small village and I think 2 of the residents in the area have a "how much noise can we make" competition on bonfire night and new years, I was in bed early this year had a stinking headache not alcohol related I hasten to add. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when they started, scared the be-jesus out of my 3 yr old too.

[kofihorse]

Hi williamsis - what's REALLY funny is that the 30 year old son of the neighbour was the one setting off the huge "bombs" and was the one who was stoking up the bonfire when the Fire Brigade arrived!! I knew perfectly well he was in the Fire Service!!! I had warned them a couple of times that I would dial 999 if they didn't put out the fire etc and he was rude and obnoxious so I just thought "s*d you". I did hear later, through the grapevine, that he'd been carpeted by the boss when he went back to work.

Tha's why the neighbour thinks I'm Public Enemy Number One, because her darling boy got into bother. Oh dear, what a shame - NOT.

If we can't even rely on the common sense of people employed to put them out,no wonder there are so many yobs setting malicious fires.