Neighbour finds our christmas lights "annoying"...

bestpud

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

The number of people who've said things like "let the old bat get on with it, the kids love it" is particularly bothering. Why do we live in society where people sneer at the elderly but worship their children?

I do neither and I think there has been some pretty disparaging remarks made from both points of view tbh.

It bothers me how it seems ok to call the OP all sort of names but when it comes to the neighbour, people want to make excuses for her actions just because she is elderly.

maidincornwall

Well I live right in the middle of the countryside, just us and 2 other houses, my elderly neighbour makes the most bizarre and daft xmas lights himself and lights the whole road up! As he makes them all they really are quite dreadful........but hilarious and joyous and make people happy! We just get used to the cars slowing down to look at them, people comes from miles away to see them, they stop and walk around, make the dogs bark etc, I dont really like outside Xmas lights myself but Its Christmas, the kids love it, lots of people get joy from it, and after all its only on for a few weeks, his do flash well when they are working they do! But as a time of joy and tolerance it would be petty and pretty nasty to expect him to stop putting them on and giving other people pleasure. MIC (We have the Xmas giraffe, a huge model cathedral, a car, flotilla of boats, goldilocks and 3 bears complete with flashing eyes! to mention but a few)

mandragora_2

Xmas giraffe? He's not Johnny Kingdom is he?

claire16c

Padstow wrote: »

Must be very affluent then. I see decking the lights as very down market, as in the hot dog stand and car breaker houses, that's where they are seen here.

I live in a hamlet of 25 houses, and not one has a light on. We are all respectfull of the night sky, being in an area without lights.

It is affluent yes. Its rated no.2 in the Acorn classifications if you really want to know exactly how affluent, which is described as:

"1.3% of the UK's population live in this type. These families are found throughout the UK including towns such as Reading, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Warrington and parts of Northern Ireland.
These are affluent families, with school age children, enjoying a good lifestyle. They are found throughout the UK. Employment is largely in senior managerial and professional occupations, and many of the households in this type have both adults working. Their large detached houses, usually with four or more bedrooms, are mortgaged rather than owned outright. Car ownership is high, with two or more cars common. Models are likely to be large, new, company owned and relatively expensive. These affluent families have high levels of savings, including ISAs, stocks and shares and unit trusts. "

And what on earth is a hot dog stand /car breaker house? Never seen it around here anyway, perhaps they are all where you live as you clearly know.

I can see the stars here, but I can also see light from street lamps so a few xmas lights makes no difference to whether I can see the night sky at all.

JC9297 wrote: »

I live in a very nice part of Oxford and it is not unknown to see lights on the front of and in the gardens of some large and very expensive houses. They look lovely, just lights not inflatable snowmen or dancing santas or anything like that.

Sounds just like where I live in Berks.

Welshwoofs

catkins wrote: »

Can you tell us where you live so I can make sure I never move there. I would hate to live somewhere with such snobs. "Not in keeping with the area"!!!!!

You clearly have an extremely stunted view of the world if you believe that banning such displays is a sign of snobbery.

I live in a medieval Cotswold town. It's one of those places you see on postcards and in period costume dramas. It looks oldey worldy. Have a guess how it stays oldy worldy looking....by local conservation laws that stop people doing things like painting their front doors in anything other than period colours, or putting satellite dishes on the outside of their houses or sticking 10ft inflatable Santas on their front lawns. At this time of year my town is heaving with tourists who come for a taste of 'traditional christmas' - holly wreaths, mistletoe, trees with very muted single-tone lighting and old fashioned decorations etc etc.

Anywhere can look like B&Q at this time of year, but the towns with nouse go in the other direction and reap the rewards.

catkins

seriousDFW wrote: »

Say no more.

Another snob I see - thanked by 2 more

Welshwoofs

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Why do we live in society where people sneer at the elderly but worship their children?

My only answer to this is that children have the edge over old people because they bounce when you drop kick them

seriousDFW

bestpud wrote: »

As it's churlish to say people who do like Christmas lights are common and tacky.

Excuse me, nowhere have I said that people who do like Christmas lights are common and tacky. I would never call anyone common because I dislike people being criticised for the supposed class to which they belong.

And I would never describe a person as tacky either, so your statement does not make sense.

I did say that some Christmas displays look tacky. I did not however, say that any particular display was tacky, so please read posts carefully and don't accuse people of saying things they haven't!

I have tried to be very objective and give both sides of the argument as I see it. I just want people to see EVERYBODY'S point of view, not just the point of view they immediately jump to themselves.

flower24

Can see both sides, my neighbour has installed a security light and it is so bright and shines right over the top of his high fence and straight into our window, very irritating when he's out there messing with his bike, not going to say anything though. Your neighbours a scrooge though its only going to last a few weeks!

bestpud

seriousDFW wrote: »

Excuse me, nowhere have I said that people who do like Christmas lights are common and tacky. I would never call anyone common because I dislike people being criticised for the supposed class to which they belong.

And I would never describe a person as tacky either, so your statement does not make sense.

I did say that some Christmas displays look tacky. I did not however, say that any particular display was tacky, so please read posts carefully and don't accuse people of saying things they haven't!

I have tried to be very objective and give both sides of the argument as I see it. I just want people to see EVERYBODY'S point of view, not just the point of view they immediately jump to themselves.

I didn't say you had.

Many on here have so I was pointing out how your argument can be seen two ways.