I hosted a barbeque without telling my neighbour – she yelled at me, I’m not changing my plans next time
A WOMAN has sparked a debate after she was slammed by her neighbour for hosting a barbecue without telling her.
The mum took to parenting forum Mumsnet to ask if she was in the wrong for having the event while her neighbour had washing on the line.
The mum said her neighbour had stormed out into the garden and confronted her over the fence.
Her dilemma has split opinion online, with many saying she had done nothing wrong, while others said she should have given warning.
The read: “Last weekend my family and I had a BBQ.
“The following day (Monday), I saw next door neighbour - I wouldn’t say I know them very well but always polite and say hi, smiles etc.
More on neighbours
“This time however she looked mightily annoyed and said along the lines of ‘next time you decide to have a stinking bbq in your garden please let me know in advance, my washing was out drying and it got ruined. I had to do the whole lot again’.
“(It was a standard bbq, so yes bbq smells but nothing unusual).”
The woman said she was "taken aback" by her neighbour's tone, but said next time she would knock so the washing could be brought in.
The neighbour had added: “I won’t be taking my washing in, if I have washing out you won’t be able to have a bbq!"
Most read in Fabulous
The mum continued: “And she stormed off.
“Now, I’ll be honest it didn’t even occur to me to let the neighbours know I was having a bbq but yes ok I see that in future it would be courteous to let them know.
“But am I being unreasonable to think that even if [my neighbour] has clothes out I can have the bbq anyway?!”
Many people reassured her that she had done nothing wrong.
One Mumsnet user wrote: “She sounds awful!! I have never pre-warned any neighbour about a BBQ!”
Another said: “I can see if my immediate neighbours have washing out so I do check, and I would let them know so that they could get the washing in.
“Your neighbour sounds quite stroppy though, she obviously doesn't want you to BBQ whether she has washing out or not.”
A third commented: “No although some people get awfully sniffy about barbecues and other garden activities. I was at one once where the neighbour set the hose on us.”
However, others thought the upset neighbour was actually in the right.
One explained: “I would probably text my neighbour if I was about to start cooking and could see she had her washing out. She sounds bonkers though.”
Another said: “If an immediate neighbour has washing out I’d warn them. Why wouldn’t you?”
READ MORE SUN STORIES
And one commented: “It does annoy me when neighbours do this. I don’t eat meat and really don’t want my clean washing to smell of charred flesh.
“Fences are all low enough to be able to see when people have washing out and it wouldn’t take 2 mins to knock the door to warn us.”