Bonfires

[Mrs Dazzle]

We'd just sat in our garden last night to eat our dinner when the smoke and ASH from a neighbour's bonfire wafted into our garden. If that wasn't bad enough, the whole house stank because, naturally, with the heat all the doors and windows were open.

I went up the lane to see who was doing it and it was some old lady up the end who wasn't very pleasant when I pointed out that it was a beautiful summers evening and people were sitting in their gardens . . . And my DD was with me. She had the gall to ask "and exactly where do you live" . . . only lived in two different houses in this lane for 21 years!

We have a couple of bonfires a year, so I'm not against them - but only late at night when no-one is likely to be sitting in their gardens and with all the doors and windows open.

Why don't people have any consideration for others these days, or .iIs it me

 

[Dimplenose]

It's not just these days. I can remember years ago having to help my mum get the washing in because of garden bonfires on quite a few occassions. Near me nowdays the only smells we get are from barbecues. One of our neighbours uses gallons of parrafin smelling stuff to get his alight. (Strangely the bbq smells don't seem to affect the washing).

Libby

 

[Miffy2003]

Annie, I totally agree it is anti-social!

I certainly wouldn't light a bonfire in my garden - though to be fair I can't think of a reason why I would want or need to light one.

 

[Hilary]

DH is a bonfire fanatic (a bit of a pyromaniac, I reckon ), but he does always wait until the wind is blowing away from neighbouring properties into the field at the back before lighting one, and I discourage him from doing anything when people might be sitting outside.

Both my dad and f-i-l were also big bonfire fans, so I suppose I should be used to it but I'm the one left feeling guilty when DH lights up. Is it a 'man thing'?

 

[gilld]

Not a problem for us as we have various "rules" we have to abide by on our developement, including no commercial vehicles, boats and caravans behind the designated gates and no bonfires. We have sneaked in the odd one in a brazier though!!!

 

[Miffy2003]

DH is a bonfire fanatic (a bit of a pyromaniac, I reckon ), but he does always wait until the wind is blowing away from neighbouring properties into the field at the back before lighting one, and I discourage him from doing anything when people might be sitting outside.

Exactly, Hilary, you show consideration for others

Gill I am pretty sure that was in our rules too!

 

[Goofyish]

Both my dad and grandpa were kean gardeners and always had bonfires to burn unwanted garden waste when I was a lad. It seemed quite the normal thing to do in the garden in those days.

But now with the focus on the environment, composting garden waste and recycling in my opinion there is no excuse for having a bonfire in the garden (apart from on Nov. 5th).
It does seem that some inconsiderate people seem to wait until a day when you need the windows open or are sitting out in the garden to light the most foul smelling fire they can.
You seem to have a great choice - go to the pub for a drink and end up stinking of smoke, or sit in the garden and have a drink and end up stinking of smoke

 

[Cochise]

With recycling of garden waste there is no excuse for bonfires. Report them for air pollution violations (if there is any )

 

[Hilary]

But now with the focus on the environment, composting garden waste and recycling in my opinion there is no excuse for having a bonfire in the garden

With recycling of garden waste there is no excuse for bonfires.

Sorry, but I can't agree! We do have a garden waste recycling facility here, but the amount of fuel we'd use in transporting our garden stuff the necessary 15 mile round-trip would surely be less environmentally friendly than having an occasional bonfire. In outlying villages the round-trip would be much further. And what about householders without transport? What are they supposed to do with garden waste?

The council here will collect bags of garden waste (householders must buy special bags for it from the council at around 30p each - if it's put in black bags it won't be collected) but these are collected at the same time as household rubbish and put into the lorries and churned up with the black bags!!! How that helps the environment, I don't know, but for householders without transport there's not much alternative.

As well as garden waste, we also burn our cardboard waste as there is no kerbside collection for it and we'd need to drive it to the tip. The only kerbside recycling collections we have (introduced fairly recently) are for glass, cans and paper.

I can understand that if you live near to a recycling facility, or if you have very close neighbours all around, then bonfires aren't desirable or necessary. However, we have a large garden plus a small paddock, so we generate quite a lot of garden waste. Most of it (like grass cuttings) goes onto a monster compost heap, but there are sometimes tree cuttings, etc., which would take several trips to the recycling depot to dispose of, so we do burn them. We have neighbouring gardens on only two sides of our garden, so we're able to site the bonfire as far away from neighbours as possible and, as I said before, we try to be considerate.

As with most things, the solution that suits one circumstance won't necessarily fit all

 

[Meezers]

Wow....big American difference.

Here in the Atlanta area we have a burning ban from May - Oct! No burning allowed. Other times burning is from sunrise to sunset....not on Sunday...and only yard waste....no household trash.

This bonfire thing just seems strange to me!

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

Yep, I agree - it's definitely a man thing I've been waiting for the Biddy to light up again, but so far so good . . . . . perhaps the storms tonight will make her think again

Meezers - the Brits do love a good old bonfire - but I think the way your area has a burning ban is a great idea . . . some areas over here do too, but sadly not here in the New Forest.

 

[gilld]

The council here will collect bags of garden waste (householders must buy special bags for it from the council at around 30p each - if it's put in black bags it won't be collected) but these are collected at the same time as household rubbish and put into the lorries and churned up with the black bags!!!

Wow 30p is really cheap - here in Swindon, we have to pay £1 per bag!!!

 

[Hilary]

Wow 30p is really cheap - here in Swindon, we have to pay £1 per bag!!!

Yup, we may be a bit backward in our recycling arrangements here, but our cost of living's still a lot cheaper than many places! I guess you can't have it all