Lawn mowing

I live on the outskirts of Sidmouth and I can guarantee that not a day goes by without somebody nearby having work done on their house, driveway, lawn or hedge with serious noisy electric or oil driven power tools. This can go on at any time of the day or evening. Not looking forward to the autumn when most of them have large smoky bonfires too.
Neighbours - the bane of our lives!

You are being a bit unreasonable I think. At first I thought you were going to say 7:40 am. Does he need permission? Just because he is retired doesn't mean he has to do it during the week. Maybe in the USA where I live it is different but honestly we would think that is a little bit touchy. Like the others I understand that it can be annoying. But also, he is keeping it neat ( I hope!)

I don’t like but don’t object to powered garden tools, but what I really do not like is other people’s music...and the houses on both sides of me are currently vacant!

I don't think he's arrogant or thoughtless - just being sensible . No one in their right mind would be mowing a lawn during the day at the moment and how do you know that he has been at home all day to do it then even if he is retired?
As long as he hasn't several acres to mow, it's all done in a few minutes.
My ex neighbour used to regularly sweep his chimney (we're in semis) at 7.30 on a Sunday morning - his chimney runs alongside my bedroom wall. After he died, workmen came in at 7.45 on a Saturday to do some work - now that is thoughtless!

I hate all of that. I’m one of those people who is quite sensitive to industrial or general machine noise. If someone is using anything louder than a mower, I tend to move inside. It’s good to have a pair of noise cancelling headphones. I recommend them. Wearing them doesn’t make me happy though, as I like to ‘be at one with nature’ in my garden, listening to the birds, but needs must . . . . . .

I don't mind the sound of a lawnmower as it's better than any sort of unpleasant smell. Like the people who have those awful things called bonfires ... just hate them. The farmer nearby putting stuff on the fields and a neighbour who creates some sort of chemical smell maybe he's a nuclear scientist or something. Enjoy your wine! x

Every weekend, my neighbour uses noisy hedge trimmers, lawn mowers and edgers. Then, just to top that off, he power washes the sun deck and patio before moving on to the drive. So a noise for most of the day, followed by being drenched by runoff.

I do have the occasional bonfire, I must admit, usually late evening on cooler days when windows are shut (and especially if it's raining). Once, I had the nerve to light it earlier, about 7pm, when it was cold and raining. I was promptly told off (by anonymous note) as I had apparently ruined somebody's enjoyment of sitting in their garden! Duly noted, and never again - but I wondered if it was my dear neighbour.

This is our third day of Bass at the Victorious Festival in Southsea. Too far away to hear the music, sure has the bass turned up ?‍♀️

I get more annoyed by people being very, loud on their patio which is just outside our living room it means we either have the windows shut and bake l, put the TV on very loud or listen to their music and conversation!

My neighbour in Newcastle-u-Lyme was so lovely, and so kind and helpful. 1950s semi detached - and she'd got into the habit of doing the hoovering, both upstairs and downstairs, in the middle of the night. With a small baby that was not a good sleeper, and an OH who worked ridiculous hours with many nights, as a junior doc- it was just a massive pain.

I tried to gently, softly, say it was not very 'convenient' but it made no difference ah well, her kindness and support as a new mum living a long way from home, more than made up for it.

But the son of the family across the road from us at our first house in Leicester would play football against the metal garage door every Saturday and Sunday morning, starting at about 8am - and that was just awful. My next door neighbour nearly rung his little neck out as it would really really upset him (he was a Lancaster bomber veteran - lovely man but short fuse). One of the reasons why we moved (the boy and football not lovely man next door).

At least with a lawn mower you know it is going to stop fairly soon. I'd be more upset with kids screaming and yelling, bouncing on trampolines in the evening.

You carry on feeling miffed Ann - just don't post it on here

It was my understanding that people should not make any noise before 7am and after 11pm, or does that only apply to sounding your car horn?

I don’t think he was arrogant mowing the lawn at 7 40 in the evening. British people mistake confident or outgoing people for arrogance. Probably dislike them because they are not polite dignified or always saying sorry

Ok, ok.
I have already posted that I was being unreasonable, I have seen the error of my ways.
My sackcloth and ashes are ready.
??

I totally understand your frustration, as I was in a similar situation yesterday, but at midday. I'd just sat outside with a coffee and my neighbour started up his noisy petrol mower! Of course he didn't know he was disturbing me, but the timing was such a coincidence! The thing that drove me mad is that is it went on for 20mins (he's only got a postage stamp size lawn). It only takes my DH a few mins to do ours, so goodness knows what he was doing! The problem on these fine, hot days is, if it's not one person, it's someone else further up or down the road doing something with a powerful tool {grin}. There's not really a lot you can do, unless the times are really unreasonable (like 6.30am, which is out of order IMO), but grin and bear it I'm afraid.

When people are working - and often very variable hours, jobs get done when it is convenient.

If you live in a smallish terrace house where the noise is very immediate, then the lawn is likely to be small and not take long to cut.

Bigger houses and bigger lawns , a lot of the time the lawnmower will be well away from you anyway.

Lawn mowing never worries me at any time. It is a pleasant summer sound and I know with our very large garden and a good motor mower, I can - and do cut the grass in 30 minutes, which isn't very long.

I live between two elderly men who love their gardens and I'm sure they despair of my garden and my twice weekly mow. Ralph on my left has commented he can't put petunias on 'our' borderline because the slugs from my side eat them all. (Shows my lack of gardening knowledge, I thought slugs were free roaming).
Maurice on my right lies in wait for me to come out with my mower to tell me how I'm doing it all wrong. He is an early riser (93 years old) and on summer mornings I've been woken by him snipping at his garden - sweeping up the bits - then knocking the bits onto the bin. Snip, snip, swoosh swoosh, BANG BANG. 6.30 am. I'm still working full time, my alarm is set for 7.15am.

Sigh.

Annsixty I too wouldn’t mind the sound of the lawnmower, quite a few of our neighbours get the petrol out to light their BBQs (is this a European thing?) It stinks so much we have to close all the doors and windows and can’t sit in the garden after about 4pm

come live in the centre of Brighton, especially on Bank Holidays or festivals like Pride, the noise, disruption and the mess is awful.
I live in a sheltered block in a small cul de sac, large notice at entrance says PRIVATE and also says no through road, we get them coming in using our garden as a toilet, noise at 2, 3 or 4am once the pubs and clubs have closed. Shouting, fighting, screaming, swearing etc. I used to love it here but now would love to move somewhere quieter, and don't get me started on the seagull noise at 3am.

No Ann you are not unreasonable to feel miffed. Please ignore the posters who find it necessary to post unkind comments.
Any noise from neighbours at any time is unpleasant and as you say you are allowed to feel miffed. Miffed is in fact quite a gentle word.
My mower goes out every three days at 8.30 am but it is a robot and is silent!!

the weather has been very wet here so any cahnce my OH can get he'll mow the lawn...sounds very grand ..he'll cut the grass.Its not a huge grassy area as most of the front is planted with shrubs and trees but he does like it to look manicured ,7 or 8 in the evening wouldn't be a problem here .No young babies and most folk are out doing things they haven't time for during the day .

Our adjacent neighbour usually mows his lawn in the dark. We are just waiting for the day (or evening) when he removes a few toes!

annsixty I agree. Some unnecessary sharpness bordering on rudeness in this thread, but that’s why I rarely post. This happens a lot on Gransnet.

I think a third glass of wine is your best option, then you won’t care ?

I have to mow and strim my lawn myself now and though my neighbours aren't too close, I do keep in mind that there can be nothing more annoying on a Saturday when people are inclined to sit outside after a week's work. I'm not sure that my husband would have even considered that, men love their machines!