Saturday 19 March 2016

Just No, OK? NO!

Roses picture taken in the summer.
Greetings or maybe not "Greetings", from the Cotswolds.

Today we arrived home from getting the food shopping.  The car went to swing into our drive, and there were loads of people (read half a coach load), in our front garden.  Cameras slung around their necks.  Some standing on the pallets of new blocks and stone for the building works that are commencing soon.

Turn the other way to the gardened area, and there were people all over that as well.  Selfie sticks in high use and people zooming in to the grape hyacinths and daffodils.  The drive way littered with said blooms, which had been picked for selfies.  One woman had daffs, clutched to her chest, standing aloft the new blocks pallet, having her picture taken with the house behind.  Our neighbours home.

Now this isnt something that happens every day, you see, we removed some fence panels, so they could have a new oil tank fitted, this was the only way for them to do so.  Meaning their normally hidden beauty of a home, was on full view to the road from our drive way...  

Why did the people, who seemed to think that they were OK, to just keep milling around like they were visiting Blenheim Palace and paid and entrance fee?  Well, it would seem that their coach had broken down and the pub food was scoffed by them before a replacement had arrived.  The coach was abandoned further on down the road, hazard lights flashing.  The Driver seemingly had told them to wander the village.

They obviously all thought it was OK to wander all over our property, and had even used the fence panel removal as not only a photo opportunity to have their picture with a Cotswold stone cottage, they also wandered into their very picturesque garden, which due to huge amounts of rain, has been really quite boggy and they had mashed the grass into mud.  My neighbours are quite elderly, so seeing strangers peering into their windows and having pictures taken in their garden, scared them half to death.  They called the police and the farmer from down the road.  

The farmer arrived as we did, with his dogs in the cab.  The dogs flew out of the cab, barking like mad.   If it had been a few weeks ago, he would have arrived with the guns from the local shoot, the dogs and the Beaters.  It put the wind up them.  Posh Boy helped the lady down from her lofty place.  The farmer was bellowing at them that all of the gardens in this village are private property and that they had nearly given the neighbour a heart attack.  

So, yeah it has been one of those days.

I now have a new found sympathy for the people who live in Burford and Bibury, where they are descended on daily by coaches of people, who think that the plants and flowers were put there just for the tourists to pick.

I hope a fox had pee'd on the daffs that are all over the drive.  I cant wait for the electric gates to be put up at the front of our drive and a really lovely high wall!

In other news, on Tuesday, I fell up the front steps and into the porch, superman style.  Left my shoes outside, landed on my elbow (of the superman arm), smacked my ribs from the car crash (yep, nice right? did you hear me cry out where you live?), face planted on the door mat grazing my face, lovely bruises down both fore arms and smashed my shins on the 3 inch high lip of the front door, that felt like a knife, smaking into the bones.  *wink* I therefore looked a sight as Posh Boy tried to help me out of the car.

I wish now that I had video ed it on my phone, with all the people in the garden.  I never remember that my phone does that.

This all reminded me of a post on John Gray's blog, where people were looking in his windows.  We didn't invite anyone in like he did.  Nope they were hearded down the road, by a tractor with the bucket down.  

"Welcome to village life, please mind your step."


18 comments:

Patricia (La Chatte Gitane) said...

Poor you ! Twice.
Firstly, I shiver when I think of your fall. I hope the bruising will soon be gone, and the aches and pains that go with it.
Secondly ! What ! ? People seem so entitled and obnoxious these days. Argh. It makes my head spin.

Sol said...

Hey Patricia, Thanks, the bruises will go down. And I am laughing about it now, but when we came home I was quite shocked. Like you said, they seemed to have a sense of entitlement. As in "we are bringing money to your country, by being tourists". Anything for a Facebook picture now a days isnt it. There wont be a next time. High electric gates and walls will keep them out. It was all rather Walking Dead really, you asked them what they were doing and they carried on. Didnt even apologise. one even said "well what do you expect living in area like this". We arent a tourist hotspot there is nothing in the village, not even a shop.

The farmer suggested a big dog.

Tom Stephenson said...

I have been passing through Bibury almost every day last week, and I have resisted stopping to soak up the sheer picturesque beauty of the place. I have to pass through again next week, but I will not stop to gawp through your windows - unless you invite me in for a cup of tea... I travel further on to Yelford, where I am changing the course of history by magic.

Anonymous said...

We were in the Cotswolds on Thursday and it was a wonderful day in beautiful countryside, with added pubs and delicious food. How can these people reconcile visiting a country with abandoned behaviour? Aren't they taught about privacy? I feel for you Sol, I trul do. xx

Elaine said...

Ouch! You have all my sympathy for your pain, I feel it. A couple of months ago, I cracked a couple of ribs which was painful enough, but then a week or so later I slipped and bashed them again. That pain was much, much worse - and that was only the ribs. Thank goodness you have youth on your side, doesn't make you hurt less, but hopefully will help you to heal.

As to the tourists - truly shocking! I know how twitchy we get when people peer across the barley field, but to have them come into the grounds, pick flowers and take such an attitude.. Did they leave their good manners behind on the coach, or at home, perhaps. I'm glad you were able to laugh.

Raybeard said...

So apart from all that ruckus, inconvenience and hurt, would I be correct in thinking that life for you is just fine and dandy?

Kev Alviti said...

That would wind me up no end. You did well to keep your cool. I would have gone apesh#t to put it mildly!

Chickpea said...

Crikey, must have been like the paparazzi camped out in the garden! I would have been fuming, I happened to be in the garden one day way a face popped up over the 6 foot fence to have a look in my garden, expletives followed him as he ran away :) Hope the bruising heals soon, must be flipping painful.

Sol said...

Hi Tom, stop soak it all up, just dont go down the peoples paths to their front door to have your picture taken with the flowers from their garden. I am laughing about it as it was completely weird.

Hi Toffeeapple, I hope you had a lovely time on Thursday.

Hi Fliss, the ribs hurt, that is for sure. The tourists were probably really miffed off that they were supposed to be somewhere else. We have had a village email about it already. The police came this morning at 9am. lol They had already gone, obviously.

Hi ya Ray, I am well thanks. Start a new job on Monday. I text my boss to say I have a graze on my face. I think people will just get used to me falling all over the place.

Hi Kev, there was no point in me getting crazy over it. They would probaby have run all over my new camelias at which point I would have gone crazy.

Hey Chickpea, as I said it was just weird. We have come home to a tractor in the drive before as it broke down on the road and they limped it in there as to not obstruct the road. No problem. Tourists all over is another thing all together.

I love a good swear, but with foreigners if probably wouldnt have worked very well and the Americans that were their would probably have dropped down dead if I said what I really thought when I saw they had ripped all of the flowers up.

If someone had been looking over my 6 foot fence, for sure I think they would be up to no good. Especially with all the people stealing dogs and cats.

Hope everyone is well.

thrift deluxe said...

Ouch, hope the soreness goes soon, I fell down some steps at the train station earlier this week, wow it was painful!

As for the rudeness of the visitors, you did well to keep your head. I've lived in a couple of tourist areas and the impact can be most annoying at times.

Sol said...

Hey Thrifty, I hope you are also feeling ok. It hurts like heck doesnt it!

We are very much not a tourist destination! lol There is what was the big house and then a pub half way between here and the next village. nothing else. no water views or anything. Just farmers fields.

kymber said...

hey Sol - i fall UP steps all the time too. the last time i landed on my face on a step and gave myself a doozy of a shiner. one day before a benefit dance. and me with half of my head black and blue. i hope that you heal up real quick and be right as rain.

as for those tourists - OMG!!! i would have yelling and screaming like a mad nut and had hubby go get the shotgun! the nerve of some people eh?

again - sorry for your fall and hope you are feeling better soon. sending much love! your friend,
kymber

Sol said...

Hey Kymber, I am glad I am not the only one who seems to fall down a lot.

There was no point in me shouting, the farmer, who I have just learnt is the Son of the neighbours, was going bat sh$t crazy. I was a little afraid myself he was going so mad.

Hope you are feeling better from your op.

Janie Junebug said...

I did hear you when you fell. I've been quite concerned about you. Thank Heavens I live in a quiet neighborhood that's not fancy or exciting. I couldn't handle tourists running around.

Love,
Janie

Sol said...

Hey Janie, we thought we had bought a house in the back end of beyond or at least it feels like it to me.

Annie's Journal said...

Reading your blog post was hilarious...to watch the tourist group from a video would probably be even better...at least you try to see it with a bit of humour:) OK...falling superman style is no fun, at least no broken bones. Wishing you a better day:)

Wendy McDonagh-Valentine said...

Where has all of the decency gone in this world???? I'm so sorry that you had to suffer at the hands of those complete morons!!! Oh my goodness!!! There is such a sense of entitlement. People take what they want because they think they deserve it. Such horse sh**!!!!! You got a double whammy between those fools in your garden and the fall. I hope that you (and your garden) recover quickly. God bless. xoxo

~ Wendy
http://Crickleberrycottage.blogspot.com/

Sol said...

Hey Annie, thanks for commenting. I am on the mend again. I think the physio is thoroughly fed up with me. I was due to see a private chiropractor to help with further progress. I have been warned I might not be able to run for the Race for Life. But as I told her, I will run it or I will walk it, but I will do it. She said she will help me. I wont be dressed like superman, I am going as a fairy! lol Got to see the funny side of life. Hope you are well.

hi ya Wendy. its all to do with the mighty selfie and facebook. I tell you people with ipads up against the neighbours window glass taking pictures of their sitting room, wandering around the garden with the ipad above their head. Bizarre. Hope you are well.