Kitchen Garden Forum

no me neither!lolol
you do still garden in the altogether?

These "festive" seasons it is good to be in the sticks. Don't get this lot or the carol singers. Mind you a neighbour threatened to put his dog down when a Jehovah's Witness got through!

OH, I'm with you and Cider-Boys on this one.

It is an odious commercial american corruption of an irish tradition, imported to the UK by TV and film.

As is now usual in the UK our idiots will take on any foreign festival or celebration, if there is something to be consumed. St Georges day, no, St Patricks day yes.

We even had a nearby english family celebrating 4th of July a few years ago. The morons did not realise they were celebrating the military defeat of their own country and the loss of minor colony .

Posters as suggested by Allan have worked in previous years, some little tw*t pulled it off the door this year, silly sod dropped his sweeties when the wife went for the door. With poster I have found that 90% read and go, a sarcastic, "can't you read" puts paid to 9/10 who actually still ring the bell, "piss off" deals with the 1/10, but I'm 6'1" weigh 20 stone and can look angry. It's the little old widow lady's I feel for, Grace up the road had a stroke last year, now one leg drags, she has a neat little notice on the door, "Please wait after ringing doorbell." so why should she be bothered by greedy little idiots who expect her to buy sweets for them out of her pension?

Dog was very useful this year, she has a very deep and continuous, closely repeated bark. They only tend to stay long enough to read the poster with her on the other side of the door.

The next ordeal is fireworks, not just on the 5th but both weekends and any night that they decide to put on a party and into unsociable hours too, It's the noisy ones in particular, our dogs used to be totally scared by all that and had to be comforted. We are unfortunate too in having a Pub. a few doors away that sees fit to have public displays in their car park.
I was glad that all the celebrations stopped when UK got pushed out of the World Cup (football or something, wasn't it?) but 'footer' still takes pride of place in TV news.
Allan

Oh, it's SO comforting to know that I'm not just growing old disgracefully on my own.....
There WAS an article in our local freebie paper about this, and a jolly good idea it is too... but Allan, I'd have to add that they need to be adequately illuminated for the children to see and take notice of....
Largely, the behaviour of British Younsters/Teenagers has been documented in todays' national press, but it only highlights what we already know, and it's not helped by these Trick or Treat type activities, which only serve to earn them an even worse reputation.

Whatever happened to those parents that they don't want to take part or an interest in their children's activities? to monitor and enjoy as a family unit? Let alone eat at the same time and at the same table..... and that they aren't worried that their children might be scaring the elderly or vulnerable?

I DO hope things can improve with time....

Oh how I agree. I cannot walk very quickly, so it takes me an age to answer the door, when my good lady is out at her craft class, so it really is a pain. I usually give a lolipop or such, just to keep my car safe, from being vandalised. The little ones, who are usually local children are great, and really try to look the part, and are happy to get a lolipop each. However, the other louts only want money. Last year, my bungalow front was covered in eggs, and it is a pain to get rid of. Still, I can be lucky that it wasn't my car or a broken window!
When I was a lad, all we did was duck apples. In fact we used to call it "ducking apple" day.
I usually pray for torential rain!

It wasn't too bad here at all really. I had a lot of little uns knocking with their mums or dads and they all made an effort (including parents). Gave them some little cakes i'd made or some sweeties.

We have Mischief Night and that was far worse. It's generally the ones with ASBOS anyway that cause the trouble. The highlight for me was the local shopkeeper who had a kid by his hoodie, threatening to shove an egg where the sun don't shine. The kid was shouting "he's assaulting me" to anyone about. I casually mentioned that I hadn't seen the shopkeeper doing anything, but I had seen the kid chucking eggs and flour into his shop!!!!!

That put an end to that. Especially when the Trojan Cabs and an unmarked police car went passed. Went very quiet after that

Lizzie, sorry to be thick but what's a Trojan cab??
I thought we might have managed to avoid trick or treating by going on holiday, but 2 little b@@@ers rang the bell on our hotel room door! (Though,to be honest, as they were sepaking Spanish they could have been trying to tell me that the hotel was on fire or something!)
Like previous posters I don't so much mind local little children, accompanied by adults, who have made a real effort with their costume. If they're from our street, they know who they can & can't call on. I do get annoyed with the larger thugs who only don a mask and think that's sufficient effort to warrant a reward. If they dare to come round before Hallowe'en I ask them if they know the correct date for All Saints Eve? Not had one yet who did...
and Carol singers? ~i insist on a Christmas Carol being sung in FULL before they get anything!
Just realised how miserable ~I sound - sorry!

Hi Zena

The police started sending out Trojan Cabs and Trojan Busses because the little barstewards were throwing bricks at them. They're filled with police who leap out and arrest them, then plonk them into the following meat wagon!!!!!!

My sister in law was going off to work on Mischief Night (she works nights) and the bus was bricked. The brick came through the window, hit her on the back of her head, then it hit the bloke behind her. Unfortunately, this wasn't the Trojan Bus and by the time the police arrived, the wrong doers had gone. In fairness to the police they were there within 2 minutes and the driver and a few of the passengers went after them.

My brothers still furious and would love to catch up with them. He's 6'5" and built like the preverbial outhouse!!!