Neighbours security lights

[Soloula]

Thanks Peter. I'm not about to be petty or inconsiderate as that's not me, as tempting as it is. Just less considerate iykwim. Less thinking of others who couldn't care less and just putting ourselves first. I'm a people pleaser which sometimes leaves me disappointed. You'd think I'd learn...

 

I'm hopeful we can still get out and do some kind of astronomy. At least we're south facing so our lunar views should be reasonable uninterrupted. Thanks for the links for suggestions Tiny. I'm not sure how well screening would work due to the height of the lights but will have a proper look through the thread after. Loving your observatory pad Alan. And jealous of a garden big enough to allow you to do that lol. 

A photo of the offending lights to give you an idea of what I'm dealing with.

 

 

[johngm]

15 minutes ago, Soloula said:

Thanks Peter. I'm not about to be petty or inconsiderate as that's not me, as tempting as it is. Just less considerate iykwim. Less thinking of others who couldn't care less and just putting ourselves first. I'm a people pleaser which sometimes leaves me disappointed. You'd think I'd learn...

 

I'm hopeful we can still get out and do some kind of astronomy. At least we're south facing so our lunar views should be reasonable uninterrupted. Thanks for the links for suggestions Tiny. I'm not sure how well screening would work due to the height of the lights but will have a proper look through the thread after. Loving your observatory pad Alan. And jealous of a garden big enough to allow you to do that lol. 

A photo of the offending lights to give you an idea of what I'm dealing with.

 

 

Disgusting. Why so much light. ? very inconsiderate indeed. Almost makes you want to plant laylandii's. 

[Soloula]

17 minutes ago, johngm said:

Disgusting. Why so much light. ? very inconsiderate indeed. Almost makes you want to plant laylandii's. 

Yip so inconsiderate. The irony is that I'm in Scotland so covered by the high hedges laws. If I planted leylandii and allowed them to grow high enough to block the lights, they'd also be casting shadows into their garden so I'd need to get them cut back. So they're entitled to enjoy their garden but I can't take measures to enjoy mine... 

And my garden is too small for leylandii. My parents have just cut theirs down now my dad's too infirm for stargazing. The amount of space they've reclaimed is crazy. He'd planted them to block a neighbours security light. Fortunately their neighbour was in a plot downhill not next door with lights shining down like we're taking centre stage on the west end. 😞

[johninderby]

What an abomination. Silly twit of a neighbour. 🤬

I complain about a street light on one side of my garden and a few trees but can get away from that. View to the south out of my back garden is a bit of a contrast to yours. Not a security light to be seen. 👍🏻

[Ships and Stars]

Argh! That looks awful, I honestly feel for you! I'd still say it's possible to have something done. I'm so sorry this has happened. I'd still class it as a statutory nuisance, it's preventing you from enjoying your property. How hard would it be to switch them off while you're out! What about the other sides of your house? Any access for the scope or shielded areas there? I'd consider talking to a solicitor regarding options if he doesn't budge. Is it open land past your property boundary? Put in a small gate and carry the scope away a bit? Just trying to think of other options. Maybe some evening they'll see you out there with a scope and decide to switch them off for a bit. Maybe. One last resort would be to perhaps offer him a view through the scope and just say the lights wash everything out? Don't know... sorry the env health person didn't press them more, the lighting is overkill. 

[tooth_dr]

46 minutes ago, johngm said:

Almost makes you want to plant laylandii's. 

There’s only one place to plant them that might do any good 🌲🍑

[johngm]

2 minutes ago, tooth_dr said:

There’s only one place to plant them that might do any good 🌲🍑

😂😂

[Tiny Clanger]

That is one ugly set of insecurity lights !

So high up by the gutter that a vertical 'shade' at your fence would have to be as tall as their house . I think you are wise to avoid escalating the situation, but maybe consider some sort of angled tarp to block the light to part of the garden,  and duct tape a cheap mylar 'space blanket' to the side towards the light, give 'em some of their photons back , maybe the dazzle would make them realise what an annoyance they have created.

Heather

[Captain Scarlet]

“I damn well paid for them so I’m going to use them!” is their attitude. Such a shame. If you take that approach with extra fog lights on your boy-racer car the police stop you if it’s not actually foggy. A pity there’s no similar enforcement here.

M

[Starwatcher2001]

4 hours ago, Soloula said:

We got a movie projector for the garden a few months back and have a managed to set up our Bose speakers for decent sound. Were out for my youngest’s 5th birthday last month and I checked with neighbour if it was too loud. Won’t be doing that again. I’m so [removed word] off today at all the times I’ve gone out my way to be considerate - not listening to music in the garden when the suns out and they’re out, not letting the kids make too much noise in the garden past 6.30 when their wee ones go down, holding off lighting the bbq until they bring their washing in. I feel like such a mug going out of my way to be decent and then I get treated like this. Lesson learned.

Makes my blood boil, but you're not a mug. You're a decent person and a good neighbour, unlike the guy next door. I wouldn't be tempted to retaliate as that could lead to escalation and all kinds of nastiness. You're clearly better than that.

Maybe take a piece of wood or something and walk around your garden trying to block the light and see if there's anywhere where it's practical to put up a screen. Might a strategically placed garden shed be a possibility?

[johninderby]

A couple of these in your garden facing his house perhaps? 😁😁😁

[RobertI]

I just despair for you, I’m so sorry to hear this. A couple of thoughts from the ‘Astronomy Hacks’ books I have been reading which might help - Now you may feel like a complete berk doing this, but an eyepatch and an observing hood/blanket could allow you to retain complete dark adaption even under bright lights - observing hoods are brilliant for cutting out light and before you ‘emerge’ from your observing hood into the light, cover your observing eye with an eyepatch - even if your uncovered eye is subjected to light the covered eye will retain its dark adaption for when you go under the hood again (apparently eyes work independently in this regard).  As Peter says doubles are good to observe under light pollution and there are bucket loads of them - especially with a 6” refractor! If all else fails, if you are prepared to get a bit technical, EAA (aka Video Astronomy) is the the antidote to light pollution and you will never have to worry about it again - but it’s not for everyone.  I used it successfully to observe in the centre of a town with three very bright street lights a mere 30 feet away. I am back to visual now that I have moved house, but I know that if I ever get an inconsiderate neighbour with a light obsession, I’ve got EAA to fall back on.  A final thought -  if you need a goto mount, I recommend the Celestron AS-GT or CG5 -  known as the ‘coffee grinder’ it’s guaranteed to wake even the heaviest of sleepers!   

Edited October 19, 2020 by RobertI

[Kdiveruk]

What a complete Bottom this neighbour is! I think I would struggle to be as nice as you. Have you considered asking him what he wants? It's a crap thing to have to do but maybe there is something he wants they say everyone has a price! 

 

Also what about this gezebo as an idea maybe you could make the roof to open up? I hope you get it sorted. 

 https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4648059

[Alan White]

12 hours ago, johninderby said:

A couple of these in your garden facing his house perhaps? 😁😁😁

Funny story, when my issue was at its peak, I did contemplate some road lighting rigs hired and pointed at next door.
The moral stance I took however prevented such action on my part, but the annoyed part of me still is tempted at times.

 

[johninderby]

24 minutes ago, Alan White said:

Funny story, when my issue was at its peak, I did contemplate some road lighting rigs hired and pointed at next door.
The moral stance I took however prevented such action on my part, but the annoyed part of me still is tempted at times.

 

Fortunately for idiots like the neighbour from hell in the OPs post most people only imagine what they would like to do rather than actually do it. 

Edited October 20, 2020 by johninderby

[kirkster501]

Some neighbours are really annoying.  My next door neighbours' Leyandii have started to block my view to the East. 

It's the only place I have ever lived where I did not get on with a neighbour.  He has ignored my civil and polite efforts to get him to trim them, probably because I had to involve environmental health ten years ago because of the three, ferocious barking Dobermans all night that he was forced to get rid of.  TBH I will be leaving this house in a couple of years so will just live with it for now.

Edited October 20, 2020 by kirkster501

[DaveL59]

If I were the OP I'd be seriously tempted at experimenting with "renewable" energy and construct a windmill suitably positioned in the garden. I believe the vertical blade type are rather good and make a nice whine just so you know it's busy generating free leccy 😉 

[ollypenrice]

In the end, astronomy and neighbours simply don't go together. In the UK isolated houses are expensive. Fortunately, over here in France, the reverse is true.

Olly

[Alan White]

1 hour ago, ollypenrice said:

In the end, astronomy and neighbours simply don't go together. In the UK isolated houses are expensive. Fortunately, over here in France, the reverse is true.

Olly

Its probably one of a number of reasons France has so many Ex Pats 

[RobertI]

3 hours ago, Kdiveruk said:

Also what about this gezebo as an idea maybe you could make the roof to open up? I hope you get it sorted. 

That’s a good idea, at least it will give a light free view in one direction. 

[Dave Lloyd]

Set up a couple of mirrors at the bottom of your garden adjusted to shine through all his windows. That way if he doesn't like it he has the means to stop it. 

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Dave Lloyd said:

Set up a couple of mirrors at the bottom of your garden adjusted to shine through all his windows. That way if he doesn't like it he has the means to stop it. 

And if he breaks them, then it's his bad luck!😉  I hope your neighbour stops being a 'Little Richard' soon...

Edited October 20, 2020 by Guest

[ollypenrice]

27 minutes ago, Alan White said:

Its probably one of a number of reasons France has so many Ex Pats 

Although, bizarrely, the French in Britain outnumber the British in France, or they did recently. I heard on the radio that London had the fourth highest French population of any city in the world, including French ones!

Olly

[R26 oldtimer]

Had a similar neighbor a couple of years ago. I asked really politely to turn off the lights, even invited him for a session, which he rudely declined. Then I just set both of my scopes and cameras facing various windows of his house for a couple of days. When he came complaining, I complained back that since I couldn't stargaze then I would just.... gaze. It's been 3 years and those powerful bulbs haven't tasted electricity since.

Edited October 20, 2020 by R26 oldtimer
T9

[mikeDnight]

17 hours ago, Soloula said:

Yip so inconsiderate. The irony is that I'm in Scotland so covered by the high hedges laws. If I planted leylandii and allowed them to grow high enough to block the lights, they'd also be casting shadows into their garden so I'd need to get them cut back. So they're entitled to enjoy their garden but I can't take measures to enjoy mine... 

And my garden is too small for leylandii. My parents have just cut theirs down now my dad's too infirm for stargazing. The amount of space they've reclaimed is crazy. He'd planted them to block a neighbours security light. Fortunately their neighbour was in a plot downhill not next door with lights shining down like we're taking centre stage on the west end. 😞

Do you have space in your garden for a domed observatory? They don't necessarily have to be big buildings and can be a nice DIY project. Even in a light polluted area a dome can offer both shielding and a good measure of dark adaption.