WALKING from her home and into the cul-de-sac where Emma Parsons-Reid, 55, lives with her husband, Keven, 61, she checked her watch.
It was 10.30pm and all over the street Christmas lights turned off simultaneously – except for two. So she made a mental note to contact her neighbours.
Huw EvansEmma Parsons-Reid is a self-confessed nosy neighbour[/caption]
But she says she takes things up a gear over the festive season, including taking in people’s parcels to see what they’ve boughtEmma Parsons-Reid
“I’ve got a rule that Christmas lights should be out by 10.30pm so as not to disturb me,” the semi-retired cleaner told Fabulous.
“I consider myself the queen of the cul-de-sac and imposed the ‘lights off’ rule in 2018.
“I need my beauty sleep and the blinking colours coming through my window was very distracting.”
She said all the neighbours knew about her deadline.
“I don’t care if they think I’m mad,” she said. “I’m proud to be Britain’s nosiest neighbour – it’s something I am all year round and it ranks up a notch during the festive period.”
Emma has a ‘Desperate Housewives’ streetwide WhatsApp group where she posts information about bin collections (including who has left their bin out longer than she deemed appropriate), suspicious vehicles and messy front gardens.
“Come November I will go wild in the group, sending messages all the time,” she said.
“Christmas becomes a huge issue and one of my main points is that festive rule-breaking will simply not be tolerated.
“I also ensure all my neighbours know we will be carol singing come rain or shine – and it’s usually rain.”
Emma is happy to “name and shame” neighbours who she thinks have left their lights on too long or not contributed to the street aesthetic.
Meanwhile woe betide anyone who puts shiny wrapping paper in the recycling bin. “I’ll go through your bins to check,” said Emma. “And, yes, I will remind you.
“But I don’t care. I have always been a proud busybody. After my semi-retirement I became even nosier.
“Locals tell me they don’t need Twitter, they have me.”
Christmas becomes a huge issue and one of my main points is that festive rule-breaking will simply not be tolerated
Emma Parsons-Reid
Emma said “demanding excellence” was simply being a “good neighbour”.
“We’re a cul-de-sac so unlike a street my neighbourhood is a community within a community,” she said, who moved into her four-bed detached home in August 2006.
“I keep an eye on everything from the state of the gardens, litter, parking, open windows, loitering kids and overflowing garbage bins.
“The festive season really brings out my super-snooping and organisational skills.”
Emma also takes in all her neighbours packages.
“I consider myself an Amazon hub – although I work for DPD and Evri too,” she said.
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But there is an ulterior motive. “It helps the neighbours but I get the chance to snoop on what everyone is buying for Christmas too,” she said.
“I give each box a good shake and feel to work out what’s inside.”
She said new neighbours were initially shocked by her “straight-talking” but quickly learnt to appreciate it.
“At the top of the cul-de-sac is a roundabout,” she said. “I lobbied the council to let us plant it with flowers and they like that – they see I help.”
Christmas carols on the roundabout are one of Emma’s favourite things.
“It’s traditional that we all take part in the annual roundabout Christmas carols, no matter what the weather,” she said.
“Snow, rain or even a hurricane… I expect everyone to be out and singing.
“I copy the Christmas carols from the local Christmas church service, hand out the songs for everyone to practise and another neighbour is told to bring a karaoke machine.
They know to bring torches, lanterns, wear Christmas jumpers and Santa hats and if they are not there on time I knock on their doors.
“Traditions are important and no excuse is acceptable.”
I give each box a good shake and feel to work out what’s inside
Emma Parsons-Reid
In the run-up to December 25 she gets up extra early.
“I check everyone’s front gardens and lawns to ensure they are neat, mowed and properly decorated giving each person a rating out of 10,” she said.
“I told one neighbour, last week, her front yard was a mess and needed sorting.
I helped mow the lawn and she did the tidying.
“Decorations go up at the start of December and if anyone has tacky garden ornaments or lights, I tell them I won’t tolerate bizarre festive alternatives like blow-up unicorns wearing a Santa hat.
“They all must be down on January the 6 and if they aren’t I knock on their front door.
“Festive decorations must have my approval. I like classy things.”
Emma told how her Christmas tree went up at the start of December.
“It’s my pride and joy,” she said. “It’s a 7ft beauty which is decorated with classic lights and tasteful vintage ornaments.
“So-called ‘Instagram-able’ firs are awful.”
Meanwhile, she’s not afraid to invite herself to neighbours’ parties. “I’ll simply walk in,” she said.
“After everything I do for this street, why not?”
Emma’s Nosy Neighbour Christmas Rules
Christmas light to be switched off at 10.30pm
All deliveries to her to check everyone’s gifts
No tacky Christmas tree colour schemes
No tacky outdoor lights or garden displays
Everyone must give cards
Decorations down on January 6
Emma attends all parties.
Must take part in Christmas carol night
No Christmas paper recycling
No messy lawns
Naming and shaming if disobey rules
Emma is an ambassador for The Big Lunch, an annual day for communities to come together run by the Eden Community Project
Emma Parsons-ReidEmma also imposes other strict rules on her neighbours[/caption]
Emma says Christmas time comes with guidelinesEmma Parsons-Reid
She’s also been known to invite herself to the street’s Christmas partiesEmma Parsons-Reid Read More