Mother shares letter from stranger branding her garden a 'disgrace'
‘It would sicken me having to look at that mess every day’: Mother shares angry letter sent from stranger branding her front garden an ‘absolute disgrace’ and ‘the worst on the estate’
- Joanne Partridge, 32, received an anonymous letter when at home with her son
- An unknown neighbour furiously attacked her for the state of her front garden
- The vile note said ‘it would sicken me having to look at that mess every day’
- The mother-of-one said she ‘sat on the floor and sobbed’ when she read it
A stay-at-home mother says she was ‘inconsolable’ after a cruel stranger sent her a ‘vile’ poison pen letter branding her garden an ‘absolute disgrace’ and ‘the worst one on the whole estate’.
Joanne Partridge, 32, was at home in Telford, Shorpshire with her two-year-old son Jenson last week when a stamped envelope landed on her doormat.
She opened the letter after realising she didn’t recognise the handwriting to find the ‘cruel’ note complaining about the sight of her front garden.
The letter accused her of having litter in her garden, which she denies, before asking ‘have you no pride?’.
The scrawl then went on to urge Joanne and her husband Andy, 34, to hire a gardener, with the writer even claiming they would be ‘sickened’ by the sight of it every day.
The couple bought the house five years ago and began work on the front garden two years ago but were working on it ‘slowly but surely’ due to the time and costs involved.
But Joanne said they were not rushing as they did not think it was causing any problems – admitting that it was ‘unsightly’ but not ‘dirty’ and no rubbish was in it.
Joanne admitted the garden was ‘dirty’ but said there was not litter and that she had been prioritising the back garden for her young son to play in
The furious anonymous sender told Joanne ‘you should be ashamed!’ over the state of the garden
Joanne Partridge, 32, (right, pictured with husband Andy, left, and son Jenson) said she was left ‘in shock’ after receiving the angry note
Joanne has since shared the note on social media and hopes it encourages others to think twice – revealing the work is ‘not cheap’.
Joanne said: ‘We’re good neighbours and I’m absolutely gobsmacked. I don’t know if I’ll ever find out who wrote it.
‘On Friday, I was just inconsolable. It’s cruel. It still blows my mind every time I look at the letter with the stamp on it.
‘I stood in the kitchen, read it and I sat on the floor and sobbed. I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t just laugh. I cried.
‘I was so upset, I was inconsolable. I called my husband and he was trying to comfort me.
‘I was in shock. I’ve never had anything like that before.’
Joanne spent the weekend wondering who could have sent the note – concluding it wouldn’t be any of her immediate neighbours.
Joanne said: ‘The way it’s worded sounds like an older person to me. We’ve lived here quite a while and no one’s ever mentioned it to me. I get on really well with my neighbours.
‘I honestly don’t know who sent it and I don’t know who would want to be that cruel.
‘I can’t imagine it’s someone who knows us personally. I don’t know anyone who would want to intentionally hurt me like that and people who know me know it would really hurt me.’
The couple bought their house five years ago after an elderly person who passed away had struggled to maintain the garden.
Joanne claims they have since started work on the front garden after working on the back over summer so little Jensen could enjoy playing in the outdoors.
Joanne said: ‘The front was horrible – it was long wild grass and we wanted more room for our cars.
The anonymous letter writer crticised the state of the garden, saying: ‘I can honestly say it’s the worst one on the whole of the estate’
The scrawled note landed on the doormat of the mother-of two’s home in Shropshire
Joanne took to Facebook to express her shock at receiving the letter, and invited the sender to help her fix the front garden
‘We focused on the back garden this year for our little boy and the front’s been on hold for a while. It’s not cheap, even doing it yourself.
‘We’re nowhere near finished but he’s made a good start and at the moment the front garden is soil, grass. It’s unsightly but it’s not dirty.
‘It was never going to be a quick thing but it isn’t causing any problems. It’s not dirty.
‘It’s not got rubbish in it and it’s not attracting rats. There’s no dirty nappies or mouldy old fridge freezers. There’s nothing like that.
‘I have no idea what they’re talking about with the litter – there isn’t any. Then [they questioned] my house and say I should be ashamed.
‘I know there are worse things going on in the world but that really got me.. It’s so vile and to not have the courage to put who you are.’
Housewife Joanne had previously planned to leave the garden while winter approached but claims since she posted about the letter on social media, she has been inundated with kind requests from strangers wanting to help.
Joanne said: ‘I didn’t know what else to do other than put a post on Facebook. I was just shocked. I cannot believe the response.
‘There were no plans to continue it this year now we’re in October, Christmas is coming up and Jensen’s birthday is in January, but somebody who commented on the post who has his own landscaping business is coming to look at what materials we need.
‘I just can’t believe someone has gone to the effort to send that. My priorities are right and I’m not ashamed of that.’
The letter read: ‘To the occupiers, Your front garden is an absolute disgrace.
‘I can honestly say it’s the worst one on the whole of the estate.
‘You should be ashamed! And what’s with the litter, you have a dustbin.
‘Your neighbour’s garden is kept very tidy they must be appalled.
‘Have you no pride? I dread to think what your house must be like.
‘If you don’t have the time or inclination to do your garden then at least pay someone to tidy it up.
‘I’m glad I don’t live near you, it would sicken me having to look at that mess every day.’
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