Bonhaven was a patchwork of narrow streets, with houses adorned by ornate, overhanging balconies, allowing families to soak up a little sun on wintry mornings, or enjoy a cool drink in the summer evening breeze.
Neighbourhood competitions developed – loveliest balcony garden, best Christmas display. The neighbours of Bonhaven chatted, balcony to balcony, so close were the houses. Their balconies connected them.
But there came a time when along the balconies spread murmurs of discontent, then rumours of government corruption and the first sparks of protest and rebellion.
That was when they announced the crippling balcony tax, and the Bonhaven revolution was extinguished.
*****
This story is for Friday Fictioneers, a weekly flash fiction challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. The picture prompt made me think of houses with bricked-up windows – a response to the window taxation which existed in Britain and France from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries – longer in France. Click on the picture below to read more.
Onto the page 
Another tax!
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Yes, a big one. Thanks for reading.
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Taxed out of existence – rings a bell.
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Those balconies had to go or they would be taxed out of existence. Thanks for commenting.
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Nothing like another tax to shut down friendly neighborhoods! Sad.
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This neighbourhood has been silenced, that’s for sure. Thank you for stopping by.
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Well that is certainly interesting!
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Thank you for saying so.
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In my sleepy Northamptonshire village the manor house still had a bricked up window. Not sure I completely disapprove – it was a way to tax the rich! Nowadays the rich have devious accountants – back then they had brickies.
Great take on the prompt.
PS Aren’t Dutch buildings taxed on width, hence the tall narrow Dutch style? Clearly you can’t win!
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I was intrigued to learn that the window tax was introduced in the UK because the original idea – taxing income – was rejected by the population as an invasion of privacy. I didn’t know about the Dutch buildings – that’s interesting too. I’m glad you liked my story. Thank you for leaving a reply.
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Terrific little tale.
AnElephant loves how you based it on historical fact.
Walled up windows are still a common sight in Scotland.
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Thank you, Elephant. Those buildings must have been (and I guess still are) very dark and gloomy inside. There’s not all that much sunlight in that part of the world anyway, I hear, so to have to shut it out would be awful.
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I love this story. It starts out so gently then wham the balcony tax! Great take on the prompt.
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When the balconies were lost their community was destroyed, along with their potential to rebel. I’m glad you enjoyed my story – thank you for the nice feedback.
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I love your explanation of the missing. Jealousy and taxation take the best of people.
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That’s true. The loss of the balconies ruined their community. Thanks for commenting.
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Interesting bit of history.
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Thank you, Tracey. I’ve always been amazed at the idea of taxing windows, and my story is a fanciful take on that bit of history.
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Great, clever story. A cunning way to curb talk of revolution – cut down social interaction.
I’ve heard of window tax, but I loved the bottom of the Wiki article you linked to where it says “see also – brick tax, hearth tax, wallpaper tax” etc etc 🙂 Yep, tax everything!
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Thank you, Draliman. They found a way to nip the rebellion in the bud, but in the process they killed the life spark in the community. The scene in the photo looks so bleak, I enjoyed inventing a happier time for it. You’re right about tax – it seems everything’s fair game.
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Dear Margaret,
Universal government policy, “If you can’t defeat it, tax it.” Well done. Thanks for the bit of history. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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That’s certainly the case in Bonvale. Thank you, Rochelle, for your comment.
Cheers,
Margaret
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i guess the advent of social media came too late for them. 😦
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I guess so. It all happened once, long ago, in a faraway place … Thanks for commenting.
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Leave it to the government to tax everything and then some. plenty of elbow room is nicer. Good story from a difficult prompt.
Aloha,
Doug
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Thank you for your encouraging comment, Doug. Tax is an unfortunate necessity, I guess.
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Oh, what a sad thing to tax, but it made for a highly original story. Nice job, Margaret. I enjoyed your tale.
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It is sad to have to pay tax to access fresh air and sunlight, whether on a balcony or through a window. I’m very happy you enjoyed my story, Amy, and thank you for leaving a reply.
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Well I guess that did away with the balcony tax for that family. There are always new taxes. Creative use of the prompt, Marg. Well done. 🙂 — Suzanne
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It did save some money, but cost them in so many other ways. Thank you for commenting, Suzanne.
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A fascinating tale, Margaret. I love your descriptions of all those lovely social events involving the balconies before the murmurs of discontent and rebellion resulted in the arrival of another dreaded tax. Well done. 🙂
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Thank you, Millie. They had a very happy community until things started to go wrong in the halls of power – isn’t that so often the case? I’m glad you enjoyed my story. Thank you for leaving a comment.
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I think I saw something like that on Blue Collar Comedy. Three guys were all bragging about who had the biggest deck (a ground level balcony). Everything thing was fine until they started being taxed according to size. Then, everyone was happy with a little deck. 🙂
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Are you sure you weren’t listening to some New Zealanders talking there? If you’re unfamiliar with this aspect of antipodean humour, here’s a little article about New Zealand vowel sounds. Sorry I couldn’t find anything funnier.
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A well written story that tells a fascinating tale. Very interesting, Margaret!
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Thank you for your comment. I’m glad you liked the story.
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I’m sure the revolution simply went underground. Unless it was all pie in the sky to begin with.
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Maybe it did. I’m sure they’d find their voice again in some other way. Thanks for your comment.
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