The festive season is when large numbers of people who scarcely go into a pub between January and November suddenly find themselves crossing the threshold and end up annoying both staff and regular customers by their total ignorance of the normal standards of pub etiquette. There’s an entertaining (if somewhat sweary) summary here. Another one I would add is standing about in large groups in the middle of the floor completely blocking movement around the place despite the fact there are plenty of seats available.
But, on the other hand, given the parlous state of the pub trade, perhaps it’s not a good idea to be quite so sniffy. After all, if the bar staff are polite and the other customers friendly, they might be tempted to come back at other times of the year rather than dismissing pubs as cliquey and unwelcoming. And it makes a refreshing change to see pubs actually busy – often with people drinking alcohol (!?) – and even finding it difficult to get a seat.
Spare a thought for those of us dragged into the misery of pubs at this time of year. All year round we enjoy the cheap Tesco grog, leaving the dumpy pubs to bearded types that are gluttons for expensive punishment.
ReplyDeleteThen once a year we are dragged into these places where they think it unreasonable that you might want a slice of lemon and ice cube in your gin. The queues, the expense, the hell that is other people.
We don't want to be there any more than you want us there. It is just the grim ritual of the season where we need to inform our colleagues that we are not twats by going to the pub with them. We can make excuses the rest of the year, but at xmas you have to join in.
Don't panic, soon be over. Soon we can all go our separate ways and you won't see us in the boozer till next xmas.
Great for the pubs, obvioulsy, so we can't-or shouldn't, anyway-complain. However, the truth is that the vast majority will never be seen in a taproom again for another 12 months. So it is fair game to moan about the amateur hour.
ReplyDeleteIt's xmas Ty, lots of crap things to put with. Chin up though, eh? Soon January & Pubs back to normal, empty, struggling & on the verge of shutting.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you so full of the joys of Christmas, Cookie :p
ReplyDeleteLaughing out loud is not my normal default position when reading your journal, but, today, I couldn't help myself. I even took the diabolical liberty of tweeting same - @JohnMeddUK
ReplyDeleteI have some sympathy with those
ReplyDeletesad souls who trudge into pubs at this "festive season",but let us extend our deepest sympathy to the unfortunate,unloved,depressents
who have to prop up the bars throughout the year.
PS
The Boss of Enterprise Inns has done a runner ,after closing 3500+ venues,maybe it was the only way the Company could stay solvent.
Cheers!
its worse in January as people go through that whole they overspent,overate or overdrank at Christmas or just decide its a New Years resolution to detox instead, and never step foot in the pubs at all. There are already charities pushing January as "Dry January" to sponsor people not to drink for January. so pubs have to hope they make enough money over christmas to survive, but its back to the thing about higher turnover doesnt necessarily mean higher profit.
ReplyDeleteI keep offering to sponsor Mudge for Dry January for charidee, Stono. The old soak will have none of it. The offer remains. I will give £1 to a charity of Mudges choice for every month he stays off the grog.
ReplyDeleteJust think how Mudge could raise for little hungry foreign kids or summat if all of Mudges readers pledged something. It's a disgrace Mudgie refuses.
The problem nailed by the Daily Mash here - Pubs to trial professional lanes.
ReplyDeleteWe had our work''s xmas party recently and i managed to drag some of the lads who mainly go to chain bars to a few of the proper pubs i like and luckily they liked them so often go back! Result!
ReplyDelete