AIBU to expect parents not to drink at sports day?!?!

[KCAREYW1987]

Have just returned from a very hot primary school sports day. A group of parents decided to crack open a few cold cans of pimms at about 11am. AIBU to think that this is totally out of order at a primary school sports day? I mean I know it's not cans of super brew but still I would never dream of watching my little ones in the sack race while getting sloshed in the sun! Would love to hear other opinions on this.

Pimms on a hot day. I don't get that reasoning at all. It's equally hot (and stuffy) at the end of year Leavers concert. Should we have a round of cider to cool things down?
Or pass round the hip flask on the rugby pitch on a winter afternoon, as it's a little nippy?
Everyone seems hung up on the fact that it's Pimms, which is so classy and elegant that normal social rules don't apply

Ah well there are plenty of English on this thread taking snidely snipes at those of us who don't consider a drink as a school sports day essential. And yes, this seems to part of English culture and people here are falling over themselves to defend it despite the massive alcohol problems the uk has.

Seriously if you need a drink, even if is just a pinks (which apparently alcohol that is different from alcohol ) to get through a sports day then you need to have a word with yourself. That's not normal.

*pimms

Lots of countries have a much higher alcohol consumption than Britain including Ireland, Australia, France and Germany.

www.worldatlas.com/articles/who-drinks-the-most-alcohol-consumption-by-country.html

Lol at Ireland being ahead of Russia in boozing.

Very cultural thing. Having left the UK now I realize how much alcohol is intertwined in daily life. It's not normal elsewhere. Whether it's right or wrong I can't say, but if you tried serving alcohol at a morning school event where I grew up (US) people would be appalled and some outright offended. It's probably not harmful but it's certainly not necessary.

Pimms in a can? How uncouth.

I would have joined in if it were the afternoon. 11am surely is only acceptable to drink mimosas, Bloody Marys or possible some fizz if your at a spa or hairdressers or it's your wedding day. Only exceptions are Christmas and holidays. I'm sure this is all written down in some British handbook...

Here's the thing...a cold drink on a hot day outdoors is nice. It's necassary...so why not just a soft drink?

Because people like to numb themselves...even just a little bit.

Otherwise why would they not just accept a glass of juice or lemonade as appropriate?

All this "It's not to get pissed" stuff is nonsense.

You may not want to get pissed but you DO want to feel the effects of SOME alcohol.

And that's not ok..not in school.

Our school sell beer and wine on sports day. Biggest money making day of the year. TBH unless people are actually a bit drunk/ loud/ annoying then I wouldn't really care. After 3 hours of races I was ready for wine too. Did not partake as driving though.

"Erm, yes. If they were doing this regularly I would see it differently. As a one off I couldn't care less what they do."

Obviously all schools are different, so I can only speak for ours... but I honestly don't think it would occur to any parent here who wasn't already a regular, heavy drinker to sneak alcohol in to drink in the playground when the HT wasn't looking.

It's just so completely not the done thing. I can't imagine anyone would pick our primary sports day to have a one-off Pimm's.

bandeau " if you need alcohol to get through sports day..."

You see, that's where you lose me. I think if you're talking about needing alcohol to 'get through something' you're coming at alcohol in an entirely different way from me; I just like a glass of Pimms, but certainly wouldn't need it to get through anything! I'm actually off to my daughter's sports day this afternoon. I won't have any alcohol because I'm driving. I will, I imagine, enjoy the sports day. If I weren't driving, I might have an alcoholic drink (It's at a sports centre with a bar) - but then again, I might not, if I've got work to do later. But I'd be pretty pissed off with the Oliver Cromwells insisting I couldn't even if I wanted to...

MrsOver you asked why people wouldn't simply accept juice or lemonade if it's about being refreshed... You are aware that people have different tastes?! If it was a choice between squash and Pimms, I'd go for Pimms because I don't like squash. But if it were a choice between fizzy water and lager, I'd pick fizzy water - cos I don't like lager. See how it works? The alcohol is not the only factor in play. I'd suggest your view of alcohol isn't that healthy if you think like that.

OP is not being unreasonable. I think it is a pretty weird thing to do. My son's school sold tea, coffee and soft drinks. Never saw anyone bringing in their own alcohol.

I agree with MrsOverTheRoads's points.

If it was a choice between squash and Pimms, I'd go for Pimms because I don't like squash. But if it were a choice between fizzy water and lager, I'd pick fizzy water - cos I don't like lager. See how it works? The alcohol is not the only factor in play

I think I'd make the same choices :)

I'm most certainly not a non- drinker but am puzzled as to why there needs to be the option of an alcoholic drink at every occasion.

Our school sports day is at a council owned sports ground and it would be illegal to drink alcohol there so having a few tins, no matter how sedate, would certainly raise eyebrows

MrsOverTheRoad Mon 19-Jun-17 22:28:38
"Cory wine at an academics meeting is not comparible to a bloody Pimms tent on a hot sports field in a SCHOOL!"

Fair enough, I can well see why alcohol at school might not be a good idea. It was the horror of "would you drink at work" in the specific post I was answering.

For some parents this obviously seems no different to having a beer at a cricket match or something. Maybe it should be different, maybe schools should be an alcohol-free zone for reasons suggested by other posters. But having a quiet drink at lunchtime is not in itself a sign of an alcoholic, nor does it necessarily lead to drunkenness.

Yanbu
I guess as long as they were drinking sensibly then ok, but seems unnecessary to me.

I don't agree that it shows an unhealthy attitude to alcohol if you think it's slightly skanky to drink at a school sports day

Our school fair has a beer tent.

puzzled as to why there needs to be the option of an alcoholic drink at every occasion

There doesn't. No one's suggesting alcohol at every occasion. But equally I'm puzzled why there is the need to have this hand-wringing every time someone has a glass of Pimms.

I see it as a sliding scale - at the one end, you have weddings where you definitely expect the option of alcohol; at the other you have toddler play groups where you fully expect an alcohol-free zone. In between, you have all sorts of different social gatherings which may or may not serve alcohol. Some sports days do; some don't. Depends on the school, the culture, the location etc. No need for the drama.

This is slightly off topic, but I'm in N Ireland and things are different here so it's a genuine question. Are licensing laws very liberal in England/Wales/Scotland? I can't imagine a PTA ever being allowed a beer tent here. Or if they were allowed it, the cost of the license would far outstrip any money brought in. Although to be honest I could never see it happening here anyway as there would probably be so many complaints that any head teacher who allowed it would end up losing their job.