to think chavy, tacky hen parties should SOD off [Edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

[CannoninD]

I’m fed up.
I’ve lived in my beautiful, respectful and historic city my entire life .... but over the last year it’s been invaded by GOD AWFUL hen parties!

20+ strong groups of horrifically common (referring to behaviour not social class) women who inflict their horrific behaviour on everybody within reach.

They’re EVERYWHERE and I know it’s not just me as there are sunbstantial concerns being raised by residents all over the city.

I counted 23 large groups this weekend (I only walked into the (small ish) city centre on Saturday morning and witnessed the following behaviour-

• Loud swearing (F and C word) right in front of/across young families and children just trying to enjoy a day out.
• Shop doors slammed in elderly shoppers faces (too busy pratting around to pay any attention).
• Stock being damaged by pratting about (and then hidden) to avoid paying.
• Horrifically vulgar and inappropriate content being loudly discussed in family areas (a garden/park area) to the point that families got up and left.
• Completely inappropriate Lingerie being worn in the street (before 2pm).
• Vomiting in the street! Whilst being jeered by the rest of the group.

Personally I would rather bleach out my own eyes than go on a hen do like this- but honestly at what point do we just call the police on these ridiculous idiots inflicting such unreasonable behaviour on families and regular people? What’s worse is, I bet back home they’re perfectly normal women. They just all get together and come away from home and behave like total arseholes!

Being in a large group and celebrating an event- does not give you a hall pass to behave like scum. 😡

Those silly L plates and sashes are the worst BUT then you see these same brides getting married in white and, well 🤣

”Move to Norwich Op....we get none of that chavvy behaviour there.”

”It's probably just a matter of time.”

Norwich doesn’t have the public transport links at present. That’s why it’s not a big commuter place for London etc. No plans for a high speed link for 20 years so it’s safe for a while yet.

Agree OP. The boozy behaviour is insane now. I like a discotheque and we used to go to Magaluf but you can have a laugh without being vile and vulgar. But excess is celebrated now-restraint is “boring”.

YADNBU OP.

And the attitude of some people on this thread show the divide between people who care about their surrounding, and those with a self entitled belief that they can do what they want, when they want and everyone else can just put up with up.

Unfortunately I can't see it getting any better.

UANBU
We encountered this recently in York , Saturday afternoon , we couldn't leave fast enough , definitely not a proud to be British occasion

York or bath I've seen this in, was pretty bad I admit. Thankfully my post industrial working class city isn't a magnet for such things!

Can i just throw in that is isn't the exclusive behaviour of British stags/hens. We were lucky enough to be on what I assume was partaaay floor of Caesars in Vegas. The American hens gave the UK ones you're describing a proper run for their money and won hands down. The men were steaming and just fell down

They don't make it to European cities for their stag/hen do's though do they? Whereas, sadly and embarrassingly, the Brtiish ones do.

Where on earth do you live that the hen parties start before 8pm?!
I’ve never been on a drunken hen do like that until at least 8, usually 8:30. Normally my friends and I would do stuff during the day (my sister had a go karting lesson, my friend went to a pottery class, my cousins and I went to a spa. For my hen do we all just went out for a nice lunch, I didn’t even bother with the drunken dancing bit) and then go out later on.
I’ve honestly never known a hen “doooo” to start before 8pm.

Sounds awful OP but I do really wish that people would say something to the offenders at the time. If a bunch of rowdies started effing and blinding in front of my children I would,and have shamed them by simply telling them that my kids don't need to hear that. If everybody did the same they would soon get the message that their behaviour is not acceptable or welcome and they would be more likely to tone it down no?

The wandering around parks and shops screaming hysterically and falling over at 2pm is mainly hen parties .

^This was exactly it in York last Saturday. Add to it the inflatables, vomiting, and random hugging of strangers, and that is what I had to avoid - several times. ughh.

Up to a few years ago I visited York regularly and this revolting behaviour never happened. It makes me quite sad.

We’re starting to get issues with hen and stag parties too - we’re only a small seaside town, but we’re in a tourist area which is mostly family oriented.

Well, I include stags, but it is predominantly hen parties that cause the issues, I frequently see behaviour from hen parties as described by the OP and PP.

With stags, there’s fancy dress, a pub crawl and then end the night in the curry house before attempting to walk up the extremely steep hill to their B&B while 3 sheets to the wind.

We’re quite a popular sailing town so we also get yachties - they’re worse than the hen and stags combined

Yeah. It’s York.

I’m glad I’m not the only one who is seeing/disapproving of this horrific plague.

They’re trashing the city and the damage is going to be irreversible I fear. Last weekend DP and I had a LARGE shopping list of things we needed (approx £300-£400 In food/household items/clothes) we suggested walking into the centre to support the local shops. Then laughed at each other for even considering it on a weekend and went to vanguard instead!

Good bye high street!

Only on MN could you possibly think ‘don’t wear lingerie in the street in the middle of the afternoon’ and be ‘offended’ by it
When they do this in Edinburgh in August, it’s considered art and part of the festival. Once walked down the high street with my 7 year old nephew, to find a bunch of people in bondage gear simulating sex. I just crossed the road. Add in posters plastered everywhere with highly sexualised pictures and titles and you’ll find the little hen dos are really tame.

Funnily enough, the city is swarming with children in August, we haven’t had anyone proclaiming “won’t somebody think of the children”

I’m also wondering why the historic nature of the city is important. Presumably you’d be clutching your pearls if you saw this in Sheffield?

@GibbonLover nah, it's because most of the clubs and bars banned hen and stag do's as the police made them :) they were horrific and ruined town for years. Now it's just coke that's ruining town 🤷

@yabbers

I think it’s inportant because it’s what families come here for. It’s what we’re known for.
They arrive expecting the historical, traditional, family friendly environment and it’s no longer at all what they’re getting.

It’s also relevant because hen parties coming here KNOW it’s not a ‘party city’ it’s not a place synonymous with heavy clubbing or raucous behaviour and surely you should set your behaviour according to the place/environment you are in.

Like others have said, what’s acceptable in a club at 2am is not acceptable in a park at 2pm.
What’s acceptable in a ‘party city’ geared towards behaviour like this (and with more police/facilities in place to manage it) IS NOT acceptable in a ‘Historical family orientated city’ who are crippling under the presssure

Hope you get it sorted out OP. I did notice a lot of empty shops there so obviously people are staying away. We certainly won't be going back. Like I said, York is expensive also. I've no intention of paying Harrogate prices for a Blackpool experience again. If I wanted to watch twatted half wits staggering around shrieking about blow jobs at two in the afternoon there are plenty of places to choose from. Turns out York is now added to that list.

YANBU OP

MN amazes me sometimes. How can you defend that behaviour and I don't think many people would want it outside their house all weekend.

This is awful but local councils can ban drinking alcohol in public places. Trains can ban alcohol. The police can't arrest everyone but a couple of targeted campaigns to sweep really bad behaviour problem areas eg shopping areas in mid afternoon would be a deterrent to others. Why aren't they doing something about it?

I’m also wondering why the historic nature of the city is important.

Surely this is obvious? It's because it's a place that naturally attracts families (both old and young), tourists and people who want to enjoy the historic surroundings in peace. If it was a known party hot spot at least those of us looking for a civilised afternoon with our families could easily avoid it.

We went to Prague earlier this year, we were there from Monday to Friday and it was lovely until we were walking around the city before heading to the airport on the Friday, that was when we noticed it was suddenly noisier and rowdier and it was obvious that the British stag and hen parties had started arriving.

Once we were at the airport we could see - and hear - more of them arriving.

I'm originally from York but don't live there anymore. Makes me so sad when I go back and this is all you see! Such a nice city but can see why people are put off!

@two off

Well said. Honestly some people on here would argue with a pigeon...I swear!

Can only assume they’re either having/ have had, or are attendees at hen do’s just like these ones 🙈

Definitely an increasing issue in many of the 'nicer', more historical cities. And it's definitely hen dos which are significantly louder and more offensive and which start at 10am, never seen stag dos out and around before the evening.

It's also a complete nightmare basically going anywhere on the train on a Saturday, including going to London from my home town. I think alcohol should be permanently banned on trains and not just during football match derbies or similar. Women tend to be far worse than men for drinking in the daytime.

I'm another that thought York immediately. It's a shame it's so identifiable just from your brief description Op.

I tend to go every year with the same group of friends (late 20s / early 30s) for the weekend. Food, a few cocktails, dungeons or a museum/tour, sightseeing and lots of shopping is generally the routine! This year was the worst yet and I think we'll be going elsewhere from now on, which is a shame because I adore York so much I used to commute from another city to work there for a while.

Screaming, swearing, running commentaries on what the hens would like to do to the men standing at the bar, littering with confetti, penis straws and score cards, and just generally acting like idiots.

Men walking around selling whistles to the groups ended up being a particularly low point. Groups of stags and hens were blasting them non-stop and falling over laughing at how hilarious they were, then shouting to be heard of the top of the whistles their pals were blowing, and we were being harassed to buy them and followed by the sellers. It was about 6pm!

It's a massive, massive shame. I'm from a well known party city and it's bad enough here. We travel to get away from it and to delight at the history, the gorgeous sights, and the shops in York, not to see people vomiting on the cobbles with their underwear on show.