So, yesterday my husband, sister and brother in law went out for lunch at a lovely country pub. I’d booked a table ages ago because it’s very popular and I knew Christmas Eve lunchtime would be really busy. I asked if we could have a quieter corner if possible because my husband is very deaf and with his hearing aids if there’s lots of noise, particularly behind him, he does struggle to hear us talking to him. The hearing aids seem to amplify background noise but without them, he can’t hear at all.
The pub is really old with lots of small rooms and nooks and crannies all sort of interlinked by open doorways and the people at the pub were brilliant. They put us in a little corner table which should have been great - UNTIL! A family of six adults and five children arrived and were seated in the same area as us. The adults promptly sat at the table next to us while the children were deposited on a separate table Away from the adults behind us. The kids were a bloody nightmare. I’m not a child hater and totally understand that on Christmas Eve they were going to be really excited, but they were Incredibly loud, either shouting or arguing with each other. Occasionally, one or more of them would jump up and run behind us hitting either me or my sister in the back.
What did the adults do or say? Absolutely nothing! They were having a lovely time enjoying their meal and chatting to each other without so much as a glance in the direction of the children.
The final straw was when one of the little darlings spilt a glass of coke down the back of my sister’s chair. Fortunately, most of it went in the floor although some went on my sister’s skirt.
I went over to the adults’ table and just asked them quietly and politely if they wouldn’t mind just keeping an eye on their children and explained that my husband was struggling to hear our conversation because of his deafness and the racket the kids were making. The grandmother said, ‘I’m surprised he can hear them if he’s that deaf’ - said with heavy emphasis on ‘that’. I was so bloody angry and gobsmacked to be honest. I just glared at the woman and walked away.
That family really spoiled our lunchtime for us. I hope they have a wonderful Christmas!! Selfish sods!