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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

JD Wetherspoons

146 replies

Teeniebf · 04/01/2008 10:47

Mmmm interesting news about this well known 'family friendly' pub chain. They have in place a policy which limits parents to 2 drinks only - alchohlic & non alcholic - to prevent them from staying too long in their establishments with their children. One customer queried this when he was told about it and was told that the adults could stay in the pub that he child would have to leave, unsuprisingly he chose to leave and go elsewhere and was told yes this is true and that the JD Wetherspoons would back any of their staff/managers who enforced this policy. I used to take my family to a local wetherspoons as I enjoyed the fact that they are quiet and peaceful places. But from now on I will not be going anywhere near any wetherspoons - with or without my 2 sons and I intend to let everyone I know who has children that they shouldn't go into wetherspoons. Just another wonderful example of family unfriendly UK at it's best!

OP posts:

Blu · 04/01/2008 12:10

It's nothing to do with children's welfare or 'nanny state' and everything to do with JDW racking up their profits and reserving maximum space so that hardcore beer drinkers can achieve a high turnover. If you are not economicaly productive for them, you're out.

DoubleBluff · 04/01/2008 12:10

The Weaatherspoons in my town are full of alkies cos of the cheap drink. I assume that this policy is not aimed at the sensible majority of parents buth tose that get pissed while their kids run riot.
I have heard of parents rining school asking them to send kids to the social club cos they are too drunk to get them.
Personally if i was going for a drink in a pub I wouldn't want omeone else's kids running round my table.
We do take our kids to our locla occassionally for meals, but once we have finished we leave. Pubs aren't really a place for young kids.

SantaBabyBeenAnAwfulGoodGirl · 04/01/2008 12:14

it is an offence to be drunk in charge of a child under seven

colditz · 04/01/2008 12:14

I personally don't sit in a pub with my child for more than 2 drinks, as I think it's grossly unfair on the child to be stuffed in a pub for longer than that. I hate to see bored miserable tired children lolling around in a pub when they would be much happier at home or in the park.

colditz · 04/01/2008 12:16

And yes, the decision should be the parents, and probably would be, in an ideal world where twats don't breed.

noonar · 04/01/2008 12:19

i would never set foot in our local wetherspoons, but find it absurd to think that i wouldnt be allowed to order 2 glasses of wine and a coffee with a meal. bonkers.

jellies · 04/01/2008 12:36

Went to one last week for the afters of my uncles funeral.. This perticular 'FF' pub didnt even have changing facilities and I was told to change a 3 month old on the toilet floor!!!! yuck!

GrumpYULEhorsewoman · 04/01/2008 12:43

Think all Brewery chains are shite.

Their motives may be questionable, but I do agree with the sentiment. I posted on here before about a woman in my old village who almost lives in the pub, getting slaughtered night after night whilst her 2 DCs sit yawning in the corner.I went in one christmas eve to collect DH at midnight, and the poor kids were still there, trying to get their slattern of a mother to go home. Pub lost loads of trade because of her and her kids were not being cared for. Pubs on a Sunday lunch time are one thing, but I wouldn't want my DDs in there of an evening, and certainly not for more than the length of time it took to eat a leisurely meal. That's REAL pubs, BTW, not shitty brewery chains.

Original poster

Teeniebf · 04/01/2008 12:45

I have to say that it's been a while since I was in a JDWs and on talking to my DH it seems to descended into dirt and is normally full of undesireables - because they can keep cheap booze! So maybe JDWs are doing families with children a favour, but it's more the principle of the 'ban' that irks me. Any responsible parent I know doesn't drink alcohol when out with their children, or has perhaps at most a single alcholic drink. If they don't want children in their pubs, then put in place a no under 18's policy across the board, but don't punish responsible parents for the behaviour of the minority idiot parents!

OP posts:

fondant4000 · 04/01/2008 12:48

Why not just pretend you don't have kids and leave them locked in the car in the pub car park like my parents did in the '70's?

I think if they are going to be ff, then they have to think of another way of achieving this.

FluffyMummy123 · 04/01/2008 12:48

Message withdrawn

morningpaper · 04/01/2008 12:55

I love Wetherspoons!

There aren't many places you can take two small children for a full fried breakfast and spend a tenner for af amily of 4, and have roomy tables, stuff for the children to colour in, and no one minding if the children are noisy.

In small towns they are a godsend! There aren't any other 'pubs' in our town that would welcome children the way that WS does.

DoubleBluff · 04/01/2008 12:57

Ruffians = far less offensive than 'chavs', but conjures up the same imaage!

gr1973 · 04/01/2008 13:01

I'm quite bemused by the idea of wetherspoons as a 'ff' pub as I thought they were always cavernous places selling cheap booze to those that wanted to drink lots. Not really my kind of place but each to their own!

I'm not really against this policy though. I'm very much of the mindset that pubs are for grown up (unless they are very specifically designed with the family market in mind). I absolutely hate being in the pub having a few and either being careful about saying inappropriate things within earshot of kids at next table or being deafened by kids running around screaming their heads off.

gr1973 · 04/01/2008 13:04

ps - loving 'ruffians' as a less offensive alternative to chavs btw!

colditz · 04/01/2008 13:05

I too do not wish to sit and get drunk near children. I don't care whether they are mine or not. I don't think they should see it.

I do think that the ban on drinks has been introduced as a way for the staff to use their discretion and to allow them to throw someone out who is obviously pissed and neglecting their children. Trouble is, a lot of pub staff choose not to use discretion, and to impose a blanket rule because it is easier than thinking.

LadySnotAlot · 04/01/2008 13:07

I hate WS pubs. The nearest from my home is thankfully a good 20 miles away and no I wouldn't take my children there.

A few times a year (birthdays, etc) we do take our children to a very nice family run pub and actually we have 4 drinks. That's two pints for my Husband and two diet cokes for me. (That's two each, not just two full stop. So quite frankly, two fingers up at Weatherspoons.)

I never have liked being told what to do so shall not venture inside one of those pubs again.

theBOD · 04/01/2008 13:09

why would a parent bring a child to the pub for any reason but a sunday lunch?
it is an adult place.i'm just praying pubs in ireland follow suit.

UnquietDad · 04/01/2008 13:10

How do they enforce it? They surely can't remember who everyone is when you come to the bar, especially if you are served by a different person each time.

If you pay for the drinks separately with cash, rather than on the bill, what can they do? And what if you are in a group with some people with children and some without, as we sometimes are? If you send the childless friend to buy a round, will they be refused?

Having said that, "family" pubs are mostly grim. Those with "play areas" are almost more depressing than those without.

SantaBabyBeenAnAwfulGoodGirl · 04/01/2008 13:11

i agree tht pubs with children in mind are awful and the tables are always heaving with mess

Minum · 04/01/2008 13:21

theBod - where we used to live there were very limited places to go out for a meal, and Weatherspoons was cheap, and offered food the kids would eat, so it was an obvious choice. We take the kids to eat in pubs very regularly, Sunday lunches and early evening, as well as most lunchtimes on holiday.

But I agree, some pubs are clearly for adults, and we'd never take the kids there, and would get a babysitter, and enjoy them on our own.

theBOD · 04/01/2008 13:32

i have limited experience of rural areas or smaller villages outside of cities so i will gladly accept your point on the matter. i have lived in a city all my life so the idea of there not being somewhere other than "the pub" to bring your children to eat just doesn't wash with me (in my location).

Minum · 04/01/2008 13:43

And of course the other reason you'd take a kid to a pub is that in a big family group, you've got everyones needs and wishes to take into account, so the pub might be the best choice all round, even if not the obvious one for the child.

I love pubs, so take my children into them as a matter of course, assuming they're places where the kids would be happy, and welcome.

LadySnotAlot · 04/01/2008 13:46

Quite agree theBOD, do spare a thought for us country bumpkins who have either a pub or one grotty 'spit and sawdust' cafe at the local stables to choose when considering where to 'eat out' with our kids

mosschops30 · 04/01/2008 13:49

I think this is a good policy. A few months ago I saw a mum and dad wheeling their little one out of a wetherspoons they were both falling all over the place and I was horrified.

I dont know why you would want more than 2 alcoholic drinks if you were with your children, surely if youre too pissed to drive then youre too pissed to be a responsible parent

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