To think serving alcohol at a school fayre seems off

[Mummy0b]

Just that really, it seems off to me.
Not against drinking in any way, i actually work in a bar (possibly why it seems more of a concern to me) but theres a time and a place for drinking and a school fayre doesnt seem like one of them. Ive witnessed so many happy, family occasions descend into utter chaos because of excess alcohol consumption and it seems like a school fayre would do fine without a bar.
Additionally, i know many people who struggle with alcohol addiction and i dont think they would expect to be confronted with that temptation at a school event
So AIBU to think people could go without a drink at a school fayre?

*van

This is a very good point.

Our school does booze at the bbq after sports day. I don't drink as I'm driving but other parents have 1 or 2. Never seen anybody drunk or inappropriate though. They do wait until after the end of the school day so if you don't want your child to see people drinking then you can leave before the bar opens.

The Pimm’s tent at my kids school fair is very popular. No one drinks to excess but it’s a nice summery drink. They also sell mulled wine at the Christmas fair and shock horror have a bar at the school disco. 😱

Our school fair always had a bar. In fact,
one year the PTA screwed up and used all their special licences for the year too quickly, so didn’t have one left for the summer fair - so they ran beer and wine tombolas at £2 a ticket, with no losing tickets 😁

I can’t stand all this overwrought ‘But why do people neeeeeeeed a drink during the day? Surely they can manage?’ Can’t we, as adults, ever just have something we like because we want it and not because we couldn’t possibly manage without it? We’d all be on dry bread and water if we only ever ate and drank what we absolutely need.

Perhaps they are selling it at ye olde mead shoppe...

One of the few joys at the incessant school events at this time of year!

This is one of the reasons I don't like it, agreed. I'll go even further and say I don't like seeing adults with kids at picnics in the park drinking alcohol. I probably have my own reasons for being super sensitive to it, but this is AIBU and I feel cool about expressing my opinion. I'm not generally a killjoy.

This comment is so interesting. I just happened to be watching this TEDx talk which mentioned how difficult society makes it for people who have problematic relationships with alcohol to give up. It mentions how we blame the addicts instead of blaming the fact that a highly addictive toxic substance is so freely available and that many, many people are addicted to it.

The talk is only 12 minutes long, but really worth a watch.

😂

Come to my part of Scotland. Just outside Glasgow. Our local council has the most prohibitionist/presbyterian attitude to alcohol at school events. The rules are:

1. Alcohol cannot be served on school premises (including the playground) at any time Sunday-Thursday.
2. Licensed events are permitted on a Friday evening or any time on a Saturday BUT these events have to be strictly adults only (and no Mrs Smith, that doesn't mean you can bring your baby/toddler).

So a Friday night adults quiz or parents' disco - can be licensed although someone from the PTA or school has to go through rigmarole of applying for a temporary licence. Events such as summer fayres or fetes or Christmas shopping evenings or shows which are family events cannot have alcohol sold/consumed at them. Ever.

Not off at all. When my DC were younger I'd have a glass of Pimms or whatever at the summer fair (nb). No one was drunk!

Stop judging people by your own(?) standards.

We are becoming a far less tolerant society and it worries me.

I just can't see not having alcohol at a school sports day as "suffering" .

Hahahaha

The bar at our fair is the biggest money maker. Our local pubs donate the booze so its all profit.

I think the suffering part might be the school event tbh, but alcohol makes it seem more of a treat.

I think it's fine. I'm not a big drinker, but they're social events and they make money for the school. Can't get too annoyed about it.

I agree with you OP though I expect were there to be a universal ban on alcohol at such events, schools would raise a lot less money. I'd favour it given the number of people who drive to and from school.

My DC's primary school summer and winter fairs always have a bar. In 7 years of having children at the school (fewer fairs due to covid) I've never seen anyone drunk or even tipsy. Most parents get one glass of wine or beer, if they get anything at all.

It's a nice fundraiser for the PTA and I don't think it's necessarily bad for children to see adults having one drink.

I teach at a secondary school and we don't have alcohol at any events. Apparently there was previously, but there were issues with 18 year old students trying to buy drinks for younger friends.

I think it's fine. I cant imagine that many parents who enjoy getting drunk will see the school fair as an opportunity to get smashed (although if alcohol has been served in the past and did cause issues then I think it's fine to make the decision to not serve alcohol going forward).

I like a good drink, and when we had a school picnic recently I thought it would have been nice to have a pimms or something but that's all I would have had.

I appreciate it's difficult for some people. But sugar is difficult for some people and they still do sweet / cake stalls etc. So it seems a bit harsh to stop something that the vast majority of people find pleasant, that could generate a fair amount of money for the school, because some childrens parents unfortunately have issues with alcohol (which will be there irrespective of if there is alcohol served at the fair)

YABVU. I've never seen any school fair descend into chaos for this reason. Yes, I know it could, but then it could equally descend into chaos if parents decide to have a punch-up over the egg and spoon race.

Also YABVU for spelling "fair" like that.

I'm just here to enjoy all the hate for "fayre". I thought it was just me. Always think of Susie the Continuity Announcer in the Victoria Wod sketches talking about a local school fayre and saying, "I suppose they think if they spell it with a y more people will come".

Pimms tent was a nice little earner, and very popular.

Necessary? No.

But neither is any other individual component part of a summer fete

Surely most people can manage an afternoon out with their kids without a drink, no?

Tedious and sanctimonious. Of course we CAN. But why the fuck not have a pimms instead?

At DS primary school each parent was issued a voucher for one alcoholic drink inc in the price of admission. Those bingo nights were great and how I miss them.

Everything in British society revolves around alcohol - sporting occasions, work socialising, 'going out', school fairs... It's as if people can't go without a drink for more than a couple of hours or be more than 20 yards from one. It's really sad. I say that as someone who enjoys a drink. But it's just really depressing that, unlike many other countries, we seem to be a nation of alcoholics.