Drinkers in Spoons

[TheDaringOliveNewt]

I'm away and at spoons having breakfast.

Every single table apart from mine has pints going, at 8.30.

Aibu thinking it's weird?

God, I don't work nights. If you rtft you'll see I said many years ago. No one went to the pub then after a night shift and I'd bet a tenner that barring alkies they dont now.
We did often get toast from the canteen but no one stopped at the pub.

Just for interest, it has been possible to get a pint early in the mornings around the big wholesale markets in London until quite recently.

Although things are changing now, I'm pretty sure that the porters at Smithfield can still get alcohol with breakfast at the Fox and Anchor, as the market hasn't closed yet.

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/jun/21/pints-dawn-last-call-london-market-pubs

Don't they? That is unusual, everywhere seems to let them in nowadays.

Why did you go to the spoons? I hope you took some pearls to clutch.

So what are the women doing?

She went for breakfast as she was staying away from home before an oncology appointment.

Just as men can enjoy going to Spoons for a bit of company, a pint, a bit of community, women can enjoy going to Spoons for a bit of "me time", a bit of a chill, and enjoy a breakfast or shock horror, a lunchtime meal and a glass of wine (which I like doing every now and again) 😁

No, they don't, no dogs allowed - a plus in my opinion. As you say, lots of places are "doggy friendly" with their own doggy menus so makes a refreshing change they're not allowed for once.

I used to spend hours drinking bottomless tea and doing crafts in my local Spoons.
I do happen to like the breakfasts too. Cheap and cheerful.

People drinking pints and eating greasy food at 5am at Luton Airport before sitting in a metal tube for 2-3 hours astounds me more

The point was purely that students are cheap (to employ), as are the sausages... it really wasn't a commentary on their work ethic 🙄

The point was purely that students are cheap (to employ)

Are 18-20 yr olds who are students paid less than 18-20 yr olds who are not students?

I'm with you, OP.
I also find it odd that when catching a 6am flight, people are drinking so much in the departure lounge😆
I can face a coffee and a croissant, and that's it.

Whilst technically still morning, they don't serve alcohol in Wetherspoons in Belfast until 11:30, possibly later on Sundays. I work nearby and see groups (usually men) outside complaining about this if I nip out for a coffee (not in Wetherspoons).

It's not odd that others aren't the same as you though as we're all different.
I could only tolerate a mug of tea and a breakfast at that time too, but in an airport before their holidays, why is it so bizarre to think that some people might be "starting early" and having a drink before the flight?! They're on their holidays.
So much judging going on, each to their own.

It's just like being at an airport!
Totally normal a pint and a fry up right 🤣

Why do you find people living life differently to you “odd”?

Also don't forget large airports will have people on different body clocks and times. Not everyone is getting a 8am flight to Malaga. Heathrow is full of people doing onward connections, so for them 6am UK time might be their evening.

Or you know what - fuck it maybe they are getting the 8am to Malaga - they are going on holiday and maybe they want a pint to take the edge off flying. It's not a crime.

I did RTFT... the point is still relevant

Maybe you just are friends with people who only hold your judgemental views. You've been preaching through this thread about how it's unhealthy to drink at 8.30am bs pm..
With no backup aside from you don't do it 😂

Also, given lots of posters on this thread are actually telling you they do night shifts and often go for a drink straight after, I'll happily take your tenner.

I know then you unfortunately have to sit in an enclosed space with them whilst they talk too loudly and are usually very quick to cause trouble should someone look at them the wrong way. Booze should be banned pre flight and during flights imo.

Poster saying they might be on different body clocks I highly doubt 20 lads going to ibiza at 6am from Leeds have done so via Australia.

'You've been preaching through this thread about how it's unhealthy to drink at 8.30am bs pm..With no backup aside from you don't do it '

Well I could say folk have been 'preaching' that 8.30am boozing is fine and dandy but it is actually a chat forum so sharing views is what happens, it isn't 'preaching'.

Please Google alcohol and healthy recommended drinking habits. Starting at 8.30 will not be there. Moderation will be, on an evening usually when all daily activities have been completed and we relax. This is not new news or rocket science. Starting early is of course a slippery slope to all day drinking and that is not good for anyone. Least of all poor friends and relatives who have to deal with the pisshead.

Oh give up. You really are scraping the barrel rather than just saying what is obvious to every other poster- you have no idea whether drinking at 8.30am is more unhealthy than any other time of day, you just made it up because it sounded like it should be true, and now you’ve realised it isn’t.
The stubbornness is quite astounding 😂

That's really nice about the young couple.

I have a favourite local (where the cost of wine is double that of Spoons) and there is a young woman with clearly MH issues who comes in. They just quietly give her a coke and she then wanders off again. It means alot to have that sort of community.

I won't lie, I like Spoons. I've had some meals there that would rival so called gastro pubs. DS1 rates their pizzas really highly and he has food issues so it's an easy win. There are 2 near us and one slightly further field. My understanding is they have to/ choose to keep the facade of a building they buy so one near us is a former church with a gorgeous stained glass windows. One is a former historic Edwardian hotel. It's only anecdata but i was chatting with one of the bar staff once who was a uni student. She liked working there, they had good management and were flexible on shifts. But that is no different from any workplace and down to personalities to hand. You also see large family groups of multi generations eating a decent meal together. It's affordable. My family went out last night to a naice pub and the cheapest wine was £9.75 a glass. A hamburger was £16.00 a pudding was £6.95. One of us has an allergy so the staff had to check the back of the box for various puddings, so brought in en masse just like Spoons would be. So about a third more expensive at Spoons which adds up if you have a group.

@Ginmonkeyagain

Also don't forget large airports will have people on different body clocks and times. Not everyone is getting a 8am flight to Malaga. Heathrow is full of people doing onward connections, so for them 6am UK time might be their evening.

Absolutely spot on, many of those drinking whilst eating in the AM airside at airports like LHR are connecting through from places well east of the UK, for those folks it's still lunch/tea/dinner time on the body clock.

As for elsewhere - having maybe a pint or glass of wine at something odd o'clock with colleagues prior to turning in post a long night shift isn't unknown...

The frankly wierd/almost authoritarian idea that everyone should conform to some fixed simple model of how the world works really got an outing here during Covid ("why should anyone be travelling??"), looks like it's back again...

'Give up'? A very cursory Google states

Key risks associated with morning drinking include:

• Alcohol Dependency Signs: A desire to drink early in the day often indicates that the body has become dependent on alcohol to function or to alleviate a hangover.
• Physical Health Hazards: It can lead to increased tolerance, chronic liver damage, and mental health issues like depression.
• Immediate Effects: Drinking early causes severe dehydration, increased risk of accidents due to impairment, nausea, and vomiting.
• Disrupted Metabolism: Morning drinking, particularly on an empty stomach, can lead to a faster, more intense, and harmful, effect on the body.

So much denial, enabling and minimising going on. Morning drinking is not a good thing it is astounding that it needs pointing out.