Are we right to be cross?

[pamelat]

My antenatal group have met weekly for the last 9 months on a midweek (quiet) morning in a local bar (for tea )

This week we were asked to leave because:

"your babies are messy" (we always tidy up afterwards)
"you haven't bought enough drinks" (one hot drink each in an hour, we were feeding the babies)
"you are hogging the high chairs" (there was no one else in there)
"you will stop other people from coming in" (how?????)
"and we are changing the rules anyway and don't want more than 6 babies at a time in"

Bizarre and rude.

I have written a negative review online about them and another girl has contacted the local newspaper, but don't think that they will be interested.

This is a bar that won a family friend award last year [hmmm]

Not upset, more cross.

With the credit crunch, I am surprised that empty bars can turn any custom away at 11am!

When I was 8 months pregnant I got asked to leave a tottaly empty bar/cafe because I only wanted a drink (and no food) and it was their policy to only allow people who were eating in after 12 (it was about ten past). I had already ordered a drink when they asked me to leave and had planned on ordering food but the waitress was complaining to the chef at the bar that the cleaners hadn't cleaned the kitchen properly!

I was pg and emotional and just left but later called and asked to speak to the manager. They gave me a voucher for a free meal with dp (which we didn't take) before closing down about 2 months later.

Oh we never tipped. Are we meant to tip for drinks?!

I think it would have been courteous .. after all you're using it as a gathering place for the minimum possible spend and on a weekly basis

I don't think too many people tip in Fire and Ice

Eww, prejudice toward babies??? They are limiting the number? What are they afraid of...the babies may organize and picket them?
I don't know, maybe they are afraid a bunch of beautiful babies will tarnish their "bar" image.
I would just disappear and find a new meeting place...both with babies and without. I wouldn't go back to any place that asked me not to bring my family in...regardless of reason (unless it was something pertaining to everyone like, "oh we are blasting and the creosote is really dusty and the ceiling may fall on our heads".
Safety if one thing, rudeness another. YANB U

Wankers.

Great thread Pamelat - sadly typical of British retail trade - more keen to control than serve customer. Certainly think you should shout loud about it locally - inform all local papers, local tv/radio and publish in your NCT newsletter.
I have never heard anything so ridiculous.

I would also be tempted to organise an NCT sit-in: arrange for as many mums & babies asposs to descend upon them and have people ready to film/photograph any member of staff foolhardy enough to ask you to leave.

Loved the comment about bf being offputting when none of you are doing it!!!

Pamelat!!!!!!!!!! You didn't ring Lynette, did you???? You should!!!!

Hello puppymonkey, sorry

I just feel a bit guilty about it, but I shouldnt really.

Another local bar has now put a sign up about not wanting "groups of pushchairs" but maybe that has some health and safety grounding? or maybe they now all hate mums and babies, its strange really as WB has a reputation for being the baby boomer suberb

Easy answer. Go in with all the babies in slings

Busy this morning so only had time to read OP.
I do think it is a disgrace. I suggest next time, you go there with a few tatoos and piercing, already smelling strongly of bear and swearing very loudly (you might want to find someone to sit the babies on that day) surely they will make space for you!
On a more serious note, I noticed that the coffee shops ,in places like Coop for exemple, are usually very quiet in the morning and they would probably not mind your custom. Even if still Bf, done it hundreds of times.

puppymonkey I have emailed her, thank you

Also heard on the grapevine (may or may not be reliable!) that another group were asked to move from the window as they werent the right "image" .. surely this couldnt have happened!!

Either way the mums seem to have left F&I en masse, but this is what they wanted anyway