pub chain limits drinks for parents..

[Teuch]

Wetherspoons

Now, I don't live within a 200 mile radius of a Wetherspoons but it somehow reeks of Big Brother or at least intolerance of families...

I spent 6 months in Europe this year, and it was so refreshing that children were welcomed, spoken to by staff, played with other children. I had no anxiety that I wasn't wanted or that I was an inconvenience. Other diners were laid back and all the children behaved well.

If we accept Wetherspoon's intolerance of children, we accept their attitude towards children as being normal. Fair enough if there are children racing around, causing mayhem, but from my experience very few do. But they are not only intolerant of families. I once had the misfortune of being in one on my friend's birthday. We bought them a cake or ice cream or something, and sang Happy Birthday. We were then told off by staff because singing and music is not allowed on the premises.
Miseryguts!

They're probably gutted that the ban on smoking means families are more likely to visit pubs and are now trying to think of more excuses to ban them...

I'm surprised how pubs are viewed here as dens of iniquity. Sunday lunchtimes - does nobody visit one for a meal?? Fair enough not visiting Wetherspoons for a microwaved offering, but decent, large ones are actually quite pleasant.

It is worth adding here that they seem intent to limit soft drinks also (as per lunchtime news) so it is not a matter of mutual responsibility for children...just a plain matter of families not taking up too much time and turnover .

I don't like these places but I don't think they can have their cake and eat it.

Either accommodate children or don't have them at all. Why should some paying customers receive a lesser service?

I spend quite a lot of summer time with my fellow Morris dancers and assorted DC outside pubs, in beer gardens etc, and the DC love watching the dancing and listening to the music, and don't get in the way (we don;t let them run riot anyway). So there isn't anything wrong with spending family time in a place that sells alchol. FFS you can get pissed as a fart in your own home when your DC are there if you want to.

But we don't go and dance at Wetherspoons pubs. Because the beer's rubbish, the staff always rude or miserable - oh, and they wonl;t have us, because music and dancing would make their roof blow off or something.

Only in Britain within Europe are pubs regarded as places to get drunk and fall over. I think part of the problem is that so few kids have seen the inside of a pub and it has some kind of illicit lure instead of being a place where people can socialise and enjoy themselves even if (god forbid) they have children.

We've all seen the chav-with-the-fag-ignoring-the-small-child and it's no excuse for excluding families generally.

JamesAndTheGiantBanana - but they are apparently forfeiting the right to have more than two drinks of any kind -- the policy applies to soft drinks as well, and with a meal or not.

Heavens what would the greeks say - they think we are wierd enough already

Ahh FFS, it's fecking riduculous, whatever next, report to the bar that you have dcs at home with babysitter, so that they can monitor to make sure you're not a danger to them when you get home. What the fuck!!

Although you have to think, who needs BB when we're all so interested in how every other fecker lives their lives, we'll soon be self policing!!

Mind you if you drink in Wetherspoons, you deserve what you get really.

It's so mad. The smoking ban is driving out the old blokes so why not attract families? They are so stupid. And the website makes a huge deal about the family meals and what a great place it is for a family meal out!! Er, no it isn't.

yes seems like weathrspoons wants to have there cake and at it

but weatherspoons pubs are full of tramps that just sit there allday long.and tightwads eatting deep fried/microwaved food
thats probably a better reason to stay out of there with your dc anyway

wouldnt be suprised if they are in financial dire straights what withthe smoking ban aswell
ailenating families doesnt seem like a very smart move

nasty place

I don't believe I've ever been in a Wetherspoon's in my life, but it wouldn't surprise me if the clientele they are after are the young ones who tip drink after drink down their necks. That's where the profit is, not in old men and families.

Btw, my dd works in a pub (for her sins, hehehe!) and gets an awful lot of lip from parents who refuse to abide by the rules eg that children have to be eating to even be allowed in the pub, that they have to leave by 8pm etc. Pubs are regularly visited by undercover inspectors so 'rules is rules' and have to be obeyed.

Havent read this thread so excuse me if I'm repeating, but heard about this and was discussing it with a mate earlier. I have to drive to a Weatherspoons and occasionally go for curry night (DD loves eating out). So doesnt affect me with the drinking limit.

This chain was the first to introduce the smoking ban, then complained that takings were down, now they are having a go at drinking parents, which IMO is the tip of the iceberg.

All the people that supported the smoking ban just didnt have the foresight to realise that the next target would be people that enjoyed a drink and its happening very rapidly. I've been to concerts and told you can only drink behind this barrier. Its just as I thought take away one freedom and start on the next. Sorry for the rant.

Just another reason (as if one were needed) to avoid any Wetherspoon's establishment with or without my dd. They clearly want to pack the place out with bingers and resent the space that the children take up while their parents do NOT get drunk.

For those couple of posters who think this is a good idea and cite the families they have seen getting pissed with young kids in tow, do you REALLY think that this ban is going to turn those people into model parents all of a sudden? No, of course it isn't. This is not about protecting children in any way, shape or form and it will do nothing to improve the lives of those children you saw.

I'd love to see kids being much more welcome in pubs because how much nicer would ALL licensed venues be if they were suitable for children to be in? I firmly believe that the best way to raise my dd to be a responsible drinker in adulthood is to let her see what responsible drinking (by me, my dh and others) looks like. She regularly sees me drink but she has never and, I intend, will never see me drunk.

I sincerely hope that Wetherspoons lose out over this. They deserve to.

I think its great. What fun would it be for a child sitting in a Wetherspoons while their parents had three drinks? I wouldn't think I was being fair on my 4 year old if I did this drinking coffee in our local Starbucks which is attached to a children's book department so why would it be a good idea in a Wetherspoon's?

Alienating the family market? What is there in a Wetherspoons in the first place for families? Would any of you honestly want to spend time with your children in a Wetherspoons?

Dont regularly visit Wetherspoons and never with kids but wouldnt even bother taking kids in there now with that poxy rule!The ones i have been ahve been nice though, just boring reagular pubs with cheaaper booze than many other places. That is except for one i went to Xmas with friend and sis. Full of loony's. Well out of place all dolled up.

We do, however, go to other pubs for a meal and take children(along with other family members) and i nearly always have more than 2 drinks. We dont go out for a party, but whats wrong with taking children to a d ecent pub and having a few drinks and a meal. We also do lots and lots afamily stuff, not involving the pub!

We have a decent wacky Warehouse close by too which we go to and have on occasion ate the restaurant too. Had to LOL at the poster who said went to one once. was it really that bad?!

But Carmenelectra, there is going to a decent pub and then there is going to a Wetherspoons. Not the same thing. (Unless somehow I have missed something and the one in Kingston is much worse than all the others).

kids in pubs are really shit

if you want to be all "european" with yer bottles of wine and a meal with kids then wetherspoons etc aint the place to do it.

wanky restaurants are the place for that.

Portandlemonade,

I must be reading a different article:

"If parents and their children are visiting our pubs and purchasing non-alcoholic drinks, then there is no limit to the number of drinks that can be purchased or the length of stay."

Personally I think its a great idea. If you want to go out for a drink then do so, but too many children spend far too much time at pubs with parents getting drunk with friends, or sitting around outside, or on their own becuase they are not allowed.

Of course adults should be allowed to do what they want, and so what if children grow up watching the adults they know and hopefully respect downing pints. It's hardly likely we will see underage drinking on the streets or anything like that is it?

Sorry posted before realising there were more pages and saw mention of them trying to limit soft drinks as well.