Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
12 November 2010
10:3079763#1
On Breakfast this morning they have been talking about children in pubs, I wondered what you intelligent forumites thought about the little dears.
. I strongly believe that the larger pubs that deliberately cater for children should have a children free area for adults.
As an ex-landlady I may be prejudiced having seen some awful behaviour by children. I always remember the 10 year old boy jumping up and down on our ancient garage roof who went in shouting how awful I was when I told him to get down. His parents looked at me as if I was the worst person on earth. I must say it is not the children's fault, it is the complete lack of parental control by some parents. Thank goodness not all parents, are bad one of our villagers used to bring her son in who was an absolute joy he was so well behaved.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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12 November 2010
10:3379764#2
I dont think pubs are gd places for kids and being a paerent myself i enjoy adult areas without kids .
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
12 November 2010
10:5779766#3
I think pubs should be left to make there own mind up.
People can then choose, if they want to go as a family)(and can control there children lol)
they go to those pubs
other pubs can choose to be childless.
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
12 November 2010
11:0479769#4
There is room for family pibs and those that specifically cater for adults.
To me the hijacking of too many pubs has been by large screen tvs (a pub is a place to get away from television) or blaring juke boxes (a pub is a place for good company and conversation, can't do that over loud music), plus, of course a good real ale or few...
12 November 2010
11:5879780#5
Agreed - as a society we need to be more family-friendly, but a place for a quiet pint is a boon as well - plenty of room for both!
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
12 November 2010
12:5779790#6
The shape of the humble pub is changing. As we have heard before, and often discussed on here in the past, they are closing at an alarming rate. Some brave soul tries to open them up again but they soon go dark all over again. A pub nearish to me, not mentioning any names, has had more re-openings with new landlords than Ive had hot dinners. They try, even try food, but soon fall on their sword all over again.
Although lots of people talk up the notion of a good oul pub like BarryW does there, very few actually go out and drink in the things on a rainy tuesday night and thats the problem.
It seems to be the only way forward is to include the full family option, with food. The big chains as we see locally, Im not sure if they are classed as restaurants or in fact modern day pubs, seem to be packing them in...living across the carpark from a major local player I can see the tooing and froing. The customers that go to these places would once have gone to the humble pub, but these giants of modern marketing have sucked all the customers away, and once seduced few go back to the old ways.
Still room though for the small cosy chatty pub especially if there is a bit of life in it. Some of these will survive, and some will even thrive, lets hope so. But I suspect there will be fewer of them and indeed that might even be a good thing, because then the fewer might be able to make a real go of it and make a comfortable living...ensuring survival.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
12 November 2010
13:0279791#7
the future is in major chains like wetherspoons, they cater for breakfast, lunch, dinner and anything else in between as well as alcohol. their purchasing power enables them to sell at prices the average pub cannot compete with. having said that i agree with the above posts that there will always be a place in the market for the individual pub that can produce quality food and cater for families.
12 November 2010
13:0479792#8
But they suck!!!!!!
12 November 2010
13:2479795#9
I much prefer tots behind the bar rather than in front.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
12 November 2010
14:1979801#10
Pubs have been changing fairly rapidly over the last twenty years because so many now drink at home rather than the old 'popping out for a quick one' culture, drink driving laws and little or no public transport have hardly helped the situation.
The ones that struggle a little less are the small family ones and the large food / music pubs, the struggling ones are in the middle, to small to expand business and too large to be cosy. As with the vast majority of businesses the overheads are sooooooooooo high and I hate saying this, there are still too many pubs in some areas.
Back on topic
. I believe there is a place for children in pubs but the parents have to realise their little dears must behave and not run riot.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,709
12 November 2010
16:1379812#11
There needs to be a good choice of establishments from those aimed at the 18-25 yr olds (loud music, telly, pool table etc.) through to ones for those of an older or sensible or more gentle persuasion who want to enjoy a drink in comparative peace and quiet perhaps having a conversation too. In between these are those family friendly establishments that cater for just that.
Homogenising pubs into one catch all category will only lead to conflict of one type or another.
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
12 November 2010
16:3379819#12
pub food is divided into two [2] catergries freashly cooked like the alotment or ready made meals [frozen].i know which onei prefer.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
12 November 2010
16:4479823#13
You are right Brian - but The Allotment is not pub food....
Blakes would be a better example of the quality end of pub food (lunchtimes anyway)
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
12 November 2010
16:4779826#14
barryw,iknow what your are saying but the allotment was the best example of real food at the time of posting.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
12 November 2010
17:2079843#15
I am at The Allotment this Saturday evening - a family 'do'..... looking forward to my king prawns with a sweet chilli dip and beef in a red wine sauce, their decent house red and who knows what for a dessert.....making me feel hungry now!
Guest 695- Registered: 30 Mar 2010
- Posts: 426
13 November 2010
13:3879915#16
#9 I like tottie behind AND in front of the bar
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
14 November 2010
14:3180007#17
Not a regular pub person for many years now, but of course as you`ve seen, I do mention The White Horse a bit, my reason being, it`s the old style pub and atmosphere I knew from many years ago. I was in a Weatherspoons pub in Faversham back in the Summer, and although the place was clean and freindly, it lacked the traditional pub atmosphere, and I didn`t go much on the `whingey` kid in the buggy. I never visit a pub with the widescreen sports TV sign proudly displayed outside some premises. I like a chat, not loud tv`s or kids, though I make an exception to the live bands, which can`t always lower their volume.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
