[News] Wetherspoons

[essbee1]

Bearing in mind ' spoons have the highest ratio of CAMRA members v Civilians of any pub chain and most CAMRA members are hipster beardy weirdies they might look like they are in need of a Brazillian but that is a accusation to far.

I'm a CAMRA member myself. And guess what - I would never set foot in one of those god forsaken establishments, but I accept your
point wuntbedruv. You seem like a decent person. Last time I stepped into our Wetherspoons in Orpington. two groups of people
were organising violence towards people.

 

[The Clamp]

They vary greatly, I would never venture back into their Sittingbourne one, but on the other hand given the option I would never venture back to Sittingbourne.

The Peter Cushing in Whitstable is a lovely art deco building and whatever you may think about Tim Martin he does do restorations properly as opposed to the vandalism many supposed 'Breweries' have done. For example Hall and Woodhouse have gutted their West Sussex Estate in order to sell them off as housing developments.

First proper date with Mrs Jakarta was the Cherry Tree in Faygate, yet another Pub Hall and Woodhouse have just closed. I don't think that they are all that interested in brewing beer...

Many breweries these days are little more than property developers. A bit like Tesco land-banking.

There used to be a law that meant if a pub was to be sold it had to be advertised and kept as a pub for a certain amount of time, if it didn’t sell as a pub it could then be sold to developers.
I’m guessing brown envelopes and lobbyists have scrapped that law?

 

[wuntbedruv]

I'm a CAMRA member myself. And guess what - I would never set foot in one of those god forsaken establishments, but I accept your
point wuntbedruv. You seem like a decent person. Last time I stepped into our Wetherspoons in Orpington. two groups of people
were organising violence towards people.

I am an infrequent visitor to 'spoons, I tend to seek them out on family outings or holidays, the last two were Bournemouth after an Airshow and West Street after a visit to a Greek Restaurant but I have never seen any unpleasantness in any I have visited. I know if I can't find anything more interesting they will serve a decent pint of Punk.

I have always felt welcome by staff and customers, unlike a certain local brewery tap that seems only to welcome lycra louts , PUFFIN's and MAMIL's.


Worse pubs than your average 'spoons and I certainly have seen more real violence in those that serve beer at £6.50 a pint

 

[beorhthelm]

I'm a CAMRA member myself. And guess what - I would never set foot in one of those god forsaken establishments, but I accept your
point wuntbedruv. You seem like a decent person. Last time I stepped into our Wetherspoons in Orpington. two groups of people
were organising violence towards people.

i cant fathom this theme that because one has seen a ruck or poor service in one Wetherspoons, the whole chain is violent and shit service (while also being busy, too quiet, old man drinkers etc). have you never seen a fight in another chain, or independent pub? one reason used to go to many 'spoons in London was precisely because they had no attitude, no ones territory. this proved wrong in a couple of times (cheap attracts binge drinking pissheads) but generally better bet than the Kings Head on a backstreet of Lewisham.

 

[essbee1]

i cant fathom this theme that because one has seen a ruck or poor service in one Wetherspoons, the whole chain is violent and shit service (while also being busy, too quiet, old man drinkers etc). have you never seen a fight in another chain, or independent pub? one reason used to go to many 'spoons in London was precisely because they had no attitude, no ones territory. this proved wrong in a couple of times (cheap attracts binge drinking pissheads) but generally better bet than the Kings Head on a backstreet of Lewisham.

Well. let me put this way. In London, I feel less safe in a Wetherspoons than I do any other boozer. I've lived in London for 35 years and there
is an under-current in Wetherspoons that I just don't like.

 

[clapham_gull]

Well. let me put this way. In London, I feel less safe in a Wetherspoons than I do any other boozer. I've lived in London for 35 years and there
is an under-current in Wetherspoons that I just don't like.

100% agreed as a London resident of 25 years.

They've lived off alcoholics struggling to get by on benefits for years. Everyone knows it. Anyone trying to suggest otherwise hasn't a scooby.

I walked past it for years (3 mins from my front door) until they finally decided to shut it down.

Simply a place for men over 50 to get lashed by lunchtime.



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[Paulie Gualtieri]

100% agreed as a London resident of 25 years.

They've lived off alcoholics struggling to get by on benefits for years. Everyone knows it. Anyone trying to suggest otherwise hasn't a scooby.

I walked past it for years (3 mins from my front door) until they finally decided to shut it down.

Simply a place for men over 50 to get lashed by lunchtime.



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Your last sentence could equally be used to describe Westminster

 

[essbee1]

Your last sentence could equally be used to describe Westminster

So late in the day Paulie?

 

[Mr Putdown]

100% agreed as a London resident of 25 years.

They've lived off alcoholics struggling to get by on benefits for years. Everyone knows it. Anyone trying to suggest otherwise hasn't a scooby.

I walked past it for years (3 mins from my front door) until they finally decided to shut it down.

Simply a place for men over 50 to get lashed by lunchtime.

That may be true of their London pubs, but that’s certainly not true for plenty of their venues outside the metropolis.

The Man in the Wall in Wimborne is an excellent example. It bears absolutely no relation to the image you paint.

 

[essbee1]

That may be true of their London pubs, but that’s certainly not true for plenty of their venues outside the metropolis.

The Man in the Wall in Wimborne is an excellent example. It bears absolutely no relation to the image you paint.

I'm not going to speak for Clapham Gull, but you may have a point, so no argument there, having never been there.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Who hasn’t been in a Spoons on an away day?

 

[GT49er]

Your last sentence could equally be used to describe Westminster

I can think of several pubs in Gloucester which fit the description in your last sentence. None of them are Wetherspoons.

One of our two Wetherspoons gets pretty lively on Friday and Saturday nights, but that's because they have a disco (or at least they did before lockdown - I haven't been out and about in town since then, so things might have changed) but that was them catering to a particular group (not including me!) which they did very well.
The rest of the time? A friendly haven with cheap beer, decent coffee if you prefer, and food served in a civilised environment - and a very welcome absence of snobs.

 

[Mr Putdown]

A friendly haven with cheap beer, decent coffee if you prefer, and food served in a civilised environment - and a very welcome absence of snobs.

It’s only fair to admit, but you’d definitely find a sprinkling of them in the aforementioned Man in the Wall.

 

[BiffyBoy100]

Not a fan of Tim Martin, but you have to admit it's an amazing business model....

Massive-scale so they can buy everything as it's coming to the end of its sell date and still get it out at a big discount.
Repurpose of stunning period buildings that would likely otherwise turn into flats or be demolished.

I remember taking a huge pay cut and moving above a kebab shop with 12 Africans in London. There was a Wetherspoons directly across the road, and it worked out cheaper than buying a microwave meal (I guess it probably was) but I got a bit of space and time to read the paper with a beer and dinner and never paid above a fiver.

This was 10 years ago but it was something like:

Mon: Burger & Beer
Tue: Steak with & beer
Wed: can't remember
Thu: Curry & beer
Fri: Fish & beer
Sat: No idea
Sun: Sunday roast & a beer

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I can think of several pubs in Gloucester which fit the description in your last sentence. None of them are Wetherspoons.

One of our two Wetherspoons gets pretty lively on Friday and Saturday nights, but that's because they have a disco (or at least they did before lockdown - I haven't been out and about in town since then, so things might have changed) but that was them catering to a particular group (not including me!) which they did very well.
The rest of the time? A friendly haven with cheap beer, decent coffee if you prefer, and food served in a civilised environment - and a very welcome absence of snobs.

A disco?

Aaaaaah-ga-do do do push pineapples …..ooooooh Macarena! And we have a special request for June who is 70 today!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I can think of several pubs in Gloucester which fit the description in your last sentence. None of them are Wetherspoons.

One of our two Wetherspoons gets pretty lively on Friday and Saturday nights, but that's because they have a disco (or at least they did before lockdown - I haven't been out and about in town since then, so things might have changed) but that was them catering to a particular group (not including me!) which they did very well.
The rest of the time? A friendly haven with cheap beer, decent coffee if you prefer, and food served in a civilised environment - and a very welcome absence of snobs.

I’m surprised they don’t blow a fuse running 10 microwaves AND a load of disco lights.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Bearing in mind ' spoons have the highest ratio of CAMRA members v Civilians of any pub chain and most CAMRA members are hipster beardy weirdies they might look like they are in need of a Brazillian but that is a accusation to far.

The other day someone was suggesting their southern Spanish fiends preferred the ‘spoons microwaved frozen fish to the freshly landed seafood from their hometown….now they’re hipster pubs. What exactly do they put in the beer at these places?

 

[Weststander]

A disco?

Aaaaaah-ga-do do do push pineapples …..ooooooh Macarena! And we have a special request for June who is 70 today!

It gets lively. Apparently.

 

[BLOCK F]

Since the 1990 Food Safety act it has been illegal to wrap fish and chips in newspapers.
So, you won’t even be able to eat your fish and chips from the Mail or the Sun either.

It was a light hearted quip, rather like you mentioning the Mail and the Sun, neither of which are newspapers I choose to read. The Times and the Sunday Times are the only papers I buy, but I do read the occasional online comment article from the Guardian as they don’t have a paywall and I think I ought to mug up on what the latest thing is that the great and good are troubling themselves about.
And yes, I am aware that fish and chips haven’t been sold in newspaper for quite some time.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

It gets lively. Apparently.

Is that Cardiacs as in the band? Or a reference to the state of the clientele’s organs?