BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK

Subject: BS: COME ON YOU MISERABLE LOT IN UK
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 17 Apr 08 - 05:29 PM

ok you miserable lot....
your local pub needs you!

We have just come back from playing darts and drinking Hobsons Ale, at our local pub listening to such recorded music as Showaddy Waddy, Suzi Quatro, Roy Wood etc etc.


Get out there and support your local NOW cos it will close thru lack of customers. It's happening everywhere.


Start sessions, sing, play music, anything just to show everyone that you care. Wolfy and I live in the back of beyond and there will be no pubs out here if we don't support them.


Sally

Bugger the music licence.

Subject: RE: BS: COME ON YOU MISERABLE LOT IN UK
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 17 Apr 08 - 05:34 PM

We have one local pub, that I can walk to, and it's full of foul mouthed 'children' The beer is rubbish, and it's too dear. There are other places not too far away which are acceptable, but they involve driving. We have no public transport after 7 PM, and the police are red hot, so it's not worth the risk.
Yes I'd love to go out to the pub more often, tell me how?


G

Subject: RE: BS: COME ON YOU MISERABLE LOT IN UK
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 17 Apr 08 - 05:46 PM

Do you think the Government are trying to squeeze these places out of business? Considering tax is raised year after year on alcohol, cutting off noses, spiting faces, springs to mind.

Are people staying at home drinking ale from the supermarkets? Playing on the internet? Communicating through fingers, and not faces? We will become a race of people not being able to understand the spoken word or facial expression.

Sal

Subject: RE: BS: COME ON YOU MISERABLE LOT IN UK
From: gnu
Date: 17 Apr 08 - 05:56 PM

Yes. And, it is sad.

Subject: RE: BS: COME ON YOU MISERABLE LOT IN UK
From: Folkiedave
Date: 17 Apr 08 - 06:02 PM

Support your local?

I've been supporting seven or eight for years.

When my kids became old enough to go into pubs they could not understand why whereever they went, the landlord always shook my hand.

And I was a personal friend of the supermarket off-licence manager. I spent that much there he got promoted on the strength of it.

Don't blame me.

Subject: RE: BS: COME ON YOU MISERABLE LOT IN UK
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 17 Apr 08 - 06:06 PM

Ok I'll let you off, Folkiedave.

Where do you live?
Sal

Subject: RE: BS: COME ON YOU MISERABLE LOT IN UK
From: Mr Red
Date: 17 Apr 08 - 06:18 PM

The problem with the local it is full of

PEOPLE SHOUTING and if they heard live music they would sidle over and ask for a particular song but what they would actually say was "can you play anything decent" and what they meant was Spice Gulls, Saints All I've, West Loaf, or they would try and sing one verse of a pop song and get about half of that - eventually.

In fact I was in the Prince Albert Rodborough (Stroud) on Monday Night - Rod Stradling's regular session and Bayou Seco were in town. But how the pub makes its money I don't know.

Apart from that - let no one say I ain't doin my bit on the publicity front. But few people give me the info - I have to be pro-active.

Subject: RE: BS: COME ON YOU MISERABLE LOT IN UK
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 17 Apr 08 - 06:32 PM

Pubs in London mostly just loud music through PA systems, and football. It's difficult even to chat to your friends. They wouldn't want live acoustic singing or music, either.

Kitty

Subject: RE: BS: COME ON YOU MISERABLE LOT IN UK
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 17 Apr 08 - 06:35 PM

Us miserable lot in the UK are miserable because the price of a pint has escalated over the past few years. The locals don't want live music..they want a blaring juke box and noisy gambling machines.
Less miserable is to stay at home and listen to some great Folk music on Youtube or Myspace, whilst consuming copious amounts of much cheaper liquids, purchased at the local.....supermarket!

Subject: RE: BS: COME ON YOU MISERABLE LOT IN UK
From: GUEST, Richard Bridge
Date: 17 Apr 08 - 06:48 PM

Agreed. I'm about ready to give it all up, whatever it is.

Subject: RE: BS: COME ON YOU MISERABLE LOT IN UK
From: Rasener
Date: 17 Apr 08 - 06:53 PM

Being a family man, I wouldn't dream of taking my children into sopme of the pubs in our town.
Bernie Taupin wrote the song and Elton John recorded it about one of the pubs in our town. Saturday nights alright for fighting (I think I can still say that it hasn't changed)
Good old Market Rasen :-)
I'll stick to the folk clubs and village halls, much safer.

Subject: RE: BS: COME ON YOU MISERABLE LOT IN UK
From: Leadfingers
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 12:19 AM

I have a pub that is a three minute walk from my house - I have been in there twice in the last three years - Three 20something girls at the bar , attractive , well dressed , and every other word an obscenity - NOT the sort of thing that would make me go back !
The pubs I visit are Music pubs , either sessions or a club , or even GOOD booked performers . The others in my part of West London
lean far to much toward the loud mouthed lager swilling Yob mentality
to have ANY hope of even a sensible conversation !

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 01:24 AM

With pubs closing at a rate of knots (forget the actual figure but it's something like two a week?), especially in areas like mine where at least half the inhabitants are forbidden alcohol on religious grounds and property prices show no sign of dropping anytime soon, despite what the papers say, then it's actually very hard to find an acceptable pub within walking distance. We are better served with public transport, having buses that run 24hrs, but who wants to share a bus home with a load of screaming, puking, postulating teenagers - and that's just coming home from school!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: GUEST, Richard Bridge
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 03:11 AM

Postulating?

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 03:57 AM

Pustule-laden?

G

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 04:13 AM

Mr Red, the answer is simple! we must all take machine guns out with us. Its amazing how a discreetly handled Uzi can ensure a decent level of behaviour.

A good line is, this off the Spice Gulls first album (work on the assumption that no one is stupid enough to buy Pete Waterman's albums, except kids who ask for them for Christmas, but even they aren't stupid enough to listen to them....)....then do a folksong. The machine gun should guarantee a round of applause.

Befriend someone like me, who shouldn't really be drinking...... and get them to drive you. Even if you don't like them very much.

Mind you if the pub is such a shit hole - why bother saving it?

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: GUEST,Shimrod
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 04:40 AM

In the 1990s I was a member of a thriving singaround session in a Northern English city. the first pub we used closed. A couple of others appeared to be empty but still didn't seem to want us. Another pub installed a giant telly screen for Sky Sports and threw us out (I subsequently heard that the telly screen didn't attract many more customers). Yet another pub welcomed us for several years and was then 'refurbished' so we lost our room; the refurbishment appeared to do little for trade. Yet another pub promised us a room on a specific night but kept double-booking it. Others were dominated by loud, piped music ...

My point? Pubs are not what they used to be and neither are publicans. I suspect that behind dismal stories like this are a load of marketing men who are fixated on attracting 'yoof' at any cost.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: GUEST,PMB
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 05:00 AM

The new labour control freaks who don't want people drinking, no that's bad for you, just send the tax money in. Pub chains that skin the tenants. A social ethic that encourages irresponsible individualism, talk loud, get pissed, carry a knife, fight. Marketing people who want their trade outlets to reflect the latest profitable trend. Work hours that leave people knackered when they come home, just flob in front of the telly with ready-made TV chef sponsored crap and cheap supermarket plonk. Collapse of local businesses because everyone shops once a week in Tesco and once a month at Megahell, hence local identity and social contact lost. Kids left to minders when they are small, unattended when older because both partners (if they are still together) are working all hours to pay the mortgage. Even if you want to go to the pub, there's no public transport after early eveing in most areas, so you have to drive if it's any distance.

It's only us miserable buggers that are sane, and I'm none too sure about you.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 05:14 AM

My local is within a mile walk from home. It has a juke box, a pool table, and a 42" plasma sceen TV, with all the football you could wish for.

I am not a soccer fan. The local "joke" about the place is that if you are over 18 you won't be served.

The beer (Everard's) isn't fit to mop the floor with, but that don't matter - the clientele drinks lager.

Speaking of the clientele, it is amusing to watch proceedings of a Saturday evening. The clientele is drunk at 10 pm ; fighting at 11 pm ; throwing up at midnight (there is a chip shop next door) ; and carried
home on a door at 1 pm. And that's just the young women, who have a penchant for baring their Eartha Kitts at regular intervals. Not good for a man my age with high blood pressure.

I am told that A & E is "qeueuing out the door" early Sunday morning.

The nearest folk place is Ye Great Knight at Northampton, a 46 mile round trip from where we live.

Support my local ? Yeah, sure ; three times. I think Georgiansilver, above, has the rights of it ; or, a few friends, a couple of guitars, and a crate.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: GUEST,Alan Surtees
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 05:24 AM

How about selling your house, buying a pub (one of those about to close down could possibly be cheap)throw our the plasma screen and the pool table (to discourage the youths), and put live music on every night. Sell the beer cheap (the mark up is usually 100%)you could then live in thr re-named "Heavens Gate", drink the profits and find yourself in good company every night. Just an idea.

Love & Best Wishes

Alan

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: theleveller
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 05:27 AM

"The beer (Everard's) isn't fit to mop the floor"

Sad to hear that. I used to like the odd spot of Tiger when I lived in Rutland and worked in Leicester. Not as good as Ruddles County, though -and there was a minor outcry when Everards took over Ruddles' pubs.

Now I don't have a local within walking distance. However, the two folk clubs I go to are in pubs - one owned by a sensational guitarist who is too shy to play anywhere outside his own premises, so started his own folk club. Brilliant range of real ales, brilliant location down by the river, brilliant music (when we've had a few). I only wish it was in my village.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 05:36 AM

Ah, the welcome cry of the Mudcateer! No mere Mudcatter they - which is to say that well-contented sedentary soul happy at home by their PC with their bottle & friend & a teetering pile of thousands or more folkish CDs - the Mudcateer is out there, a strident voice crying out in the cultural wilderness that is the modern public house. More power to them.

At The Steamer in Fleetwood last night we had an amplified jazz band to contend with, even so we had some choice trombone solos coming through midst our salty balladry...

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: GUEST, Richard Bridge
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 05:37 AM

Bloody Hell if they're really Eartha Kitt's then you could use them with the Everards and mop the floor standing up.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 07:23 AM

Reference another thread, I can live without a Rolex but not a pub, and incidently the worlds best beer is Timothy Taylors from Keighley.

eric

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: Acorn4
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 07:35 AM

It's a long time since I've drunk Everard's though I live in Leicester -It seems it still passes through the body in an unchanged state.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: gnomad
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 07:43 AM

I seem to have an unusual problem: if I were to patronise every decent pub within a 15 minute walk sufficiently to make any difference to its trade I would be a bankrupt alcoholic. Excluding clubs & licenced restaurants I count 29 pubs in that distance, and you'll find at least occasional folk music (live) in over a dozen of them. By public transport I could access a few more, but that would be excessive, wouldn't it.

Of course there are a dozen of the 29 into which I would seldom stick a toe for the reasons others have described (in fact there are 5 I have visited once, but never expect to revisit) but there are still plenty of good pubs here, and several OK ones. Luckily there are several 'catters in the town to help keep the trade going, but we can use your assistance if offered, and we even have two decent folk festivals per year.

Come on guys, Whitby needs you.

Mind you, they keep trying to close our hospital, we are apparently the 3rd most isolated town in England, we have very high seasonal unemployment and shocking property prices, so it isn't all beer and skittles.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 08:02 AM

I don't have a problem with noisy, teenagers, etc. pubs near me. They are pretty well either restaurants that still happen to serve beer or so quiet that in some cases I fear for there survival.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: theleveller
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 08:30 AM

"the worlds best beer is Timothy Taylors from Keighley"

May I qualify that and say: Timmy Taylor's 'Landlord'. Cheers!

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: GUEST, Richard Bridge
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 08:36 AM

I think a case could be made for Nelson's Blood, Nelson's Blood Extra, and indeed for Hen's Tooth. All are delicious but alas lethally strong so the chance to drink many is reduced.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 08:39 AM

Each to there own taste of course but I've always felt a bit disappointed by Landlord. I find it a perfectly acceptable drink but for me, it has never matched up to the enthusiastic comments I read about it.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 08:42 AM

The question I have is why should I bother supporting pubs that for many years have done nothing whatsoever for the local community? The big brewers and pub chain owners are interested in nothing but profit. The landlords are, in the main, managers who are paid according to the profitabilty of the pub. The bar staff are told to serve anyone regardless of whether they are in a fit state to continue drinking or not. And now that they are struggling, they are suddenly some sort of cross between a community centre and a jolly olde English tavern?

As it happens I do frequent pubs on a very regular basis. But I am very careful where I place my custom.

Miserable enough for you? :-)

Cheers

Dave

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: vectis
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 08:45 AM

Harvey's Old is the best but a good pint of TT's Landlord is almost as good.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 08:51 AM

I think a case could be made for Nelson's Blood

this?

I've not tried that but I have enjoyed a very occasional Nelson's Blood spiced rum.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 10:48 AM

I should perhaps have put this on the 'Songs I have written recently' thread but it seems apt to go on here!
Best wishes, Mike.


Now some folks like lager, some beer and some wine,
And some folks think tea and stuff will suit them just fine.
But give me malt whisky whilst I am still able,
To drink it until I am under the table.

Now some folks like salads and some casseroles,
And some folks think hotpots are good for their souls.
But give me pork pies folks and make them all big,
And I don't really care if I'm as fat as a pig.

Now some folks like swimming and some likes the gym,
And some folks think walking will keep them quite trim.
But give me a couch where I can sit 'n' watch tele,
And I really don't care if I'm big, fat and smelly.

Now some folks like theatre and some like the pub,
And some think it wonderful to go to a club.
But give me my couch, my malt whisky, my pork pie,
And I'll watch my tele till the day that I die.


Mike Hill.
December 2006

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: theleveller
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 11:32 AM

I love Sam Smith's beer but I don't often frequent their pubs because of the attitude of the miserable bugger who owns the brewery, Humphrey Smith. It was he who, personally, withdrew the music licences from all his pubs so that 'famous' folk venues like Nellie's in Beverley and The Jolly Sailor in Whitby had to stop all music. I gather from an ex-tenant that he has a habit of visiting his pubs and sacking managers/tenants on the spot. He owns one of the largest independent estates in the country as well as a big stretch of river frontage near Canary Wharf so he doesn't give a stuff about whether his pubs make money or not – so nor do I.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: r.padgett
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 11:52 AM

The "Plough" in Whitby must be on Humphrey's unwanted list of pubs

Sell it and lets have it back for just the purpose of a live folk events

Must have made in one week enough profit to cover the year!

Who is miserable?

Ray

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: theleveller
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 12:15 PM

Ray, if you're starting a collection I'll give a tenner.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: GUEST, Richard Bridge
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 12:42 PM

No, this Nelson's Blood http://www.nelsonbrewingcompany.co.uk/nelson_brewery_site_003.htm


Confusing, isn't it? But drink too many examples and it gets even more confusing.

Nelson's Blood Extra is another occasional beer. The last time I saw it out it was marked as an ABV of 7.3

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 12:57 PM

Thanks. I'll try a 1/2 if I ever see it around.

I think perhaps the only strong one I've tried in more recent times is Adnam's Tally Ho.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 18 Apr 08 - 06:46 PM

There may be some at Sweeps, the weekend after Mayday. I live about 10 miles out. PM me, Jon, if you need a mattress.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 03:13 AM

To quote Hilaire Belloc [ I think ] ' when you have lost your Inns, drown your empty selves, for you will have lost the best of England '

I fully agree.

eric

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: Stu
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 05:52 AM

"Each to there own taste of course but I've always felt a bit disappointed by Landlord. I find it a perfectly acceptable drink but for me, it has never matched up to the enthusiastic comments I read about it."

It needs to be treated with some tenderness by a caring cellarman. My wife had a pint in my local last night which was arguably one of the finest pints of beer I have ever tasted. Unfortunately it was up against a rather fine porter and I couldn't resist.

As for the closing of pubs, we recently lost a fine and (according to the then Landlord) profitable session pub because the brewery decided the demographic of the local population meant they could charge £3.00 a pint and hike up the food prices. To his credit, the landlord went to court to try to stop them closing him down when he refused kowtow to their demands, but after a year they closed him down and the pub which is in a beautiful spot, now sites dark and empty.

Of course, this is what happens when you have an unregulated free market - big brewers buy up the pubs and then close them down. Simple really - vote against capitalism and let's get back on track.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 07:13 AM

I think we lost Hilaire Bellocs inns many years ago, Eric. The plastic pubs and faceless owners have been living off that reputation ever since they replaced them! There are a few exceptions but out of the 30-odd pubs near me I don't go in more than half a dozen. And only 2 of those on anything like a regular basis.

Best beer I have had in the UK, I think, would either be Chesters mild (long gone), Someones Ruby Mild (Still going but can't remember who brews it!) and Ushers bitter. Favourite of all time is the Flemish Rodenbach though. If you hadn't gathered, I like the darker beers in the main. Strength doesn't seem to have a lot to do with it - Manns Brown Ale at 2.8% does me nicely:-)

Cheers (hic)

Dave

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 01:14 PM

I've got a fairly modern piano for sale, do you think there's a law stopping my local from purchasing it from me? Pubs used to have pianos and I bet there are plenty of customers who could play it. I've not asked the landlord yet, do you think I should?

Sal

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 01:59 PM

Give it a go Sal...ya never know....

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: GUEST,Richard Bridge
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 03:15 PM

He will need a licence to provide "Entertaiment Facilities". It may (or may not) be part of his licence already.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: kendall
Date: 19 Apr 08 - 04:18 PM

Looks like you UK folks are getting a taste of the kind of crap that keeps people like me out of our bars. Overpriced slop, loud mouth clods with a vocabulary limited to one syllable words, and the "music", my God what a f*****g racket!

Ian Robb hit it on the head with his "Rose & Crown"

...for an arm and a leg they will fill up your glass,
with a half pint of mixture of ollege and gas
Oh what have they done to the old Rose & Crown?
The Ship, The King's Arms, and The World Upside Down...
For oak, brass and leather and a pint of the best,
Fade away like the sun as it sinks in the west.

Times change my friends, and we either adjust or it will roll right over us.
I often feel like a dinosaur stumbling around, looking for the tar pits...

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 20 Apr 08 - 04:31 AM

He already has a music license cos he did have bands on every Friday, but as no customers come to his pub any more (mainly cos they have to stand outside under a manky shelter to have a fag) there's not a lot of point paying an artist £150 to play to an empty room. I'll ask him what he thinks.

Sal

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: kendall
Date: 20 Apr 08 - 06:25 AM

The No Smoking thing has not driven the addicts away here,in fact, many bar owners admit it has helped to draw the non smokers.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 20 Apr 08 - 06:44 AM

Most "proper pubs" I go to here have just lost trade.

I wouldn't be that surprised to find some of the "restaurant pretending to be a pub" type places have gained a few non smokers.

My original expectation with the ban was there would be winners and losers but the most of winners would be the characterless places. I still think things will go that way.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 20 Apr 08 - 06:54 AM

(there was a trend this way anyway btw. But I think the smoking ban is likely to be the final blow)

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 20 Apr 08 - 07:27 AM

do you remember an inn, Miranda
do you remember an inn?


always sounded a bit of a poncy gaff to me. I used to think if I saw that sign behind the bar, GET YOUR JUMBO SAUSAGE HERE! i was in for a decent night. set the PA up in front of the dartboard, and if you're lucky - they stop playing darts.

Anyway if you hang round with blokes called Hillaire......

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: sapper82
Date: 20 Apr 08 - 08:31 AM

Well, with working away from home so much and, when I am home, simply being too bloody knackered to go out more than once a month (if that) despite having some good pubs in walking distance, I am, perhaps, part of the problem.
However, after last night up at the King's Head, Bonsall, with "No Fixed Abode" and a couple of weeks ago at the Rising Sun, Middleton, with "Norcsalordie," I've at least done something (about 10 or 11 pints worth) towards supporting local live music.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: sapper82
Date: 20 Apr 08 - 08:33 AM

Just realised, as this is referring to live music in pubs, ought not the BS tag be removed and it be relocated?

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: the button
Date: 20 Apr 08 - 09:55 AM

The riverside inns of Wapping are visibly flagging since the smoking ban. I went past the Prospect of Whitby (somewhere where you can get a decent pint of TT's Landlord in London) at 7.30 on a Friday night, and the place was deserted.

Unfortunately, as a smoker I'm no longer likely to go sit in there and read my book or my paper anymore, or just go for a change of scene with my other ½ (also a smoker). Since the smoking ban, the only time I've been in pubs is as part of a "night out," rather than as a "fancy a couple down the road?"

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: theleveller
Date: 20 Apr 08 - 10:03 AM

Oh no, not the sodding smoking debate again? I suppose you want the drink/driving legislation repealed as well. We don't want the odd few thousand deaths to interfere with our pleasures, do we?

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 20 Apr 08 - 10:26 AM

Leveller, what's happened to your upholding for free speech?

Am I for example not allowed to respond to Kendall saying

"The No Smoking thing has not driven the addicts away here,in fact, many bar owners admit it has helped to draw the non smokers."

With my own observations?

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: Nick
Date: 20 Apr 08 - 01:11 PM

We support and also make money for the pub we frequent so it works mutually.

When Sam Smiths threw us out of the Blacksmiths Arms in Farlington I went and found another pub that would have us and it now has every Wednesday a good solid crowd of 25-40 people who come (compared with the handful that normally would be there) - mostly local but occasionally from some distance. It has spawned various other things and we play in there with our little rock band too sometimes and have organised some other things. Nice place to go to so if you are in North Yorkshire any Wednesday come and visit the Thompsons Arms in Flaxton (between Sheriff Hutton and the A64). We don't go out of our way to publicise it as word of mouth keeps it at a manageable size but everyone who wants to contribute or just listen is always welcome. The singing age range is from the 11 year old who sang the other week to the guy who has come occasionally to sing who is over 90.

The Blacksmiths Arms now does so little business generally apart from occasional parties that people don't bother to go in which is sad as it is a beautiful pub - compared with some people here on Mudcat will remember an evening where a group of local people and a truck load of friends from Beverley-Hull etc piled their way through 700 pints of beer in an evening (and early morning) and had a great time singing and playing music (nostalgia trip - 1 - 2 - 3. Sad that Humphrey Smith buggered it up otherwise we would still be there doing all sorts of things. For a village with only a handful of locals we definitely used to make a difference with our support.

I do sense though that pubs are looking for other things now than the mass rush to turn them all into eating establishments trying to dish out food for a fiver and that some of them are now amenable to music more than they were as an alternative to food and Sky.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: theleveller
Date: 21 Apr 08 - 03:50 AM

Jon, of course you are - just getting a little bored with that line now. Sorry to sound grumpy, but we are covering well-trodden ground and .... I'll get me coat.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: theleveller
Date: 21 Apr 08 - 04:20 AM

Nick, you're making me wish I'd bought that house in Flaxton. Humphrey Smith certainly has a lot to answer for; I was recently talking to the now ex-landlord at The Malt Shovel in Oswalkirk and he was saying that his wife wasn't even allowed to have the television on in the kitchen when she was cooking and they had to get a special dispensation for carol singers to come in at Christmas.

I went into the Jolly Sailors during Whitby Folk Week last year and there were two people sat in the bar. We were then told that they couldn't serve us because they didn't allow children in and we had our 8-year old with us. It's put me off going into any Sam Smith's pub now, which is a pity as they are usually great pubs with excellent beer. Does Humphrey Smith care? Of course not, he's sitting on millions of pounds worth of property.

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: kendall
Date: 21 Apr 08 - 08:16 AM

When I first went to the UK I( was struck by the atmosphere in the pubs. Children all over the places like a family outing. No rowdy behavior or Yobs trying to impress each other with their 4 letter words. They were quite pleasant to visit. (I was a smoker back then)
And now that nice part of the UK is going down the drain and it is sad.
They ban travelers, why not Yobs?

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: Gulliver
Date: 21 Apr 08 - 09:35 AM

Nick, those photos have been removed from the Blacksmiths Arms site. Are you interested in putting them up somewhere else (I love photos of music sessions)? Don

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 21 Apr 08 - 06:58 PM

I went to a singing workshop tonight followed by us all going down the pub
(in Leominster, a small town) for a sing and laugh. It was brilliant fun. My friend (fellow Loxley
member) got out his uke and a guitar, a song book and a lot of old songs that everyone just love to sing along to. We had a brilliant time. This was an unscheduled singing session and the customers in the pub loved it.

Just thought I'd share that with the group.

Sal

Subject: RE: BS: Come On You Miserable Lot in UK
From: skipy
Date: 22 Apr 08 - 06:06 PM

Can't be bothered anymore.
Skipy