The Pub Culture.

[InOne]

They say the Pub Culture is dying in Britain. Why do you think that is?

[Iceman]

Same over here in Éire, simply prices are too high and its cheaper to stay at home/go to a mates, plus you have a better laugh.......well that's my take on it anyway.

[InOne]

I think the smoking ban had a big impact too.

[Chantel]

I think the smoking ban had a big impact too.

Thats partly it

[Iceman]

Yeah well that's a given, I forget to use that becuase its been enforced here for quite a bit longer than UK......we kind of bounced back from it and then a slump came just before the recession.

[InOne]

Thats partly it

Do you think anything else is to do with it?

[Chantel]

Do you think anything else is to do with it?

The recession

[InOne]

Yeah well that's a given, I forget to use that becuase its been enforced here for quite a bit longer than UK......we kind of bounced back from it and then a slump came just before the recession.

Yeah it was in when I went to Ireland in 06, was a bit of a suprise. I guess the recession, but if people can find money to drink inside, surely they want find money to drink at the pub.

[Iceman]

You know I honestly couldn't tell you when it came in, I cant remember the year!! All I do remember is that we used to play pool in town every saturday and you could smoke there and when it came in the place shut down....

[InOne]

Watched a doc called 'The Red lion' yday which is why I made the topic. They said 6 pubs a day are shutting down. It's awful!!! I blame the big places like weatherspoons and all that.

[arista]

The recession


Yes in England the New Labour Depression
has not helped pubs at all.

[arista]

Watched a doc called 'The Red lion' yday which is why I made the topic. They said 6 pubs a day are shutting down. It's awful!!! I blame the big places like weatherspoons and all that.


Yes on ch4 yesterday,
it is getting worse.

[Iceman]

what's weatherspoons? It's not over here in Ireland....

[InOne]

what's weatherspoons? It's not over here in Ireland....

It's like a big chain of trendy pubs that sell cheap booze and where everyone will go before a night out. Usually will be in the centre of town.

[Iceman]

Oh right I know what you mean, we have something similar here...my house! :P

[InOne]

Oh right I know what you mean, we have something similar here...my house! :P

That is a better way to do it lol I found when I went to NZ, hardly anyone went to the pub at all, they just had house parties. Seems they never really had it. Plus the pubs are alot more expensive there.

[Iceman]

Yeah well it works out for a night out for me (like going to town clubbing)
€10 Taxi
€10 door charge
€60-70 drink
€8.40 cigs
€10 food
€10 taxi

whereas if im at home
€15 drink
€6 food
€8.40 cigs.

I know which one i choose...

[Tom]

the working class is dying out, thats who pubs have always been for

More people who would be working class are now becoming middle class thanks to increase of Uni places, whilst on the other side more people are ending up on benefits so can't afford it

[alc09]

The smoking ban is the only reason.

[InOne]

the working class is dying out, thats who pubs have always been for

More people who would be working class are now becoming middle class thanks to increase of Uni places, whilst on the other side more people are ending up on benefits so can't afford it

Yes, it kinda seems what we see as a working class is a non working class. Kids having kids and all that.

[InOne]

Yeah well it works out for a night out for me (like going to town clubbing)
€10 Taxi
€10 door charge
€60-70 drink
€8.40 cigs
€10 food
€10 taxi

whereas if im at home
€15 drink
€6 food
€8.40 cigs.

I know which one i choose...

Wow yeah, seems expensive :S

[Iceman]

iot cost about €5 - €5.50 for a pint here so am not sure what that works out at in sterling???

[InOne]

Seems more expensive over there. It's about 2.50 a pint here. I thought euro and pound were roughly the same atm?

[Iceman]

couldnt tell you man, havent checked in a few years, used to keep track of it but just dont ned to now....

[InOne]

Yeah i'm not sure. I have heard it is more expensive over there though.

[Iceman]

yeah well unluckily for me, im smack bang in the middle of Dublin City so it's probably the dearest part of Ireland....anywhere in the country is much cheaper...

[InOne]

yeah well unluckily for me, im smack bang in the middle of Dublin City so it's probably the dearest part of Ireland....anywhere in the country is much cheaper...

ohhhh right yeah that will be it lol Yeah when I went to Dublin it was ridiculous lol

[Iceman]

it still is, although there is no night life here now anymore....

best night was Arthur Guinness Day...never seen it so packed....

[lily.]

I reckon it's cuz of the chavs who hang about in towns these days and kick the shite out of people who are on their way home.

Decent folks don't want to go out and end up involved with these cretins.

[InOne]

I reckon it's cuz of the chavs who hang about in towns these days and kick the shite out of people who are on their way home.

Decent folks don't want to go out and end up involved with these cretins.

Yep, it's pretty sad these days that people actually go out looking for fights. Make the older generations want to stay in. It is good that some pubs are a little out the centre though. But even thats bad, with not many houses by them, people don't usually bother as much.

[arista]

It's like a big chain of trendy pubs that sell cheap booze and where everyone will go before a night out. Usually will be in the centre of town.


And better Meals.

[Jessica.]

iot cost about €5 - €5.50 for a pint here so am not sure what that works out at in sterling???

£7.50 -£8.00 I would think

[InOne]

And better Meals.

Ahhh yeah, was it Gordon Ramsey who tried to bring the pub lunch back?

[arista]

the working class is dying out, thats who pubs have always been for

More people who would be working class are now becoming middle class thanks to increase of Uni places, whilst on the other side more people are ending up on benefits so can't afford it



I think the Grafters - the Working Class
can not afford Pubs that over charge.

[InOne]

£7.50 -£8.00 I would think

Nooooo way, it's like 2.50-3.00

[Jessica.]

Nooooo way, it's like 2.50-3.00

oh I didnt look properly €5.00 - €5.50 would be £3.20 - £3.70

[InOne]

oh I didnt look properly €5.00 - €5.50 would be £3.20 - £3.70

Yes, seems a bit more like it lol

[setanta]

There's a lot of factors involved. Having worked in the pub trade myself for a number of years I'd say that the majority of the money that came in the pub was from the middle aged punters who could put a fair few pints into them and would create a good atmosphere on their own. Other thing about them was they would come in more then the one night a week and generally wouldn't be half cut from drinking at home before heading out.

There's too many kids coming out now who are wasted prior to entering pubs and really don't know how to handle drink in the first place. Regular punters tend to disappear when there's youngsters out acting like prats and thats become very very prevalent in the last decade or so.

Price hikes and taxation hasn't helped, along with how much more isolated we've become as people. The art of conversation is dying off as far as I can tell, with people more at ease staring at a computer screen or telly rather than chatting away with a crowd in a pub. Old school mentalities are disappearing.

[InOne]

There's a lot of factors involved. Having worked in the pub trade myself for a number of years I'd say that the majority of the money that came in the pub was from the middle aged punters who could put a fair few pints into them and would create a good atmosphere on their own. Other thing about them was they would come in more then the one night a week and generally wouldn't be half cut from drinking at home before heading out.

There's too many kids coming out now who are wasted prior to entering pubs and really don't know how to handle drink in the first place. Regular punters tend to disappear when there's youngsters out acting like prats and thats become very very prevalent in the last decade or so.

Price hikes and taxation hasn't helped, along with how much more isolated we've become as people. The art of conversation is dying off as far as I can tell, with people more at ease staring at a computer screen or telly rather than chatting away with a crowd in a pub. Old school mentalities are disappearing.

Yep, i'd pretty much agree with that. It's a shame really.

[Beastie]

There are still some working mens pubs around which I have been to on the odd occassion but thats when theres been like a band on! A band with oldish men singing rock classics like journey, etc.. lol

My mum and dad go to the local pub a lot, I think most go to the local pub who are middle aged? in their 40's, 50's? but maybe more of these age gap people are drifting more towards restaurants to wine and dine? teenagers, people in their twenties, most of them will be at uni or having kids and the elderly, some will be at the pub but some may just want an "early night" or now too scared to go out because of the "chav culture"

[King Gizzard]

id rather have the smoke smell then the BO mixed with beer smell :yuk:

and i dont even smoke

[Vicky.]

Yeah definitely.

My father in law (kind of, though we not married yet :laugh:) owns a pub, we live above it...but since the smoking ban, his profits were 2k a week down. And the past few months hes losing more. The bar he has was mostly like an old mans bar, they would sit with their pints and a cigar/tab all day, but obviously a few of them are a little too old to be standing at the door smoking, especially when it is cold. And people dont want to leave their drinks inside either, as you could easily be spiked. people are staying in more as drink from the shops is cheaper anyways, and you can smoke while drinking. So its the smoking ban plus the prices that are killing it really.

[InOne]

Where I am, there is a pub that is usually quite busy every night. It has a good mix and young and old and shows all the sporting events, even PPV. There is never any trouble, it's a shame this kind of thing is becoming a rarity.

[setanta]

I'm going to sound like a old man here but I do think that there's a lot of coked up and pissed young people out there now causing fights everynight. Ok, I've drunk myself silly on numerous occassions but I just go out to have a laugh, not to cause aggro. I don't know, I just feel that we're a different generation to that of our parents, where our sole occupation is gratifying ourselves and disregarding others. We're the me me generation lol.

As for the smoking ban yes, that's bound to effect the smaller country pubs where people who've grown accustomed all their lives to relaxing in their own way would feel very disgruntled at the goverments ability to infringe on what they perceive to be their indisputable rights, particularly when most wouldn't have the added comfort of outside heaters- it gets fecking cold in the country! I think they've added to the bigger pubs in the towns though, where you can actually meet new people more readily when you're out having a fag.

[Jackie]

Loads of our village pubs have closed down over the years.

[InOne]

Well 6 a day according to 'The Red Lion' doc. It's a shame cos it was where the old people socialized and felt safe. Now they don't go out as much and tend to be more lonely.

[Jackie]

When i was young...................going back some years the pubs were so packed you couldn't get to the bar.

[Vicky.]

id rather have the smoke smell then the BO mixed with beer smell :yuk:

and i dont even smoke

Yes a lot of people I know say that.

They did twist on about the smoke smell, but now they say the much prefer it to the smell of BO and toilets...

[InOne]

When i was young...................going back some years the pubs were so packed you couldn't get to the bar.

Yeah, there used to be a pub on the end of every terrace.

[Beastie]

I dont smoke but sometimes I now and again like smelling that classic smoke smell from cigars!

[InOne]

I only notice the BO and bog smell in certain pubs. Luckily I avoid them! :D

[InOne]

So over a year on. How do you think it's going now?

Looking grim here :(

[Judas]

I normally now only go to a pub for pre-drinks and not the general pub atmosphere. I think if I could smoke etc in pubs I would go more for just a couple of drinks, whereas now its cheaper and you have more freedom to have friends round at someones house where you can drink cheaply and smoke. If in pubs you had at least one of these, I would feel more encouraged to go.

[King Gizzard]

Too loud for me. Then again I have no purpose to go to one apart from ESPN games

I'm always the square not drinking

[Niamh.]

Same over here in Éire, simply prices are too high and its cheaper to stay at home/go to a mates, plus you have a better laugh.......well that's my take on it anyway.

absolutely, especially in winter, having to go outside for a ciggie, far too cold. Last night me and Gav thought about going for a drink and looked at the fire.......decided to open a bottle of wine instead!:joker:

[Boothy]

It's a shame really, I prefer smaller pubs to the big chains like Weatherspoons.

There's this brilliant place is West Bromwich that do amazing, cheap curries and pints for £2.

As has been said in this thread, the smoking ban has had a huge impact on pubs, but so have supermarkets. During the World Cup Asda were selling 3 cases for £20. That's 45 cans! About 50p a pint, and the average in a pub is £2.50-£3.

Instead of taxing the s**t out of alcohol, the government should impose a minimum price. Pubs could reduce prices without losing profit, supermarkets would be forced to up their prices and people might start going to pubs again.