There are so many nicer pubs, ones that haven't been jazzed up and weatherspoon-ised. And the staff in Weatherspoons always look kind of harrowed and traumatised.

The only good thing I can say about Wetherspoons is that it was the only pub "in the big town" that would serve us at 16. The small local pub we went to always did but that was in more of a grandmotherly "aw they're better off in here than out drinking on a street corner" way than a "I literally don't care about anything and am dead inside" way like the Spoons.

And I suppose, objectively, "they used to serve us without ID when we were blatantly underage" isn't actually a positive.

Other than that ... ... I mean. It was fine for cheap Uni pre-drinks but even then, union was cheaper. Anyone who goes there voluntarily as an actual adult I just have to worry about their sense of self-worth :worry:.

Like even if they did good chips that would make it more understandable but they're always luke-warm and undercooked.

And other pubs try to emulate that vibe for god knows what reason and it's awful. The local I "grew up in" - a proper, stale smelling, slightly dingy feeling old style pub with far too much dark wood everywhere - decided to "update itself" Wetherspoons style with lighter furniture and paint job and art on the walls and stuff and it honestly sucked the atmosphere out of the place over night. It went from being absolutely PACKED on a Friday night, to a few die-hard old regulars propping up the bar.

When they got rid of the stinky little back room that had a pool table and jukebox that was just the final straw. So many nights spent playing bad pool and listening to Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" on loop as a teenager :flutter: (because the CD selector was jammed on "Now 1995" for 2 years :joker: )

I don't mind 'spoons' some of them are in the most beautiful buildings as well

Well that says it all doesn't it

:joker:

:hee: at least I am not a big fat snob :laugh:

Actually to follow up on that part, that makes matters WORSE for me because yes they do use some very nice properties (old banks, etc...) and seeing them turned into cheap pubs is really quite jarring :worry:.

as opposed to being turned into what?

Let nature reclaim them

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/s5ODv-vQCAY/maxresdefault.jpg

Nice pubs?

Unironically this.

Retail spaces which are empty for over a year should be pulled down and turned into parks tbh. Or -reluctantly- affordable housing. Better to use existing buildings than ruining green spaces with them.

discussing this now on LBC, listening as James O B is on hols and it is Maajid Nawaz in the chair

I've not listened to LBC in bare time, always liked Maajid.

i used to have a local pub/restaurant that had been converted from a church. The religious folk were livid :laugh:

actuallly it is Matt Fry but they have a similar style :laugh:

How Nice

As long as they kept the essence of the building it wouldn't bother me

better to be used and enjoyed

LOL

Yes make good use of the building.

Lots of people don't like his personality but he runs an incredibly successful business model which has been one of the most proactive in responding to the challenges of covid and keeping his staff in work. Generally I find the staff in Spoons more polite and professional than a lot of places and they make eating and drinking out affordable to a lot of people while most pubs now charge over £4 a pint and over a tenner for most simple dishes

You're never gonna go to a Spoons and think 'what a lovely pub' but they do have their place and you know what you're getting there

I do love seeing brexiters reap what they sow.

I also love seeing arseholes that disregarded their workers in the thick of a pandemic struggle. May the bastard continue to suffer.