[Crimson Dynamo]

My golliwogs are here to stay, insists pub landlord despite complaints to council and police that keeping them on display behind
the bar is a hate crime

• Investigation is launched after anonymous complaint about the White Hart pub
• Chris Ryley and wife Benice face a nervous wait to see if their licence is revoked
• The pub in Grays, Essex, has 15 golliwogs of various sizes in full view behind bar
• Mr Ryley said he is proud of his pub's welcoming attitude to people of all races

A pub landlord has refused to remove 15 golliwogs from behind his bar despite an investigation being launched into the controversial rag dolls.

Chris Ryley and his wife Benice said they were left reeling after the council received an anonymous complaint about the White Hart pub in Grays, Essex.

The couple face a nervous wait to see if their licence will be effected but have also promised not to back down after receiving the dolls as gifts from customers.

They are unaware of who made the cowardly anonymous complaint but believe it was an employee from Thurrock Council who popped in for lunch.



One was from a Canadian lady who said "those would not be allowed back in my country" and another was from an English woman who insisted they were racist, despite no-one else in the pub agreeing with her, including a black man who was drinking in here at the time.

'It's all about political correctness isn't it? Children can't play conkers anymore or have snowball fights in case they are hurt.

'The council has enough things to be getting on with, rather than worrying about this. The golliwogs are staying up.

'If the customers start complaining, that would change my mind but it is our customers who brought most of them here for us as presents.

'My phone has been full of messages of support from customers saying "Save the golliwogs".


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-landlord.html


Would you drink in this pub or are you outraged by this?

[thesheriff443]

A golliwog driving licence, is taking the piss

[bots]

Without knowing them, its difficult to say if they are racist or not, but in this day and age to display that stuff makes me think that they are racists sticking 2 fingers up at society. The flags outside the pub also imply some nationalist affiliation

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

Without knowing them, its difficult to say if they are racist or not, but in this day and age to display that stuff makes me think that they are racists sticking 2 fingers up at society. The flags outside the pub also imply some nationalist affiliation

What the flag of Britain?

[bots]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

What the flag of Britain?

don't be silly LT you know fine well, that the union jack is used by nationalists to identify themselves. Fine and well when there is some sort of celebration or anniversary but it's not difficult to see what this couple are up to.

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

don't be silly LT you know fine well, that the union jack is used by nationalists to identify themselves. Fine and well when there is some sort of celebration or anniversary but it's not difficult to see what this couple are up to.

... It's the flag of Britain. It can be used by anyone.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

don't be silly LT you know fine well, that the union jack is used by nationalists to identify themselves. Fine and well when there is some sort of celebration or anniversary but it's not difficult to see what this couple are up to.

And its used by the Queen, our armed services and every corporation in the land. Its great to see them flying it with pride

[Jamie89]

I wouldn't drink there, they have racist connotations whether it's intended or not, and if I walked in a pub that had a row of black caricature dolls hanging above the bar then yeah I'd feel uncomfortable. And it's not an example of 'PC brigade' to me, it's quite widely considered nowadays that they have racist connotations, I get that they didn't used to be seen like that and I'm sure a lot of people who have them aren't racist, but sometimes you just have to accept that times have changed. You have to question why they are so desperate to keep the dolls, if it's something that doesn't have meaning why risk losing their license over them.

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

Without knowing them, its difficult to say if they are racist or not, but in this day and age to display that stuff makes me think that they are racists sticking 2 fingers up at society. The flags outside the pub also imply some nationalist affiliation

The name of the pub doesn't do them any favours either

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Jamie89

The name of the pub doesn't do them any favours either

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

I expect they have been up there long before it became PC to be outraged by them

It says they have had them up for 3 years.

I am not that up to date on gollys tbf, but I am fairly sure that they have been considered offensive for a lot longer than that so its not even a case of..they have been part of the decor since the place opened and its a nostalgia thing.

[Wizard.]

Originally Posted by Jamie89

The name of the pub doesn't do them any favours either

[Marches]

[Crimson Dynamo]

They should say all the gollywogs are gay and the white one is trans


Then the council would be in a pickle

[Beso]

Hehe....one of my locals in grays.

[Livia]

I had a golly when I was a kid, that used to be my Mum's. I thought it was a creature, like a fairy or a goblin. I had no idea it was anything to do with black people because none of the black people I knew looked like that.

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by Livia

I had a golly when I was a kid, that used to be my Mum's. I thought it was a creature, like a fairy or a goblin. I had no idea it was anything to do with black people because none of the black people I knew looked like that.

Yeah i remember playing with one whenever I visited my grandparents.

But yeah,These days they need to keep em in the back.The regulars aren’t bothered by them but If they get any of those non-local city folk in they might cause offence.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Northern Monkey

Yeah i remember playing with one whenever I visited my grandparents.

But yeah,These days they need to keep em in the back.The regulars aren’t bothered by them but If they get any of those non-local city folk in they might cause offence.

[jaxie]

Originally Posted by Livia

I had a golly when I was a kid, that used to be my Mum's. I thought it was a creature, like a fairy or a goblin. I had no idea it was anything to do with black people because none of the black people I knew looked like that.

Co-incidentally I was given one too that had belonged to a family member and I -loved- it. It was a favourite cuddle. I didn't think it was like a person just a toy like a teddy bear. Then someone pointed out the not pc element it was taken away from me. I was really small, didn't understand and was quite upset at the loss. I remember asking an asking for it as a kid. But now as an adult I can see why people would find it offensive.

[user104658]

Oh come on. If we're going to call a spade a spade let's do it across the board; they know fine well that gollywogs are seen as racist, that's why they have them displayed there. Are they personally racist? I don't know. But it is plainly obvious that their decorations are a deliberate and petty "two fingers up at PC gern meeerd" and the idea that they're just an innocent decoration is nonsense.

I mean why. Why would they have the place decorated with gollywogs.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Oh come on. If we're going to call a spade a spade let's do it across the board; they know fine well that gollywogs are seen as racist, that's why they have them displayed there. Are they personally racist? I don't know. But it is plainly obvious that their decorations are a deliberate and petty "two fingers up at PC gern meeerd" and the idea that they're just an innocent decoration is nonsense.

I mean why. Why would they have the place decorated with gollywogs.

I expect they have been up there long before it became PC to be outraged by them

[user104658]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

I expect they have been up there long before it became PC to be outraged by them

Gollywogs have been considered unacceptably racist for decades.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Gollywogs have been considered unacceptably racist for decades.

by who?

[user104658]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

by who?

Well not you, apparently, but by most people with common sense who aren't preoccupied with making some sort of point about supposed censorship.

[Tom4784]

They run a business and Golliwogs whether they like it or not are considered racist caricatures of black people. If they want to put them up in a private setting then they are free to do so but businesses run by different rules and such decorations in such a blatant fashion is going to run afoul of discrimination laws.

If the decor was inspired by 70's/80's nostalgia then I could understand maybe having one as representative of the era but that many? That's just ridiculous.

[thesheriff443]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

They run a business and Golliwogs whether they like it or not are considered racist caricatures of black people. If they want to put them up in a private setting then they are free to do so but businesses run by different rules and such decorations in such a blatant fashion is going to run afoul of discrimination laws.

If the decor was inspired by 70's/80's nostalgia then I could understand maybe having one as representative of the era but that many? That's just ridiculous.

I agree entirely.

[montblanc]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

They run a business and Golliwogs whether they like it or not are considered racist caricatures of black people. If they want to put them up in a private setting then they are free to do so but businesses run by different rules and such decorations in such a blatant fashion is going to run afoul of discrimination laws.

If the decor was inspired by 70's/80's nostalgia then I could understand maybe having one as representative of the era but that many? That's just ridiculous.