Go Pub

French smokers abandon bars, clubs and restaurants for private parties

Smokers in France are uniting to beat a ban on lighting up in public by organising open-house parties where they can puff on their Gauloises until the early hours.

The parties, held in flats and houses but also in clandestine clubs, often draw dozens of people for a drink, a chat, a dance and a cigarette. Some are paying, others are free, but all welcome the smokers who are deserting bars, bistrots and night clubs.

The movement has flourished since the introduction of a smoking ban in all public places on January 1, and has been compared to the speakeasies that secretly served alcohol during the Prohibition in the US in the 1920s. Internet networks have sprung up to link the partygoers and inform them of planned festivities.

One such network was created on Facebook by a 30-year-old Gauloises-smoking DJ who gives his name only as Shandor. “We set up the group because of the smoking ban,” he told The Times. “It was clear to us that it was going to be very complicated to go to a nightclub now. “A whole evening without a cigarette is very hard — especially when you’re drinking — so you’re better off at a party.”

The group — Pour le Grand Retour de la Fête en Appart’ en 2008 (“For the Great Comeback of Parties in Flats in 2008”) — originally included a few dozen people. Now it has 1,182 members. “It’s taken off so much that we’ve had to create a second, secret group,” said Shandor. “You can’t really have 1,000 people in a small flat.”

His network is free and informal, with members giving the address and date of their parties on the web. But others are more structured. Open Appart’, for instance, was set up by a graphic designer who holds monthly gatherings for well-connected Parisians in a 50 square metre flat in the centre of the city.

“I got an invitation on the internet from a friend of a friend,” said Antoinette, 60, a teacher. “It’s friendlier than cafés, you can smoke and it’s not so expensive.” In another initiative, a chef in south Paris has set up an unofficial restaurant at his home where diners — attracted by word of mouth — can eat and “have a fag without having to go outside”, according to Le Parisien newspaper.

Vincent Grégoire, artistic director at Nelly Rodi, the trend-forecasting agency, said that a dozen or so secret establishments had been formed in Paris since the smoking ban. “They’re halfway between public and private — where you only get in if you’re invited by an existing member,” he said.

“Sometimes you need a password and you have to pay a membership fee. This all existed before but it has really taken off after the smoking ban. People want to authorise for themselves everything that they’re not supposed to do.”

France introduced a ban on smoking in the workplace on February 1 last year and extended the measures to its 200,000 bars, cafés and nightclubs 11 months later. They report a drop in custom of between 10 and 20 per cent as a result.

article by: Adam Sage in Paris- Times Online

June 18, 2008

Pub with no swearing, no gambling and, guess what… no customers

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1031443/Pub-swearing-gambling-guess–customers.html

Of all the careers available to a devout Christian couple, revamping an urban pub and winning over its hardcore regulars was always going to be a gamble.

Sure enough, Krista and John Fleming found they were preaching to the unconverted - and the regulars had every intention of staying that way.

Now the Flemings, who banned swearing and gambling on horseracing, have been sacked after takings plunged.

Locals at the Kings Head, in Islington, North London, claim the couple, who have two young sons, have forced out 50 regulars since last September.

George Whipps, 67, said: ‘Those two were almost the ruin of this place. They told everyone who swore once they would be banned. They barred people who had been coming here for 30-odd years.’

Another regular, who only gave her name as Rose, 57, says was barred when she swore at Mrs Fleming for refusing to serve her more than half a pint.

She said: ‘They should have built pews in here rather than chairs. I have no problem with their religion but… a pub is a pub. They started having a quiz and loads of the questions were on the Bible.

‘They took down the dart board… and now there’s some kind of calligraphy up there.

‘Whenever people were in the garden and heard her singing hymns upstairs they would join in and drown her out.’

But Mr and Mrs Fleming, who describe themselves as devout Church of England Christians, said they acted out of ‘common decency and the pub struggled because the owners let them down’.

All the changes, they said, had the backing of owners Oakfield Taverns and their brief was for ‘two women to be able to come into the pub, buy a bottle of wine and feel comfortable drinking it’.

Part of the plan was to get rid of the hardcore Arsenal fans who scared away other customers. Mrs Fleming, 36, said: ‘I have a family and it’s not the kind of language I want where my children are going to be.’

She added: ‘We have a very strong faith and we have good family values. What we were trying to do was fulfil a remit.’

Mr Fleming, 44, who has managed several pubs, said they had sunk their savings into running the Kings Head.

He denied anyone was barred just for swearing. ‘We just didn’t want people swearing at the top of their voices, standing at the bar and making other people uncomfortable,’ he said.

His wife said takings had fallen because the pub lost its Sky sports coverage, had its credit card facilities withdrawn and had problems getting the drinks that customers wanted.

New managers took over three weeks ago but the Flemings refuse to leave the flat above the pub. The dispute will go to the county court later this month. Oakfield Taverns said the pub was now ‘doing very well’. Takings are said to have significantly increased.

And a blackboard has been put up in the pub reading: ‘Swearing now allowed’

Hats banned from Yorkshire pubs over CCTV fears

Pubs in Yorkshire have been ordered to ban people from wearing flat caps or other hats so troublemakers can be more easily recognised.

24/06/2008

The Park Hotel in Wadsley, Sheffield, is the latest to be asked to impose the rule by senior police officers.

Mark Kelly, the landlord said: “Police asked us to ensure that everyone removes headgear.

“With pensioners, by the time they sit down their hats always come off anyway because they were brought up with manners so usually take their hats off indoors.”

The measure, designed to prevent people from obscuring their faces from CCTV cameras, has been questioned by Barnsley’s former Test umpire Dickie Bird, 75, well-known for his favoured white flat cap.

He said: “Asking a Yorkshireman to take off his flat cap - whoever heard of anything so silly.

“It’s a Yorkshire tradition, men wearing flat caps. Although youngsters don’t bother these days, older men still wear them and should be allowed to continue.

“I still wear a flat cap when I go out shopping and often leave it on when I get home and end up sitting watching TV with my cap on They look smart and they keep your head nice and warm.”

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said bans on people wearing headgear in public premises had been operated in banks and post offices for years.

She added: “There have been incidents both in pubs and other establishments when it has not been possible to identify offenders captured on CCTV because hats were hiding their faces.”

Pub chain limits parents’ drinks

Adults with children are allowed only two alcoholic drinks at JD Wetherspoon pubs in order to limit their stay, the chain has confirmed to the BBC.

Friday, 4 January 2008 (Article from the BBC website)

A spokesman for the company said it was “uncomfortable” with children being on the premises for long periods because of a lack of play facilities.

But the chain has no plans to display official signage to alert customers.

Instead, refusal will be at the discretion of pub managers, who could even deny parents soft drinks.

Segregated areas

The drinks policy came to light when Stephen Gandy contacted the BBC after visiting a Wetherspoon pub in Wallasey on Merseyside for a meal with family and friends.

The group was told that they could not have more than two alcoholic drinks each because they were with a child, even though the child’s mother was only drinking water.

Imagine a foreign visitor coming in and getting told that - it’s unreal Stephen Gandy The child-friendly choice

Mr Gandy said they were told by the bar’s manager that the aim of the restriction was to comply with “child cruelty legislation”.

“I tried to tell him that I understand and know the legislation and it’s not in relation to cruelty but in relation to comfort, environmental conditions and segregated areas and a comfortable environment for children,” Mr Gandy added.

“But he was having none of it and the choice was we could stay but the child would have to go. Obviously we didn’t want that so we proceeded to another establishment that made us welcome.

“Imagine a foreign visitor coming in and getting told that - it’s unreal.”

HAVE YOUR SAY Anything that gets kids out of bars has to be a good thing Gina Smith, Sussex Send us your comments

When the BBC contacted JD Wetherspoon, spokesman Eddie Gershon confirmed the policy was in place, but denied it had anything to do with child cruelty laws.

Mr Gershon said: “Wetherspoons is quite clear it wants children in its pubs but it’s not a children’s pub in as much as a Wacky Warehouse or that type of place.

“What we don’t want is the adult just staying and drinking in the pub while the child is just sitting there and we will 100% back our manager in the approach he has taken.”

In relation to Mr Gandy and his friends, Mr Gershon added: “The only people they need to look at are themselves.”

Mr Gershon said there were no plans to introduce permanent signs at any of its 683 pubs throughout the UK.

But the company has put guidelines on drinks limits for adults with children on its website.

They read: “Adults accompanied with children wishing to purchase an alcoholic drink should purchase a meal.”

“Once the meal has been finished and tables cleared, it is our recommendation that only one more alcoholic drink should be purchased for each adult.”

“If parents and their children are visiting our pubs and purchasing non-alcoholic drinks, then there is no limit to the number of drinks that can be purchased or the length of stay.”

“In all situations, it is important that our pub managers assess the behaviour and attitude of parents.”

“We do not want to restrict families visiting our pubs, in fact, we actively encourage families and have recently won an award for our children’s menu.”

Mr Gershon said the policy had been received very positively since it first came to light last week.

Nearly 2,400 people have contacted the BBC about the story and many backed the restrictions on time that children can spend in pubs.

But Mr Gandy insisted that Wetherspoons should be more explicit.

“There should be a note on the children’s menu informing adults about the policy”, he said, “and a customer services telephone number”.

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