Irritations

[Paddy Goose]

People who think that wrestling is real.

Hurley, I hope you don't go around telling them.

[Herlock Sholmes]

You see that actually surprises me that Working Men's Clubs are now actually quite family friendly.

I'm sure they exist here, but I don't really see them around, so I don't think I've ever been in one.

Perhaps it's more of an English thing (or else I've just missed them)?

I always picture them as old school, smoke filled rooms with guys in flat caps drinking pints of bitter and playing dominoes.

Perhaps just like the name, my perception of them is somehow stuck in the 1970's!

Your mental picture of them is a pretty fair summary. They usually have a very large bar area probably with a stage with possibly another smaller room or two. Darts, pool, sometimes a snooker table or two. A few might have a bowling green. Perhaps events going on at the weekends like a singer or a comedian or a band etc. Maybe bingo on some nights. Teams in local leagues…football, cricket, darts, pool, dominoes etc, maybe a pigeon fanciers club. Sometimes these clubs are run by a certain large factory or a Pit but these days more often than not they aren’t. More than likely called something like…The ‘name of area’ Working Men’s Club, or the ‘name of area’ Social Club. Or they can be affiliated to political parties. The …… Labour/Liberal/Conservative Club eg, although these places often aren’t always much about politics these days. I used to go in a Labour Club and rarely heard politics mentioned. They are usually run by a committee with an appointed Steward to run the bar and manage the club day to day. Very working class but good family friendly places providing somewhere for families to go out together at the weekends. You often find generations that have frequented the same club for years. Years ago they also used to arrange coach trips to the seaside which was a good thing for families although you’ll be less impressed by the ‘Sunday Breakfast Run.’ This was a strictly ‘men only’ event. An early drink. Coach trip with more drinking. Stop off for a full English breakfast somewhere (with beer) then to a pub somewhere with a ‘blue’ comedian and a stripper or two, then back on the coach, a stop off at a pub on the way back back before getting back to the club for more beer. You can’t beat a cultural day out.

Sorry Ms D. That went on longer than I intended. The Herlock guide to Working Men’s/Social Clubs in the UK.

[Ms Diddles]

Couldn’t agree more on this one Ms D. I don’t go into many pubs these days but I know that they are changing. Some pubs in my area used to have family rooms and those that didn’t just didn’t cater for children. For me pubs are adult spaces but it’s fine if they have enough space for a separate family room. Things like working men’s clubs are different of course and are often more geared toward families. As you know, I’m hardly Mr PC (to put it mildly) but surely it’s time to change the names of these places. The title ‘Working Men’s Club’ comes from a different era.

You see that actually surprises me that Working Men's Clubs are now actually quite family friendly.

I'm sure they exist here, but I don't really see them around, so I don't think I've ever been in one.

Perhaps it's more of an English thing (or else I've just missed them)?

I always picture them as old school, smoke filled rooms with guys in flat caps drinking pints of bitter and playing dominoes.

Perhaps just like the name, my perception of them is somehow stuck in the 1970's!

[Herlock Sholmes]

This one may be controversial but.....

Children in pubs, or more specifically children in pubs that I like and want to drink in!

I'm glad that there are family friendly pubs out there, that's great!

If I know where they are I can avoid them like the plague.

My issue is when screaming kids and their annoying indulgent parents rock up in my favourite watering holes with their wailing, nonsensical inane babble and attention seeking.

I can't hear my friends and their interesting grown up chat.

As decent human beings we feel obliged to keep our conversations vaguely respectable and obscenity free incase a child hears.

It's a pub FFS, not a creche!

Couldn’t agree more on this one Ms D. I don’t go into many pubs these days but I know that they are changing. Some pubs in my area used to have family rooms and those that didn’t just didn’t cater for children. For me pubs are adult spaces but it’s fine if they have enough space for a separate family room. Things like working men’s clubs are different of course and are often more geared toward families. As you know, I’m hardly Mr PC (to put it mildly) but surely it’s time to change the names of these places. The title ‘Working Men’s Club’ comes from a different era.

[Ms Diddles]

This one may be controversial but.....

Children in pubs, or more specifically children in pubs that I like and want to drink in!

I'm glad that there are family friendly pubs out there, that's great!

If I know where they are I can avoid them like the plague.

My issue is when screaming kids and their annoying indulgent parents rock up in my favourite watering holes with their wailing, nonsensical inane babble and attention seeking.

I can't hear my friends and their interesting grown up chat.

As decent human beings we feel obliged to keep our conversations vaguely respectable and obscenity free incase a child hears.

It's a pub FFS, not a creche!

[OneRound]

Small children getting in the way and generally being a bl00dy nuisance around luggage conveyor belts at airports. As experienced recently, the last thing wanted after a 13 hour flight which had been delayed by almost 3 hours to begin with.
There should be a few cages on each conveyor belt for such children and their parents/guardians to be forced into and left to travel round for the rest of the day.

[Herlock Sholmes]

People who think that wrestling is real.

[Herlock Sholmes]

TV news services who send a reporter often at a great distance to the site hours after the event ended where a news item occurred so they can do a 'live cross' to where nothing is now happening when the report could as easily have been done from the tv studio.

Good point Enigma and one that I was going to add to my post about weather reports. On my local TV station they often go over to the guy reporting the weather on a nice day to find that he’s at some local castle, stately home or park for a minute long report. We can all visualise nice weather and how people enjoy it without the ‘in situ’ report. What’s the point?

[Enigma]

TV news services who send a reporter often at a great distance to the site hours after the event ended where a news item occurred so they can do a 'live cross' to where nothing is now happening when the report could as easily have been done from the tv studio.

[Herlock Sholmes]

People who, when they are about to explain something to do with tech, begin by saying “don’t worry, it’s straightforward stuff.” It never is. Ever.

[Herlock Sholmes]

W@nky business speak;

Blue sky thinking
Run it up the flagpole
Let's circle back
Reach out (instead of contact).

All of that stuff.

Just no!!!!!!!

Definitely. I hate jargon.

[Ms Diddles]

W@nky business speak;

Blue sky thinking
Run it up the flagpole
Let's circle back
Reach out (instead of contact).

All of that stuff.

Just no!!!!!!!

[Simon Wood]

Speed bumps, shrink wrapping, cyclists in clusters, and people who leave shopping carts/trolleys in parking spaces.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Jeez, Herlock. Did you get up on the wrong side of bed today?

c.d.

Just a few on my list that I hadn’t posted yet c.d.

[c.d.]

Rap music. I would rather get a root canal done than listen to that stuff.

Hate on me if you want. I don't care.

c.d.