Next EDF Drinks - Tonight at The Uplands

[mockney piers]

That's a pretty perfect description there DPF. Not that I don't have a bit of a soft spot for them on occasion, as long as they can muster a decent pint.

As it goes this pub is pretty old school good points without all the bad bits; it can be done.

[Keef]

Edited cos I hadn't seen the other thread.

[Keef]

Dulwich_ Park_ Fairy Wrote:

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> Can someone define what they mean by an "old skool boozer"? To me it conjures a picture of drinking crap beer in a poorly decorated bar, in an atmosphere of potential violence. Was forced to drink in too many of them before I moved to

London.

I don't think that's a good description at all, where does the threat of violence come in to it? And why crap beer? :-S

For me, it just means a pub. And to add clarification to that comment, I wouldn't describe anywhere on Lordship Lane, except perhaps the EDT (JUST) as a pub.

CPT = Pub :)-D Not to everyone's taste, but not violent, and the beer is generally good in my book.

[annaj]

Just to show I'm not anti-old school this was my local growing up...

http://www.britishpubguide.com/cgi-bin/pub.cgi?results:Gloucestershire:633

The majority of the regulars wore wellies and their trousers held up with baler twine (if you've seen Hot Fuzz, think of the scene where Simon Pegg needs two translators to speak to a local farmer) No ventilation and so thick with smoke you can hardly see across the room. Popular day time activities included cribbage and backgammon. Evenings a bit more lively with karaoke on a Saturday, Meatloaf's Paradise by the Dashboard Lights is a big favourite.

Ladies served their beer in a ladies half pint glass. Now that's old school. ;-)

[mockney piers]

If we're doing trips down memory lane, this was my old one.

http://www.pub-explorer.com/herts/pub/threemoorhenshitchin.htm

Note that it now has waitresses and a kiddies playground, not so in my day, it had darts and casual violence (sometimes together).

It got gentrified in 1991 so for all those who think us home counties types are bringing about an irredeemable loss to the character of East Dulwich, pity us poor refugees from these changes elsewhere.

[Dulwich_ Park_ Fairy]

Ladies served their beer in a ladies half pint glass. Now that's old school.

Now that is old skool, lager and lime I hope.

Keef

The Castle isn't old school. Any pub dominated by the tv is immediately disqualified. What it is is a male-dominated drinking den, which, because of this, sees more than it fair share of trouble. Do you not see why some of the ladies on the board might not want to go there? Maybe you should make the next drinks men only...

[Annasfield]

I think that Keef was going with the idea of a "spit and sawdust" type pub, which the Castle clearly is.

[Dulwich_ Park_ Fairy]

think that Keef was going with the idea of a "spit and sawdust" type pub, which the Castle clearly is.

AKA "shit-hole"

[muffins78]

I didnt make it to the drinks on Friday - work took over :-(

However I have an idea for the next venue and how to decide for the X amount of months!! I recall there was a poll on the forum for the best pub in East Dulwich (I think it was before Christmas).

How about everyone puts forward a name of the pub/bar that the forum should go to between now and lets say, Christmas! We put all the pubs/bars into a hat, draw the first 8 and in the order they come out will be the venue for March, April, May etc.. And the forum can use this as a way to rate the pubs if they so wish :-) You never know when booking the area in the pub, they may give us something nice in return for voting them the best pub in East Dulwich :-)

[Annasfield]

Quite harsh there DPF - When were you last in there?

[Dulwich_ Park_ Fairy]

Annasfield

Six months ago. I've tried it about 5 times and its just not a very nice pub, and I'll drink pretty much anywhere.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Well, whatever you say about the The Castle - it clearly isnt just "any old pub"!

Keef - what about the Magdalla? Doesnt that have what it takes to be a Pub?

[Dulwich_ Park_ Fairy]

Doesnt that have what it takes to be a Pub?

It even has old skool chairs in it.

[Keef]

Don't mind The Mag, but wouldn't call it pub as such, what with the pizzas and booth style seating. DPF I'm not a regular of the Castle by any stretch, just thought I'd point that out. I do however have to question your point about women feeling threatened in there. I don't think anyone had suggested that before, and if there was trouble, it would be a bloke who got his head kicked in.

[Annasfield]

I've been in Castle on a few occasions now, mainly with my housemate (who is also female). We have never felt threatened before, so find that quite surprising.

Each to their own I guess - if every pub was the same it would be quite boring.

[Dulwich_ Park_ Fairy]

I do however have to question your point about women feeling threatened in there. I don't think anyone had suggested that before, and if there was trouble, it would be a bloke who got his head kicked in.

I didn't say that women would feel threatened in there, I was just pointing out that most women would not choose to drink in a "male dominated drinking den" where you might witness a punch-up. Its not the kind of place where a woman would be assaulted (except possibly by their partner).

[KalamityKel]

Dulwich_ Park_ Fairy Wrote:

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> I didn't say that women would feel threatened in

> there, I was just pointing out that most women

> would not choose to drink in a "male dominated

> drinking den" where you might witness a punch-up.

> Its not the kind of place where a woman would be

> assaulted (except possibly by their partner).

Oh Please! that's just nonsense!

[Bellenden Belle]

I'll miss very much the people

> who have said they won't attend if it's held there

> but I am going to argue STRONGLY that if you bite

> the bullet and come along you'll be surprised at

> how good a pub it can be. I'll go further and say

> that if one's natural inclination is to not want

> to go somewhere (and it goes every-way - if Louisa

> came to the drinks but said she would never go to

> say, Bar Story then it's just snobbishness with a

> different hue) then it's GOOD for you to make the

> extra effort (as I will when the Vale is next up)

>

Sean, this is a community forum - and we are blessed that lots of people come together once a month to have a drink and get to know each other. It's not a self-help group and it is quite peculiar to start suggesting that people need to challenge their boundaries, making "extra effort", and that such action will be "GOOD for you".

For some people, and yes I include myself in the beginning, making their way to meet a group of strangers is a big enough challenge enough.

I think Michael Palaeologus pointed out that the most important thing is that people come along and feel included - and if that means ruling out some pubs, then so be it.

Personally I would rather have a less exciting pub but with a great bunch of people from all walks of life, than to have the opportunity to sample a new pub but with less interesting people.

How important are our surroundings in the grand scheme of things? When you think of all the great communication that goes on here - in cyberspace for gawd's sake - then surely it's the people that matter.

[Dulwich_ Park_ Fairy]

Oh Please! that's just nonsense

You're right.

EDIT

I was just pointing out that most women would always choose to drink in a "male dominated drinking den" where you might witness a punch-up. They just love that kind of stuff, especially if they have a premiership game on and the stella's ?2 a pint.

[SteveT]

The only forumistas allowed to place a vote are the ones who turned up to the upland bash.

options so far:-

CPT Clockhouse Magdala...................castle and vale far too controversial and montpellier too remote.

Okay admin nows your chance to shine, how do we place our votes on your system(?)

[Keef]

Bellenden Belle Wrote:

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> How important are our surroundings in the grand scheme of things? When you think of all the great communication that goes on here - in cyberspace for gawd's sake - then surely it's the people that matter.

That is the most important point, noone really thinks much of the uplands, but as we said when we agreed on it, it's the company that matters.

DPF your last post is stereotypical and a load of rubbish. Okay, we're not doing the Castle, fine, but have you ever actually seen any trouble in there, honestly?

I'm not for a second denying that it's had trouble over the years, that would be like claiming that bears don't sh!t in the woods. However, I have never seen a fight there. I have seen a bloody massive street brawl spill out of The Vale, I have personally broken up a fight in the CPT (definitely not a rough pub), I have seen someone punched in the EDT, and in The Bishop (I won't even start on about when it was The Forresters, but it's really not thast different now)!

The Mag used to have an amazing rep for violence, but that was some time ago, so not tarring it with that brush now. Same could be said for The Plough.

Basically, even the nicest places can have trouble. I have seen several people forcibly (sp?) removed from the Black Cherry and actually felt more uncomfortable in there one night a couple of months ago than I ever have in any other place in ED. And amazingly, they don't even sell Stella, they sell cocktails to decent people.

[Dulwich_ Park_ Fairy]

DPF your last post is stereotypical and a load of rubbish. Okay, we're not doing the Castle, fine, but have you ever actually seen any trouble in there, honestly?

I've seen trouble outside at night but, as I have only ever been in there in the early evening, none actually inside. However, I do know some of the people who drink there and have seen them involved in plenty of aggro.

Could you now answer my earlier question about understanding why a lot of women wouldn't want to drink there?

[mockney piers]

I've been forcibly removed form the Black Cherry, but I'm not sure that falling off my chair [while being hugged by Mrs F'n'B] counts as violence per se.

*edited for bracket related, unwitting emoticon issue

[Michael Palaeologus]

I agree with Keef that pubs should not be tarred with the "violent" brush for no good reason, based on received wisdom and few facts - some pubs often seem to go in cycles, a period of bad followed by a period of good. People should explore places and make their own minds up.

BUT - I also agree with Belle - people need to explore at their own pace and under their own steam. Gentle encouragement is fine, but forcing people outside of their boundaries by having what is an EDF whole-community event in a venue in which they dont feel comfortable is not something I feel happy with. The fact is that such people will not turn up and may then never turn up. Their loss, but ours too.

We do have sub-groups - the Badminton people, the Curry people, the CPT crew, the comedy fans, the Scrabblers and so on. These are not exclusive and people float in and out of them, but they do cater for specific interest groups. The EDF monthly drink up surely is intended to be as inclusive as possible and I think that the choice of venue should reflect this.

This is not to say that EDF groups do not go to the Castle or the Vale or one of the gastropubs - but perhaps not the whole group. Given the cycle noted above it may well be that these places will eventually become more generally accepted either through positive feedback or through major change (e.g. The Plough).

X

[Keef]

> Could you now answer my earlier question about understanding why a lot of women wouldn't want to drink there?

No, I'm a bloke, and if I had the first idea how women thought, I'd have written a book and would now be a very rich bloke, and I'd never have rows with Mrs Keef, but alas I'm as clueless as every other bloke out there.

Seriously, I understand what you're saying, and I know I'm not going to sway you, but I can't agree with it. Now I've said that, I'll probably get knifed next time I walk past there, sods law and all that.

> I do know some of the people who drink there and have seen them involved in plenty of aggro.

I'm pretty sure I know who you are talking about, and they look for trouble wherever they go, which includes most of the bars in ED if you're unlucky enough to go to one the same night as them.

Piers, I wasn't there that night, but have heard all about it. Bless her.