Clockhouse - ?500 for a 2 year old children's party?

[Vik]

Albrigton Centre off Dog Kennel Hill is great, a few different size halls to choose from, roof terrace if weather is nice, bouncy castle available and prices very reasonable.

[northlondoner]

NunheadRising Wrote:

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> Maybe i'm not down with the East Dulwich Hipster

> parenting way of life but a pub is not a great

> environment for a kids party

No. Perhaps not in Nunhead.

[keane]

?500 crazy expensive for 2 hours in room in pub they are taking the Mickey. Try, community centre on Darrel Road, constitutional club on east dulwich grove, at John & at Clements church hall, alleyns hire out their cricket pavilion, we've had kids parties in all these places over the years and all were around ?100-?150 for longer than 2 hours! Also the room above the old mag now the patch is fine & isn't like being in a pub atall as it's a separate room upstairs.

[taica31]

More info:

http://adf.ly/r394I

[kford]

JAGS does birthday parties in the school gym. Bouncy castles, toddler toys and a big table. Need to bring your own food and drink but they'll help out and clear up afterwards. Costs about ?160. Kids have a great time.

[KidKruger]

You can rent (class)rooms in that school on the road which runs along the South side of Peckham Rye park, also you can rent the hall. You bring your own food/plates etc and have to clear-up before you vacate. If I remember correctly.

[MelfordRd]

The Victoria Inn on bellenden road actually has a kids area complete with toys etc. I don't know how much it would cost, but that sounds perfect?

http://www.victoriainnpeckham.com/pub/kid's-room.aspx

[StraferJack]

Victoria inn is closed at the moment due to flooding

[jimbo1964]

The Rose on Forest Hill Road has a nice function room in the garden.

[Belle]

And Peckham soft play (at Peckham pulse) does parties - think it's something like 45 mins in soft play then upstairs for your party tea (you take your own food and set up etc) - can't remember price but it's reasonable.

[sheilarose]

Surrey Docks City Farm has a party room for ?120 for 2 and a half hours, plus ?35 extra for donkey rides. http://www.surreydocksfarm.org.uk/parties-meetings/

[Yoghurt Collective]

"Shock horror"..."Trauma" - Get a hold of yourself: Kids' parties make mess, are a strain on staff and often times are very off-putting to customers. The Clock House isn't that big so even if you're upstairs it wouldn't surprise me if noise would be heard in other parts of the pub. Throw into the mix all the gargantuan buggies, currently so en vogue, clogging up stairwells and entrances, and little parties such as yours can start to feel like more hassle than they're worth for pubs. They clearly feel ?500 (although I agree with you that for two hours this is a little steep) is an amount that compensates for the potential of the aforementioned consequences, especially as a toddler's party won't generate much revenue, in terms of liquor and food sales. With that said, it's highly likely that is what they normally charge for room hire, and don't feel inclined to drop their price for you (which they are thoroughly entitled not to do).

Unless you're a complete idiot, you'll be aware that there are plenty of other places to host a party in the area and plenty of people willing to recommend cheaper and more suitable options, so I find your entirely uncalled for and hysterical attempt to publicly besmirch a decent pub, which I happen to enjoy the odd pint in, utterly ungracious. You could have just asked the question, without the pettiness. Moreover, your post, is symbolic of the ignorance of SOME parents who are under the illusion that the world revolves around their children and their needs. It doesn't, and despite the fact that the majority of gastropubs now go out their way to pander to this type of demographic, it doesn't mean that on the odd occasion when they don't, they have done anything wrong.

[Penguin68]

Unless you're a complete idiot, you'll be aware that there are plenty of other places

Not, I think, if you are new either to parenthood or to the area itself. Economic child-friendly venues were well off my radar before I had children - now mine have graduated I wouldn't (again) be aware of what is currently available best value in an area where I have lived for the last quarter of a century.

And, for many parents, the world does revolve around their children and their needs - particularly parents of tiny children, who are, in an era when there aren't bevies of aunts and other relatives around to advise, are terrifeid they are doing the wrong thing and will somehow cause untold damage to their children. Most are actually aware that other people's worlds don't revolve about their children, but often they will be in groups of other young parents who will think similarly to them (about their own children).

The OP asked, if I recall, whether ?500 was a reasonable (for the area) price to pay - it clearly isn't reasonable or necessary - of course some venues may wish to price-out children's parties - that is their choice.

[Yoghurt Collective]

Will somebody think of the children!

Firstly the OP didn't ask whether it was a reasonable price - I in fact inferred, from her hyperbole, that she clearly thinks it is not.

"...some venues may wish to price-out children's parties - that is their choice." - thanks for summarising something I just wrote. I strongly concur that this startling revelation is indeed true: Pubs are businesses and if they don't feel that something is of value in business terms, they may well choose not to do it. They may be right, they may not be, it's up to them.

"...for many parents, the world does revolve around their children and their needs" - again, great summary - thanks. Firstly, I don't in any way seek to belittle the importance of parental love to a child's upbringing. And of course, in the uncertain climate many of us live in, it is only natural that many new parents are extremely concerned that they do everything possible to give their offspring the best start possible, in life. Yet it has always been thus, and I would proffer that a new kind of attitude of entitlement that many parents (both singularly and collectively) seem to have is both damaging to their children, the local community, and society in general.

Over the last few years - I have lost count of the number of times I've been pushed out onto the main road (usually on Lordship Lane) by a duo/trio of buggy pushing parents doddering along side-by-side, totally oblivious to the fact that their use of public space is highly inconsiderate, bordering on dangerous. I recall too, on numerous occasions, parents with children barging in front of me - in shop queues, or at cash-points - without so much as a nod of acknowledgement. And lest we forget, the desecration of the sanctity of the pub (where as a child my Dad would make sure I sat nowhere near the bar, if at all inside), where it is nigh on impossible to have a quiet pint and an adult discussion at a weekend, without being impinged upon by rampaging toddlers and screaming infants. Now this is not entirely the fault of parents - moreover a symptom of the yuppification of pubs in general, and the distinct change in their target demographic, but it does not make the way some parents behave and allow their children to behave in places (that no matter what anyone cares to argue represent today) will always be primarily places for adult recreation and relaxation. All that, without even scratching the surface of the underhand ways parents approach school admissions processes or pollute the environment and block up the roads with ridiculously inefficient and oversized vehicles.

And so I ask, what sort of message does all this send to the children of this certain type of parent. That manners are of no importance? Nor respecting your elders? That even in public spaces others do not have a right not to be disturbed by your own behaviour? In my working life I have come across many people who I have suspected of enjoying a similar upbringing to the one I have alluded to above - and to a man/woman a more entitled and ignorant bunch you could not wish to meet.

Plus re the "unless you're a complete idiot" comment, a quick google search of "east dulwich party venues" turned up a host of hits - that could have been viewed and narrowed down/contacted allowing the OP to ask a better formulated question without the need for childish histrionics.

[SteveUK1978]

Welcome to the Forum YC. With rants like that you will fit right in here.

[Otta]

A lot of effort there but nothing original.

[northlondoner]

Yoghurt Collective Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Will somebody think of the children!

>

> Firstly the OP didn't ask whether it was a

> reasonable price - I in fact inferred, from her

> hyperbole, that she clearly thinks it is not.

>

> "...some venues may wish to price-out children's

> parties - that is their choice." - thanks for

> summarising something I just wrote. I strongly

> concur that this startling revelation is indeed

> true: Pubs are businesses and if they don't feel

> that something is of value in business terms, they

> may well choose not to do it. They may be right,

> they may not be, it's up to them.

>

> "...for many parents, the world does revolve

> around their children and their needs" - again,

> great summary - thanks. Firstly, I don't in any

> way seek to belittle the importance of parental

> love to a child's upbringing. And of course, in

> the uncertain climate many of us live in, it is

> only natural that many new parents are extremely

> concerned that they do everything possible to give

> their offspring the best start possible, in life.

> Yet it has always been thus, and I would proffer

> that a new kind of attitude of entitlement that

> many parents (both singularly and collectively)

> seem to have is both damaging to their children,

> the local community, and society in general.

>

> Over the last few years - I have lost count of the

> number of times I've been pushed out onto the main

> road (usually on Lordship Lane) by a duo/trio of

> buggy pushing parents doddering along

> side-by-side, totally oblivious to the fact that

> their use of public space is highly inconsiderate,

> bordering on dangerous. I recall too, on numerous

> occasions, parents with children barging in front

> of me - in shop queues, or at cash-points -

> without so much as a nod of acknowledgement. And

> lest we forget, the desecration of the sanctity of

> the pub (where as a child my Dad would make sure I

> sat nowhere near the bar, if at all inside), where

> it is nigh on impossible to have a quiet pint and

> an adult discussion at a weekend, without being

> impinged upon by rampaging toddlers and screaming

> infants. Now this is not entirely the fault of

> parents - moreover a symptom of the yuppification

> of pubs in general, and the distinct change in

> their target demographic, but it does not make the

> way some parents behave and allow their children

> to behave in places (that no matter what anyway

> cares to argue represent today) will always be

> primarily places for adult recreation and

> relaxation. All that, without even scratching the

> surface of the underhand ways parents approach

> school admissions processes or pollute the

> environment and block up the roads with

> ridiculously inefficient and oversized vehicles.

>

> And so I ask, what sort of message does all this

> send to the children of this certain type of

> parent. That manners are of no importance? Nor

> respecting your elders? That even in public spaces

> others do not have a right not to be disturbed by

> your own behaviour? In my working life I have come

> across many people who I have suspected of

> enjoying a similar upbringing to the one I have

> alluded to above - and to a man/woman a more

> entitled and ignorant bunch you could not wish to

> meet.

>

> Plus re the "unless you're a complete idiot"

> comment, a quick google search of "east dulwich

> party venues" turned up a host of hits - that

> could have been viewed and narrowed down/contacted

> allowing the OP to ask a better formulated

> question without the need for childish

> histrionics.

Cracking post. Nailed it.

[Bellenden Belle]

StraferJack Wrote:

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> Victoria inn is closed at the moment due to

> flooding

Nope - reopened. As I posted yesterday - so keep up SJ.

[Loz]

StraferJack Wrote:

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> Victoria inn is closed at the moment due to flooding

What do you expect with 50 kids all being plied with non-stop lemonade?

[Yoghurt Collective]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> A lot of effort there but nothing original.

Nobody does it half as good as you...

[Ladysaw]

Thanks for all your input everyone!

Dear Y C,

thanks for all your time and effort to post your opinions as you should and its a public forum hence why we all have an input pretty much based on facts. Mostly.

I can and will be delighted to appropriately respond to your post however I don't have the time or the energy.

In the meantime ...

http://www.speakerscorner.net

Try not to be too overzealous!

Thanks everyone again. Will be busy making some phone calls today xx

[Yoghurt Collective]

Hi Ladysaw,

I really appreciate your snooty attempt to have the last word. I'm sorry you've been offended for being called out for trying to slag off an establishment for telling you the price of something. I saw your post on the forum's twitter feed (not put there by your fair claw, I'm sure) and thought I'd for once stand up for businesses getting unfairly and publicly b*tched about. You could have just looked up some other places, but I suppose you didn't have the time or energy, so instead went straight on here and had a whine, which I'm sure was much quicker and less energy sapping.

Thanks everyone xoxox (more kisses and some hugs, I win).

[Curmudgeon]

Church halls are your friend ..particularly if they run toddler clubs and you can borrow the toys. The one on Barry Road used to allow that (admittedly we are talking a decade ago so it might have changed)

[PokerTime]

Anyone else think YC is linked to the Clock House? Joined today out of anger for one thread? ?500 for two and a half hours use anywhere is excessive. Lot's of pubs hire out rooms with no required min bar take. I regularly go to many pubs in town and the city where I pay less for beer and food and both are much better. Have never understood why some local pubs are getting away with charging West End prices and delivering poor value. Another debate perhaps.

[Loz]

PokerTime Wrote:

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> Anyone else think YC is linked to the Clock House?

I didn't PT... until that last post about the Twitter feed.