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Even typing that out seems so
incorrect. Who on earth, in this day and
age, takes their child to the pub?
Whatever about it being ethically wrong (in
my opinion) you are leaving yourself wide open for the world and her mother to
come down on you in a judgemental avalanche.
Guess what we did Saturday evening? Valentines evening to be exact.
We took our four boys to the pub at 6pm. For a Fizzy Mineral and a Packet of CrispsTM
It wasn’t planned.
We were going into the (empty) lounge from the
street entrance and I remember fervently hoping and praying that no-one we knew
was driving past. I was a bit embarrassed,
if I’m to be honest. I wasn’t totally
comfortable and I felt the aforementioned judgement raining down on me.
What happened was we decided to take the
boys in for a pizza. We do it every so
often as a treat. There is a wonderful
Italian restaurant in our hometown and their pizzas are amazing, to say the
least. Absolutely scrumptious. Our boys put away a 12” each. With room for ice
cream afterwards.
I thought we were being clever with our
showing up before 6pm with the intention of being finished in an hour. Just in time for the valentines rush.
Nope.
Not clever. All of the tables were
booked out.
No room at the inn for a family of
six.
So we opted for a takeout instead. It was going to take fifteen minutes and
instead of our boys making off with the helium balloons and lifting the
romantic trinkets from the many tables, we decided to take them across the road
for a drink.
Yes, to the pub.
We don’t even have diluted juice in our
house so the opportunity for a fizzy orange was grabbed with both hands.
Smallest Boy isn’t keen though and he had
his Mi Wadi. Propped up at the bar
between the two of us.
God I love a glass of Guinness.
But it brought back the memories of my
previous question and as was par for the course for our generation, both Mister
Husband and I would have been “brought” to the pub on special occasions.
Typically after a Communion or a
christening. I can remember being
brought once because a bottle of port was needed for Christmas baking.
Mister Husband recalled being sick as a,
well, dog, after a Communion visit. Lots
of friendly people bought him and his siblings packets of Tayto and glasses of
orange. He said it wasn’t pretty. I believed him.
And then Lovely Liam sparked another memory
when he asked if he could have his pizza in the pub.
Personally I was on for that but of course
it wasn’t an option. It did remind me of
having a Chinese propped up at the bar in Murphy’s after a Kildare match. We ordered it from the Chinese across the
road and Brendan gave us plates and everything.
Those were good times.
So for those who saw us slink into the
lounge on Valentines evening, that’s what we were at. Honest. Just killing time. I swear.
I believe you....No, honestly I do! Ha ha ha!
ReplyDeleteJoanna, I wanted more than anything to put them into a taxi and send them home so I could stay. That Guinness was going down well!
DeleteI don't drink, haven't in a long long time. I do however bring the babogs to a Sunday carvery fortnightl. I do get a little embarrassed if I bump into people and make it clear that we are there for the gravy hahaha
ReplyDeleteI like a drop of gravy myself!
ReplyDeleteOur local pub is around the corner form my parents and we used to go there at the weekends sometimes but my parents haven't been to the pub for anything other than an occasion (indulging in a soft drink) in over 20 years..now I bring myself there! ;)Luke hasn't been in a pub in his lifetime yet but if we were to pop in like you guys did or for a bit of food then I wouldn't have any problems with it :)
ReplyDeleteIt IS nice and ok for a treat. One that lasts half an hour. And I say this because I honestly, hand on heart know that if I were to stay any longer, one glass of Guinness would turn into a second and a third. And personally, I don't think that's ok. It just wouldn't sit right with me.
DeleteMy Oh doesn't drink at all so we never took the kids to a pub, except on holidays. We holiday in Allihies in West Cork. It is a different world, a different world with nothing there except two pubs, a beach and mountains. At night there is live Irish music and singing. Kids are welcome and they sell litre drinks to keep the cost down. There is a playground across the road and closing time is not adhered to. It is not uncommon to see kids asleep in arms while the sing song continues and the older children come and go. For me it is something I want my children to always remember. An Ireland we have lost where children are welcome and culture is real, not something they read about. Then we return home to 'modern Ireland' and there is no way I'd take them to the pub
ReplyDeleteYou have it in a nutshell - "modern Ireland. " It is precisely due to this fact I wouldn't take my kids into a pub. Years ago, the communions and the confirmations etc, it was almost a rite of passage and all of the kids were in the pub with their parents. But not today. WHen we were in Rosslare last year, we went down to Tides for a quick drink and yes, we took our boys and my SIL took her daughter. We were very mindful of the NO CHILDREN AFTER 9PM sign on the wall and finished up pronto. We were only there for an hour. But the bar man kept telling us "They're grand. They're sitting there not causing any trouble. Don't be rushing." Which I thought was nice but I'd prefer to let my hair down without my kids watching!
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