Saturday Drinking
From Tom S
Saturday, 6 April 2019
We did this last year. At the first sign of sunshine, town is full of drinkers visiting from all over. This is fine as we agreed last year, as long as it does not dominate and impact on our other shops, visitors, families and residents.
Last year councillors put up “No street drinking” signs all around town to stop our square, steps and riverside becoming large extended beer gardens. Today these signs were widely ignored. Customers of the Shoulder of Mutton are using the square as their beer garden and customers of the Swan are drinking all over the Wavy Steps.
Nobody is enforcing the bans. So either enforce them, or they are useless.
I actually think that a better way to manage this is either to ask the businesses who benefit from this culture, to fund a street warden or extra police. Or more preferably to fine the businesses themselves- thus encouraging them to take some responsibility for the actions of their customers, or recruit additional staff to make sure it does not happen.
Either way, with elections coming up, this is something I think that our councillors especially Mr Young, whose terms ends in May, will want to do something about.
From Dave H
Monday, 8 April 2019
Those two pubs are persistent offenders. I believe they were ticked off by Hebden Royd council last summer, and things improved as a result. Looks like it needs to happen again, possibly in stronger terms.
Calderdale Licensing should also be involved, as if they are in breach, they ultimately could lose their alcohol licence.
From Kevin S
Tuesday, 16 April 2019
The drinkers will be out in force this weekend, due to the hot forecast.
But nobody will be around to keep them within the licensed premises.
From Paul D
Thursday, 25 April 2019
I’m afraid we are de facto the destination of choice for your Saturday daytime drinking crowd. No surprise really given that Calderdale have hawked us as some trashy day out for knuckle dragging and only occasionally sober target group.
On a brighter note, there isn’t much sick. Men tend to urinate out of sight, the chip shop is busy and they go home quite early.
But yes, Saturday drinking used to be slightly more interesting with men in clogs singing a ditty, ladies in fur coats regaling the Albert with stories of boards well trodden. Illegal bookies hoping the legal bookie (on Cheetham St - the irony) might bail them out. No end of poets and farmers and weavers and pressers telling tales of the week.
Now it’s just God awful drunken tourists. Our role is purely to facilitate their cheap day out. Men you don’t work with swearing at your kids. Welcome to Hebden Bridge. I despise the people who pretend this is accidental, who planned this.
From Graham Barker
Friday, 26 April 2019
These two websites must bear significant responsibility, so it might be an idea to contact them regularly with complaints or give them a prodding via social media. I emailed CVRAT over a year ago, suggesting - politely, I think - that they consider the implications of what they were promoting. I never got a reply but if they get regular reminders that all is not well, something might eventually sink in. I note that on neither website is there a word about being responsible and considerate.
Calder Valley Railway Ale Trail
Chris Dyson blog
From Dave R
Saturday, 27 April 2019
Luckily we have a damp squib after the glorious Easter to calm the troubled waters.
What I did notice as I manouvered manoeuvred the drinkers in the Square last week, was the lack of the 'barrier' outside the Shoulder and the use of real glass. Proving that if no one polices it, nothing changes.
From N Waring
Sunday, 28 April 2019
In defence of Chris Dyson's blog, he is a real ale drinker. He writes about enjoying decent ale, soc iable conversation and a congenial atmosphere.
From Andy G
Monday, 29 April 2019
I fully agree with N Waring on the subject of Chris Dyson's blog and the same applies to the guys who set up the Calder Valley Rail Ale Trail.
Unfortunately however - just like its big brother on the Huddersfield line - the Calder Valley trail has been hijacked by large groups of loud, uncouth lager louts whose sole aim is to drink as much as possible in the shortest possible time. While these folk are very good for the revenues of the pubs which they visit, they create havoc with local people going about their everyday business, as well as with local pub regulars who just want to have a quiet sociable drink with their friends.
It has got to the stage where many town centre pubs have become no-go areas for local people at weekends. What should be done about it?...a very difficult question. Answers please on a beermat.
From Tom S
Sunday, 12 May 2019
There's a massive thread on the Hebden Facebook group with 300+ comments. So the additional consequence of not dealing with this last year is an increased problem, and lots of people feeling bruised and upset.
Blame sits squarely with civic leaders. Town Council. Calderdale Council who have failed to address this, regulate and enforce to keep some balance for all of the town's stakeholders. Without this, why on earth would landlords care? They are making a fortune from this. Take some action, and protect the families, residents, small businesses, tourists and visitors who want to see their little town changed for the benefit of maybe 10 pubs and bars.
Any pub or bar that allows it's customers to drink on pavements, spilling out into the square, street or footpath should be fined. 3 fines in 12 months and you lose your licence. Would encourage some more responsibility from landlords, who really just need to ask their glass collectors to ask people to stay on the premises.
It's just about balance and being reasonable. And not ignoring an issue that will get worse, and more divisive, over the summer.
From Sharon Slade
Friday, 24 May 2019
It's really only 3 pubs that cause the problem. Nothing happened last year and I have no faith that anything will improve this year. Personally I avoid the town I live in at the weekends, as do others.
The next Calder Ward Forum is meeting on Monday 10th June at 6.45 in the Waterfront Hall in the Town Hall. Lots of folk attended last year when this issue was put on the agenda so maybe we should try again or at least register our discontent with how the town is overtaken for the benefit of a few businesses.
From Dave R
Monday, 27 May 2019
I noticed the barriers/screens outside the Shoulder have not been used since last summer, and none of the establishments are using plastic glasses outside.
Unless the laws are policed by our council, they may as well not be there.
I too no longer venture into that area at weekend.
Previously
HebWeb Forum: Saturday afternoon drinking
April to August 2018