Sports club annual meeting - in a pub
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2019
Location: UK
Posts: 3,955
Sports club annual meeting - in a pub
This happened last week, and I just remembered it was in a pub, so clearly there were no issues. The point of this post is it’s fine to go to a pub if the company is of the right sort.
Attendance isn’t compulsory, but it’s a two-hour meeting so I decided to be fashionably late. This wasn’t out of fear of drinking, it was to avoid the opening waffle from the handful of older members whose only involvement in the club seems to be these meetings as I’ve never seen them at training or events 🤣 Someone there, who I respect greatly as a role model and coach, suggested these senior roles should be rotated every two years instead of dragging on indefinitely. Oh how the old folk woke up then to justify their places. Quite amusing. I take the view that I only see these older members once a year. It’s not like a golf club where my membership would subsidise their lifestyle. They don’t affect me. I ignore them; they ignore me. The rest of the members are an amazing bunch.
Anyway, it’s a sports club; most people are fit, some are extremely fit. No one was drinking. No one went up to the bar in the hour and a half I was there.
I had to laugh as the club had a meeting at the same venue a few months ago with about 30 attendees. The bar manager, sensing hefty bar takings, prepared a lavish and gigantic tray of sandwiches. We scoffed the lot, but still no one bought a drink. This time, not a sandwich in sight!
The decision to hold the meeting in a pub was due to the number of people and the pub has a function room. I’m sure other less sporty groups would be in an out like Piccadilly Circus with various pauses to go and get some more drinks. So as I say, pubs are fine if the company’s right. Choose your non-drinking friends carefully
Attendance isn’t compulsory, but it’s a two-hour meeting so I decided to be fashionably late. This wasn’t out of fear of drinking, it was to avoid the opening waffle from the handful of older members whose only involvement in the club seems to be these meetings as I’ve never seen them at training or events 🤣 Someone there, who I respect greatly as a role model and coach, suggested these senior roles should be rotated every two years instead of dragging on indefinitely. Oh how the old folk woke up then to justify their places. Quite amusing. I take the view that I only see these older members once a year. It’s not like a golf club where my membership would subsidise their lifestyle. They don’t affect me. I ignore them; they ignore me. The rest of the members are an amazing bunch.
Anyway, it’s a sports club; most people are fit, some are extremely fit. No one was drinking. No one went up to the bar in the hour and a half I was there.
I had to laugh as the club had a meeting at the same venue a few months ago with about 30 attendees. The bar manager, sensing hefty bar takings, prepared a lavish and gigantic tray of sandwiches. We scoffed the lot, but still no one bought a drink. This time, not a sandwich in sight!
The decision to hold the meeting in a pub was due to the number of people and the pub has a function room. I’m sure other less sporty groups would be in an out like Piccadilly Circus with various pauses to go and get some more drinks. So as I say, pubs are fine if the company’s right. Choose your non-drinking friends carefully
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,477
The point of this post is it’s fine to go to a pub if the company is of the right sort.
I waited a year though, a year of recovery, work, healing and knowing that I’d reached a point where nothing and noone could sway me or break my resolve to stay sober for good.
If I’d done that too soon, I might have done an Icarus and crashed and burned - even if the company had been ‘right’.
When trying to ‘be sober’ for example, in my pre SR days, I did many sober nights with kind and supportive mates, only to drink immediately when I got home. Or I did 3 sober nights in the pub only to immediately order a beer as I walked through the door on the fourth….
So I urge caution, especially to Newcomers.
Your mileage may vary.
D
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2019
Location: UK
Posts: 3,955
Hi Dee, I take your point. I do sometimes get carried away and think “what works for me will be OK for others”. I should back up and say if anyone is uncertain about heading to a pub, steer well clear.
I wrote last year about going in a pub with colleagues who I didn’t know. One colleague ordered all the drinks, and I was thinking this could go badly wrong if he orders me a beer by mistake. I’d have sent it back if course but instead I ordered my drink directly. For a split second, I was putting my trust in some stranger. So, I admit pubs can be stressful - and that was after 3 years sobriety.
So this morning, I had to drop my car off for a few hours but had to make an online call for work whilst waiting. I went into at least ten cafes, and they were all playing background music. I’m not the greatest employee (I’m not even an employee, I’m a contractor), but it’s a phone call I “lead” (in the land of the blind … ) so even I wouldn’t have music in the background. So where did I end up? You guessed it. Needs must.
The UK has a chain of pubs with a name beginning with W. It’s more of a gesture, but I don’t think I should name businesses connected with drinking on SR. Anyway, it was music free, sold cheap coffee and wifi. What’s not to like? I tell you what’s not to like. It’s the other customers with beers at 10.30am. I’m not going to comment on whether these people were employed or not, but without exception, they all looked in very poor health. No normie will drink at that time. These people have drink problems as bad as any of us.
I can’t condone going into pubs, but if you want a good reminder why drinking is such a bad move, it serves that purpose.
The coffee is refillable. I could’ve had 10 cups if I wanted. I’m a huge coffee drinker. But after my phone call, I drunk up and left. What a depressing bunch of people.
I wrote last year about going in a pub with colleagues who I didn’t know. One colleague ordered all the drinks, and I was thinking this could go badly wrong if he orders me a beer by mistake. I’d have sent it back if course but instead I ordered my drink directly. For a split second, I was putting my trust in some stranger. So, I admit pubs can be stressful - and that was after 3 years sobriety.
So this morning, I had to drop my car off for a few hours but had to make an online call for work whilst waiting. I went into at least ten cafes, and they were all playing background music. I’m not the greatest employee (I’m not even an employee, I’m a contractor), but it’s a phone call I “lead” (in the land of the blind … ) so even I wouldn’t have music in the background. So where did I end up? You guessed it. Needs must.
The UK has a chain of pubs with a name beginning with W. It’s more of a gesture, but I don’t think I should name businesses connected with drinking on SR. Anyway, it was music free, sold cheap coffee and wifi. What’s not to like? I tell you what’s not to like. It’s the other customers with beers at 10.30am. I’m not going to comment on whether these people were employed or not, but without exception, they all looked in very poor health. No normie will drink at that time. These people have drink problems as bad as any of us.
I can’t condone going into pubs, but if you want a good reminder why drinking is such a bad move, it serves that purpose.
The coffee is refillable. I could’ve had 10 cups if I wanted. I’m a huge coffee drinker. But after my phone call, I drunk up and left. What a depressing bunch of people.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2022
Posts: 274
Hi Dee,
What do you play?
I'm a guitarist and played in several bands over the years. Sadly, I drank my Les Paul last year, along with my Eric Clapton signature strat. Looking back, I'm gutted. At the time I NEEDED drink aso they had to go. At least my 73 Thinline Telecaster survived to this day. That's not an instrument to me, it's an old friend!!
Boy do I wish I'd done detox sooner as i'd still have them now. That's what I mean when I say drink stripped me of just about everything
What do you play?
I'm a guitarist and played in several bands over the years. Sadly, I drank my Les Paul last year, along with my Eric Clapton signature strat. Looking back, I'm gutted. At the time I NEEDED drink aso they had to go. At least my 73 Thinline Telecaster survived to this day. That's not an instrument to me, it's an old friend!!
Boy do I wish I'd done detox sooner as i'd still have them now. That's what I mean when I say drink stripped me of just about everything
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,477
I play bass usually when in a band but I have a variety of acoustics and electrics at home, mandolin, bouzouki…
No names brands with the electrics - Epiphones and Yamahas
I sold a lot of things back in the day too.
D
No names brands with the electrics - Epiphones and Yamahas
I sold a lot of things back in the day too.
D
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