The Actress - heads up

[yeknomyeknom]

We love the Actress pizzas and there are always plenty of children and babies in there in the early evenings to make us not feel too bad bringing ours in for dinner. However, went tonight and there are now signs up saying no children after 7.30pm. Such a shame. We are going to have to move on to the Great Exhibition, a little further up the road instead for dinner with baby.

[????]

Think it's fair enough to be honest

[yeknomyeknom]

Yeah, I wasn't commenting on the fairness. Just giving other parents a heads up so they don't get caught short like us.

[Strawbs]

I think 7.30 is fair too.

[LondonMix]

Agree

[Pickle]

Yep, last thing I want if I go out in the evening without my kids is to have other people's children there. Pubs after 7:30pm aren't the place to go if you want to eat with kids in my opinion.

[Mick Mac]

A child is different to a baby. A baby could be asleep in a baby seat and not bother anyone. On the other hand I do agree that children should not be in pubs after 730 or maybe 8.

[Otta]

Yep, agree with everyone else.

As an aside, I really for the life of me do not know why in the name of God people actually want to take their kids out for meals in pubs. I am not saying they shouldn't by the way. Me and the wife had a rare couple of hours without the kids last Sunday. We went for a bite on Lordship Lane, then decided to have a quick drink before picking them up. Walked in to The Great Exhibition, and walked straight out again. It was awful!!!

Again, I am making no judgement on people taking kids to pubs, I'm just genuinely intrigued as to why the Hell anyone would want to sit in that environment.

[Chillaxed]

Sounds like a good policy.

Otta, on the few occasions we've taken our son to the pub, it's been to have a meal and a decent pint at lunch. Pubs tend to be noisier than other eating establishments so if our son did go berserker we'd cause less of a disruption before we bailed in embarrassment. We've no grandparents or relatives around so it's that or a pub-free existence.

[GipsyRose]

Thanks for the info. Good to know. I often find the children are not the problem but the parents who can't control their children or teach them how to behave in public!

[Chillaxed]

"the parents who can't control their children or teach them how to behave in public!"

Yep, that's us. Let us know the secret so we can finish our meals and pints at our leisure next time.

[GipsyRose]

Ha ha! I have kids too and am by no means perfect. It was just a personal general observation.

[Otta]

Fair play chillaxed, I just don't think I could relax and enjoy a pint in that situation. The Great Exhibition seems very popular for families on a Sunday, and all power to them, it's just manic!

[Sonners]

I agree that babies are different to children - I was in the Actress a few weeks ago and my two month old happily snoozed in her buggy from 7pm until half 10 when we left (although my husband was on hand to take her home if that hadn't been the case). It's a shame that it won't be an option any more. I was quite delighted to have a Friday night out for the first time in a while!

[dulwichfam]

We are normally out by 7:30 due to bedtime but it is nice to have the heads up. I would much rather have a sign up or a warning instead of sitting down, ordering and finding out you need to rush when the food is delivered.

[????]

Other people's kids being a pain in the a*se whilst mine are perfectly behaved shocker!

[midivydale]

Otta Wrote:

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

> Yep, agree with everyone else.

>

> As an aside, I really for the life of me do not

> know why in the name of God people actually want

> to take their kids out for meals in pubs. I am not

> saying they shouldn't by the way. Me and the wife

> had a rare couple of hours without the kids last

> Sunday. We went for a bite on Lordship Lane, then

> decided to have a quick drink before picking them

> up. Walked in to The Great Exhibition, and walked

> straight out again. It was awful!!!

>

> Again, I am making no judgement on people taking

> kids to pubs, I'm just genuinely intrigued as to

> why the Hell anyone would want to sit in that

> environment.

Agree 100%

[PipD]

Real shame this. I was really looking forward to continuing our "tradition" of a bit of food and a couple of glasses of wine on a Thursday night despite the arrival of our little bundle of fun. In fact one of things that cemented ED as the place for me when I moved was the sight of a dad with new born in one hand and a pint in the other late one evening in the actress. The actress's family side also made this work fine as far as I could tell. Daft decision.

Quick investigation last night and Great Ex is 8pm and Plough 9pm. All interestingly/conflictingly claiming that this is the law.

[Otta]

They are businesses, and they must be doing this for a reason.

Either

1. They can get more customers in the door in the evening who prefer a child free environment (doubtful on week nights I imagine).

Or

2. The law is forcing their hands.

[nunheadmum]

A pint in the pub with kids isn't the same as one with adult friends, that's clear....would prefer with friends any day. But if you have kids with a disposition which lets you have a chat with them, play some simple games etc, a pint with kids can be a nice interlude at the weekend (and introduces pubs as somewhere other than where you get sozzled). Sometimes as parents you just need a different environment and kids need to learn how to behave in your environments just as you need to learn how to go with the flow in theirs (e.g softplay, playground, pool etc).

But if the kids aren't happy in the environment, it's no fun for anyone and my kids or not, I'd want to get out!

[PipD]

Otta, I'm sure there are a few more possible reasons, not all business make good decisions!

[StraferJack]

7.30 sound perfectly reasonable to me

As for why people take kids to pubs any other time I can only say I love taking my little girl to the pub. And she likes it too. Particularly the actress after nursery on a thu evening

Kids who interact with adults in an adult environment learn better and faster IMO. They may not always behave perfectly (I always remove mine immediately if she kicks off) but they do learn to appreciate the mores of adults.

[SBot]

We often have a pub lunch with our 2yr 10m old. We take along colouring pencils, paper, story books etc. she enjoys going, I agree with straferjack, it's all about social experiences and my view, why can't we parents do what we want sometimes rather than everything being about the children. Learning to behave in an acceptable way in certain circumstances.

We are going to a party on Sunday, for a friend of ours, it is a sit down meal at a rugby club, I have no worries about her sitting nicely ect as it is something we do.

[Pickle]

We also take the kids to the pub (albeit very occasionally since the arrival of #3). However we opt for places like the Herne, where the kids can play outside and have fun while we have a quick drink or lunch. Daytime and nighttime in pubs are very different IMO. Come 7:30pm my 3 are tucked up in bed, and if I'm in a pub it's definitely without them.