Beer Drinking in the Goose Green Playground

[Jeremy]

rahrahrah Wrote:

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> swung by the Great Exhibition on

> the way back from nursery for an apple juice and a

> packet of crisps (for the kids) and a pint (for

> me). Starting to feel like a rather bad parent.

Sounds like an excellent idea to me.

[DulwichFox]

Robbin

I have no such staunch view on the subject. I don't see it as a crime. Local authorities see it as a crime.

like I said.

"Yes it would be nice to have a picnic in the park with a bottle of wine or a few chilled beers,

but who dictates who can and who can't. As long as they are of drinking age there cannot be any discrimination.

That means why should it be OK for some people to have a drink in the park and not others. ?

The whole issue is a grey area and I have been aware of it for a while now. I have raised this issue

with colleaques in the past. I ask the question if James Barber knows situation on the subject.

Im not convinced even the Police know.

DulwichFox

[DulwichFox]

rahrahrah Wrote:

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> DulwichFox Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I've even heard of people having a drink when

> they

> > pick their children up from Nursery ..

> >

> > DulwichFox

>

> Err, not sure I should own up to it, but yes, I've

> done this too.... swung by the Great Exhibition on

> the way back from nursery for an apple juice and a

> packet of crisps (for the kids) and a pint (for

> me). Starting to feel like a rather bad parent.

I'm talking about walking into the Nursery where the kids are swigging a bottle of beer..

Is that good. ?

Foxy

[Otta]

Have you honestly heard of that happening forx? That is clearly completely inappropriate, but I can't imagine it.

[DearBBC]

> I'm talking about walking into the Nursery where

> the kids are swigging a bottle of beer..

>

> Is that good. ?

>

> Foxy

The kids are swigging beer? That is a disgrace. What nursery allows this? Disgusting.

[DearBBC]

> I'm talking about walking into the Nursery where

> the kids are swigging a bottle of beer..

>

> Is that good. ?

The kids are swigging beer? That is a disgrace. What nursery allows this? Disgusting.

[Earl Aelfheah]

This thread has made me feel like a right booze hound. Oh well, I'm off to the pub.

[DulwichFox]

Beer always tasted better when the pubs closed in the afternoon and you got a lock-in.

Foxy

[robbin]

Why on earth do you think it is a grey area? I haven't seen anything that suggests it is!

Everything in this country is legal - unless there is a law (statutory or common law) against it.

There is no law against drinking alcohol while having a picnic in a park. Drinking is not illegal unless there is an Order banning it, which according to the Southwark website there is not.

References to "street drinkers" do not include those having a picnic or casual drink - they are references to habitual, heavy, out of control drinkers (usually alcoholics) who sometimes hang about drinking on the street.

Just because James Barber made a comment in passing, about drinking in public, does not mean it is against the law. I suspect James did not intend to say it is illegal to have a casual/social drink during a picnic in Peckham Rye Park.

I suspect if you asked 100 coppers whether it was a criminal offence to have a drink with your picnic in Peckham Rye Park - 100 of them would laugh at you!

[dimjim79]

Happy Hour at Goose Green playground. 3-5pm every Saturday. Children welcome.

[robbin]

Bouncy castle. Bring your own sick bucket.

[*Bob*]

I have fond memories of a kids party where the bouncy castle was run by a jovial man with a beer in his hand and a roll-up hanging out of his mouth.

The party was full of regular non-uptight normal sane parents who didn't really give it a second thought because for the of god there have got to be other more important things to get bothered about.

[Bellenden Belle]

rahrahrah Wrote:

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

> DulwichFox Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I've even heard of people having a drink when

> they

> > pick their children up from Nursery ..

> >

> > DulwichFox

>

> Err, not sure I should own up to it, but yes, I've

> done this too.... swung by the Great Exhibition on

> the way back from nursery for an apple juice and a

> packet of crisps (for the kids) and a pint (for

> me). Starting to feel like a rather bad parent.

My little one has a habit of shouting very loudly when I arrive at nursery "Hello Mummy, are we going to the pub?". Every time. It's because we wait there for daddy to swing by with the car to pick us up but it is a tad embarrassing...

[KidKruger]

I'm sure none of the parents in GG swing park who are upset by someone sipping alcohol would NEVER dream of wheeling their prams into a pub in ED. All those people drinking alcohol in front of their children, perish the thought.

[James Barber]

All of Southwark is an Alcohol Control Area with the exception of East Dulwich, Village and college wards - Dulwich Community Council. The boundary for this is East Dulwich Road so the playground is IN the area of control.

In that area the Police or Community Wardens can confiscate any alcohol if they think the drinkers are causing a nuisance. If people refuse to hand over sad alcohol they can be arrested / fined ?500. http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200030/community_safety_and_enforcement/405/drugs_and_alcohol/3

But are these people causing a nuisance. I haven't seen anyone suggest they area. At least their children have proper play equipment there rather than a pub garden.

[Jeremy]

What James says makes sense to me, the controls are there to give police and wardens power in case people are behaving antisocially. Doesn't mean we should start casting judgement or accuse people of setting a bad example, FFS!

[robbin]

The Alcohol control area does NOT make drinking illegal. Nowhere in the governing legislation or the Regulations does it render the possession or consumption of alcohol illegal per se - it merely gives the police a discretion in the event of anti social behaviour and is aimed at street drinkers (as the Southwark website makes clear) or people creating a nuisance.

[robbin]

So, a person having a quiet drink (or several drinks) in the park is not (without more) acting illegally in any shape or form.

[James Barber]

The problem is interpretation. Clearly many on this thrtead think the current drinking is a nuisance. From what's been decsribed I don't.

To avoid this we stopped this offence applying to any part of East Dulwich, Village or College wards.

[BrandNewGuy]

Robbin, that's correct. The Belgians are much more civilised in this regard. Most kids' playgrounds in parks are plonked right next to a bar, so the adults can have a beer while keeping an eye on their offspring. And no howls of outrage...

[robbin]

But James, the interpretation (discretion) is solely for the Police officer concerned - it is inapposite to judge the likely exercise of discretion by reference to the views of some of the nutters and/or wind-up merchants you get on here!

[Jeremy]

James Barber Wrote:

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> Clearly many on this thrtead think the current drinking is a nuisance.

No... just one or two people by the looks of things.

[robbin]

And again James the "offence" you refer to is to be a 'street drinker' or to be anti-social with your consumption - not consuming alcohol in public. You use the term too loosely, I think, and that could be apt to confuse (as it has some on EDF already). I think if you ask any Police officer what a street drinker or nuisance drinker is you will get close to the same answer and it wouldn't include a family having a reasonably quiet picnic. The suggestion that it might is bonkers.

It's an arid debate because in truth the answer to this is plain and obvious! Drinking in public is not an offence even where there is an alcohol control order - they only give a discretion to the Police to intervene to stop anti-social street drinkers or others causing a nuisance.

[James Barber]

Hi robbin,

Indeed this is an arid debate.

When the motion at full council was made that brought this restriction in the Dulwich councillors were very clear that this risked social picnic etc style drinking could be interpreted to fall fowl of it. So Dulwich is exempt.

And Community Wardens employed by Southwark as well as Police officers get to make this judgement.

[MelonSmasher]

james barber is a bunt