AIBU….TO GO TO THE PUB BY MYSELF ?

Just to prove I haven’t completely forgotten about Mumsnet, there’s some classic of the Am I Being Unreasonable ? genre at the moment, mostly concerning Christmas gravy to be fair.

But this one caught my eye. A lady asking the internet whether it was reasonable to go to the village pub by herself.

Mumsnet has a lot of AIBUs like this. “Should I go to the gig/theatre/restaurant by myself ?”.

It’s hard to imagine a bloke asking that question,

and Mrs RM quite happily goes to a pub on her own in Eindhoven, and goes to gigs in Leeds, and eats meals. On her own.

And I can’t imagine the average Mumsnet poster worrying about popping in Costa Coffee, or even nipping in a Spoons for lunch.

But I’m aware the lone female drinker in a pub is an oddity, and there’s still presumptions about the reasons why women visit pubs alone that men never have to face. Last year in Gargrave the landlady went to check a young lady in walking boots drinking a pint to check she was OK. And in Peterborough’s Oakham Tap I saw a lady questioned as to whether she really wanted that pint of Green Devil I’d just been happily served. #CasualSexism.

Anyway, 99% of Mumsnet readers reckon it’s fine to go to the pub on your own;

Presumably as long as you drink wine.

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

10 thoughts on “AIBU….TO GO TO THE PUB BY MYSELF ?”

  1. Regardless of the drink in the glass(es), I think the last two correspondents had the right idea, which was just go to the pub, anyway. It’s sad that people remain so judgemental, when it comes to the behaviour of others, although it’s encouraging that 99% of Mumsnet readers reckon it’s fine to go to the pub on your own.

    I still can’t get my head around the acronyms, though! DC, DH? But then I’ve led a sheltered life!!

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  2. I know that many people for whatever reasons don’t like Tim’s venues – I think they’re known as “Wetherspoon haters” – but a former work colleague of mine would use them although I’m not aware of her ever getting in proper pubs.

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    1. That was the main reason I thought I’d mention that Mumsnet conversation, Paul.

      I could imagine most lone women being happy to visit a Spoons, or a craft bar, but perhaps not the Coach & Horses.

      But where is the line crossed (as it were) ? The Bird in Hand ? The Railway ?

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      1. I’m not sure as it’s quite some time since I’ve noticed a lone woman in the Bird in Hand or the The Railway.
        I remember a time though when in certain pubs a lone woman might be assumed, probably quite rightly, to be ‘of easy virtue’ ( I much prefer that to the more modern ‘on the game’ ) and maybe nowadays some women still fear, especially in an unknown pub, that just going in for two glasses of wine might be misinterpreted.

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      3. Definately.
        The ‘Grapes corner’, the pavement outside the now-Craft-Union Grapes, used to be the place – so I am told.

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