November 9, 2007: Hitler Pub
 

http://cellar.org/2007/Masefield.jpg

Who's the gent in this picture?

No, it's poet John Masefield, who also happened to sport a stylish toothbrush mustache (very popular in their day!) But according to Ananova, the pub intending to honor him is considering changing the sign, because of the undeniable resemblance. It hasn't even had its grand opening yet, but locals are already calling the pub "The Adolf."

Personally, I don't think it looks that much like the Fuhrer. Those eyes just don't have that mass genocide look to them.

Yes, he appears much more peaceful. His hair is nicer, too.

Godwin's Law!

I win!

It barely looks like Hitler. But I could see how either way it might be bad for business.

On the otherhand it is a Wetherspoons and they are the spawn of the devil so maybe it's pretty apt to call it the Hitler pub?

Looks like Adolf on a heavy dose of valium.

Which might have done him some good, come to think of it.

Ohhh all this free publicity, the manager must be soooo upset. :mecry:

Hmm...I'm guessing he's not happy at that particular kind of publicity. What you really don't want as a publican is for your pub to become a known BNP haunt where more respectable clientele won't venture.

What is a "BNP haunt" and how does that make a pub un-respectable? I don't get it...

And what is a "Wetherspoons", is that a chain?

What really bugs me is how, after Hitler, nobody could ever again wear that mustache. Now we have every permutation of facial hair possible, but nobody will go for that tight crop thingie.

Well there was a time that the Army use to make us crop them short. They, by reg, could not extend in any way past the edge of your mouth and had to be vertical on that edge. On a number of people they looked very Hitlereske. On the other hand I always bucked the system a little bit.

Ack, sorry. Thought I'd mentioned BNP on here enough most people are aware (and sick of hearing about ::P) them.

British National Party. The 'respectable' face of skin-head-type fascism. Their leadership have been trying to make them (and in some places succeeding)in making them) electable by, for example, sending out an instruction that members please refrain from doing muted heil hitler salutes to each other when they meet up. Doesn't play well with the grandad vote:P

The ones that stand for election usually at least look vaguely respectable. Except when they go to conference at which point there's usually at least one senior party guy gets fired/moved/sanctioned for getting into a punch up.

They also have a 'paramilitary' wing. Combat 18. (1 = A for adolf, 8 = H for hitler. Used to be Combat 88 for Heil Hitler). Many of the BNP rallies are to raise funds to assist the wives and families of activists who are serving time for racially motivated crimes, or beating up the rival partys' activists :P Pleasant bunch. I've had a few scary encounters with them.

Wetherspoons is a chain of pubs. They all have different names and signage...they may even have individual decor (though most are very similar inside). They all have the same menu of food.

I was wondering the same thing. Wetherspoons is a big pub chain. DanaC, what makes 'em not the place to be? I like a good London pub crawl when there.:beer:

Oops...got in late. Thanks for the info!

I like a little more individual flavour to a pub. Although, there's something very pleasant and easy about a Wetherspoons. Slowly, quietly in a very English way, a small number of pub chains is smoothing out the wrinkles and edges from pub culture; just smoothing them away like water on rock.

Nice lesson. Dang me! Doesn't sound like folks I'd be to keen to be around. Big problem are they?

Thanks Dana.

Well, in some ways yes, in some ways no. They are not as strong as they'd hoped to be at this stage (like most fringe parties with an underlying revolutionary tendency). They never get anywhere in national politics, but they do get a few (very small number) of council seats in the local elections. We had three on our council up to last year we're down to one now :P They tend to cause trouble f they have an area they're strong in. Generally, these tend to be either in areas that are almost entirely white working class usually with a nearby 'asian area'. Or...little englanders in leafy middle class villages.

The ones who actually stand for office aren't so much of a problem, it's their supporters and activists. And their leaders of course. One of whom told his party activists that the battle for the hearts and minds of the North (where they were starting to make a bid for council seats) would be 'won with boots and fists on the streets of Burnley".

These days they're more careful. They walk a fine line between what is legal and illegal. Occassionally one of em steps on the wrong side of that line. What's more worrying than they themselves, is how many more people are openly supportive of them, even if tghey won't vote for them. They may detest the nazi elements, but they do agree on the racist policies.

They only an electoral threat in a few places and then, really at a local level. They're a threat to me, as they have a sizable presence in the ward I represent. In fact my getting back involved in party politics was as a way of fighting their rise in my borough. When i won my election, they were less than 100 votes behind me. They didn't do quiote as well last year.

Reason they tend to bring a pub down? Because the grass roots activists aren't always so easy to persuade away from the less savoury aspects of their politics:P

I say damn the PC! Keep the picture and change the name of the place to "The Bunker"! :D

Hmmm
 

They should get one of these in the new bar -

Attachment 15709

Just don't drink straight from the source. :eek:

I shan't ask where the Toblerones are....

It says John Masefield. If they could not figure that out I would not want those idiots in my bar.

:lolsign:

On the Far Right theme the BBC reports that (heavily edited version follows):


Wow, an international coalition of far right nationalists fell apart :lol: Who'd a-thunk it?

I remember when David Duke ran here in the US and almost became governor of Louisiana.

David Duke might be the one responsible for the "kindler gentler bigotry" approach of the BNP.

I adore John Masefield, damn them if they change the sign.
Just because he had the misfortune to follow a silly fashion in facial hair doesn't stop me enjoying Cargoes or Raymond's Last Run.

I don't have a problem with Wetherspoons either - they're cheap!
Okay, so I do have a problem if the fact they are cheap means more individual pubs have to close, I'd rather have the choice of a big faceless barn with cut price food and drink when I'm poor, and a cosy Freehouse where the landlord remembers what I drink when I have more funds.

Tink - the problem with the big chains is that if they take over too many pubs the whole point of a pub crawl disappears. You might as well stay in one anonymous place all night, rather than haul your bones to the next one which looks just the same.

I once dated an Army captain with a mustache like that. I didn't notice that he looked hitleresque, until a friend of mine pointed it out...and then there was no going back, of course.

Oh damn those friends when they 'point things out'.

Yes, there's a good head on that beer...

Oh yea.. just take ALL the fun out of it for me.
The tit cup is a nice touch, too. The guy who designed this thing must be rollin' in it.

Yep...Nothing like beer and good head.:beer: :bj2: