The Positive Thread | Page 18 | Vital Football

The Positive Thread

tomytony said:
Every bugger is so lackadaisical, so lacking in ambition, in desire,in entrepreneurial spirit.
Away this week to celebrate birthday, 10 of us. and wanted to book a very well recommended restaurant in Betws y Coed that opens Thur -Sat only, for Thursday night.

No phone replies so called in on afternoon of the Thursday
"do you have a table of 10 for tonight please?"

" Sorry, it's the staff Christmas party tonight so can't help"

FFS you're only open 3 nights so arrange if for another night then.

We went elsewhere. It was very good and £500.00 was spent in 3 hours on a decent 2 course meal and a jar or two.
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On a different slant thinking about our previous working lives, I used to go fishing for the weekend with my mates near Betws y Coed for years, it takes some getting to but it's a beautiful place. The lake we fished was secure so we'd take a break and go for a few jars and a meal on the Saturday nights, the pub was only a few minutes walk. It was a free house and people came from miles around, it was the number one watering hole for fellow fishermen and locals alike, everybody was welcome, dress code optional and we'd always end the evening with a sing-song. More like and Irish pub than Welsh TBH, friendly and never any trouble. It was always packed and the food was fantastic but then one year we noticed the car park was nearly empty. It turned out it had been sold and the new owner decided the best thing he could do with this award winning prospering establishment was to tart it up and serve only Nouvelle cuisine meals. It was a disaster, food was expensive, the servings were minuscule and the decor was plastic and uninviting. Just the opposite of what people living in and visiting that area wanted and they were voting with there feet. We gave it one more try a few months later but it was just as bad so we never returned and ended up going pop the following year. What goes through people's minds? You can imagine some toffee nosed git saying 'the first thing we need to do is encourage a better class of clientele, then charge them twice as much for half the amount!' I saw it so often, even at brewery level, trying to impose what THEY wanted as opposed to what their potential clientele wanted. Madness!
The positive end to this story is that another local pub picked up the baton and we transferred our loyalties along with a few hundred locals.
 
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Grayblade said:
On a different slant thinking about our previous working lives, I used to go fishing for the weekend with my mates near Betws y Coed for years, it takes some getting to but it's a beautiful place. The lake we fished was secure so we'd take a break and go for a few jars and a meal on the Saturday nights, the pub was only a few minutes walk. I was a free house and people came from miles around, it was the number one watering hole for fellow fishermen and locals alike, everybody was welcome, dress code optional and we'd always end the evening with a sing-song. More like and Irish pub than Welsh TBH, friendly and never any trouble. It was always packed and the food was fantastic but then one year we noticed the car park was nearly empty. It turned out it had been sild and the new owner decided the best thing he could do with this award winning prospering establishment was to tart it up and serve only Nouvelle cuisine meals. It was a disaster, food was expensive, the servings were minuscule and the decor was plastic and uninviting. Just the opposite of what people living in and visiting that area wanted and they were voting with there feet. We gave it one more try a few months later but it was just as bad so we never returned and ended up going pop the following year. What goes through people's minds? You can imagine some toffee nosed git saying 'the first thing we need to do is encourage a better class of clientele, then charge them twice as much for half the amount!' I saw it so often, even at brewery level, trying to impose what THEY wanted as opposed to what their potential clientele wanted. Madness!
The positive end to this story is that another local pub picked up the baton and we transferred our loyalties along with a few hundred locals.
Click to expand...
I worked , for a short time, in Sheffield, in a small hotel with large restaurant where my brother was Head Chef. It had been in the family ages and did very well on the restaurant side- fully booked from 1st Dec to 24th every night for the party nights.

Weekends were a minumum of 150 in the restaurant with Sunday lunch always full. Weddings every weekend and the ensuing evening aaftermath.
The clientele all had a few bob or wanted a good meal for a special occasion and it was always lively, no trouble, just some normal people enjoying spending a few bob at what was considered a nice place.

The parents had passed on and the operation was then run by the elder brother who had a tendency towards snobbishness and wanting a more upmarket clientele.He suggested that we stop doing weddings as the 'people at the evening do's aren't really the people we need particularly compared to those nice people in the restaurant'!

He hadn't a clue, wanted it to aim for a Michelin star and be 'much.much more select and upmarket' On one Christmas party night a lad from a company who were our best bedroom booking company had a few too many and tried to take away a dried flower arrangement. there ws a bit of a discussion (!) and he saw sense.

I mentioned it in passing to the owner as he asked how the weekend had gone.
Next thing I know is he's taken upon himself to call the company and tell them that none of their personnel or guests were welcome anymore!!.

I found myself a new job very shortly afterwrds and moved back to my missionary work in the North West.

A have not yet found a better example of a business (not) dickhead.
 
tomytony said:
I worked , for a short time, in Sheffield, in a small hotel with large restaurant where my brother was Head Chef. It had been in the family ages and did very well on the restaurant side- fully booked from 1st Dec to 24th every night for the party nights.

Weekends were a minumum of 150 in the restaurant with Sunday lunch always full. Weddings every weekend and the ensuing evening aaftermath.
The clientele all had a few bob or wanted a good meal for a special occasion and it was always lively, no trouble, just some normal people enjoying spending a few bob at what was considered a nice place.

The parents had passed on and the operation was then run by the elder brother who had a tendency towards snobbishness and wanting a more upmarket clientele.He suggested that we stop doing weddings as the 'people at the evening do's aren't really the people we need particularly compared to those nice people in the restaurant'!

He hadn't a clue, wanted it to aim for a Michelin star and be 'much.much more select and upmarket' On one Christmas party night a lad from a company who were our best bedroom booking company had a few too many and tried to take away a dried flower arrangement. there ws a bit of a discussion (!) and he saw sense.

I mentioned it in passing to the owner as he asked how the weekend had gone.
Next thing I know is he's taken upon himself to call the company and tell them that none of their personnel or guests were welcome anymore!!.

I found myself a new job very shortly afterwrds and moved back to my missionary work in the North West.

A have not yet found a better example of a business (not) dickhead.
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Sounds a bit like what happened at Van Dykes not too far from us. It took them years to get back on an even keel after the brothers sold out (Covid didn't help admittedly) and it tried to go further upmarket. Get a table booked and you'd think they were doing you a favour while Jo public could see an actual fall in standards. They spent several £millions on it and they've only just found the right balance. The first thing these planners with big ambitions seem to forget is that it's the local and regional clientele who are still going to be wining and dining there on a daily basis when the weddings and company seminars are in short supply as you will know more than most.
They usually get what they deserve though in the end. It's the fact that they're so thick and up their own backsides they can't see disaster approaching...so there's another POSITIVE! :LOL:
 
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Grayblade said:
Sound a bit like what happened at Van Dykes not too far from us. It took them years to get back on an even keel after the brothers sold out (Covid didn't help admittedly) and it tried to go further upmarket. Get a table booked and you'd think they were doing you a favour while Jo public could see an actual fall in standards. They spent several £millions on it and they've only just found the right balance. The first thing these planners with big ambitions seem to forget is that it's the local and regional clientele who are still going to be wining and dining there on a daily basis when the weddings and company seminars are in short supply as you will know more than most.
They usually get what they deserve though in the end. It's the fact that they're so thick and up their own backsides they can't see disaster approaching...so there's another POSITIVE! :LOL:
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I'm sure my brother worked there in the 70's.

Yes, there's a sort of POSITIVE warm glow when you see others screwing up.

If only you could buy,sell or teach common sense then you'd soon be a millionaire.:LOL:
 
The darts has been good, really enjoyed it so far. My lad went to the Ally Pally on Sunday dressed as a dartboard. 😁
 
Has George taken a masterclass in crossing? Some right pearlers in the 2nd half.. big improvement
 
Felt well enough to get up today had a mad drug induced hr trying to make this tip look like someone lives here and not just been abandoned I’ve had a shower and a shave and feel human again for the first time since Christmas still a way to go but I’m over the worst
just need to feel well enough for a drink now 🍻🥃
 
Bulmer1889 said:
Felt well enough to get up today had a mad drug induced hr trying to make this tip look like someone lives here and not just been abandoned I’ve had a shower and a shave and feel human again for the first time since Christmas still a way to go but I’m over the worst
just need to feel well enough for a drink now 🍻🥃
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Glad tha feelin better mi owd pal,will ya be gettin sloshed on New Years Eve? Our Gertie & me won't be, we're Baby sittin our 5 month old Grandson so mi oldest Lad & Mi Daughter in Law can go out and have a few.UTB
 
Rod Currie said:
Glad tha feelin better mi owd pal,will ya be gettin sloshed on New Years Eve? Our Gertie & me won't be, we're Baby sittin our 5 month old Grandson so mi oldest Lad & Mi Daughter in Law can go out and have a few.UTB
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Have to wait an see m8 not bothered about a drink atm so know I’m still not reyt see what tomorrow brings
as some have already said the older we get we look back and think what was all the fuss about it’s just another day really int it 🤷‍♂️
 
Bulmer1889 said:
Have to wait an see m8 not bothered about a drink atm so know I’m still not reyt see what tomorrow brings
as some have already said the older we get we look back and think what was all the fuss about it’s just another day really int it 🤷‍♂️
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Back in the day it used to be my favrit neet of the Year but not anymore.UTB
 
So far today, I've checked out the loft because we thought we might have a wasp's nest and we haven't. (y) Fell off a step ladder after the Christmas tree fell on mi nut and walked away unscathed(y) And renegotiated my car insurance back down to a reasonable level after the :censor: doubled the premium for no apparent reason👍

All in all a pretty positive day so far. 😵
 
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