Pub "asked to take down banner celebrating St George's Day"
EXCLUSIVE
by Dave Burke
-
OUTRAGED: Landlord Derek Parsons
dave.burke@essnmedia.co.uk
A pub's staff claim a Croydon Council officer asked them to take down a banner - calling on people to celebrate St George's Day.
The sign was hung across Southbridge Road, in South Croydon, last Friday bearing the words: "Don't Be Afraid To Be English, Celebrate At The Star".
But the next day landlord's daughter Rosie Parsons says she was told the wording was inappropriate.
Croydon Council insists the officer only had a problem with the banner's positioning.
However, Rosie and dad Derek maintain they were told specifically it was the words on the sign that were the problem.
"It's ridiculous, there's no racist overtone to it at all," Mr Parsons said.
"Boris Johnson is spending £3.5 million on pushing St George's Day, and we're trying to do our bit.
"All the things going wrong in Croydon and the council's worrying about that."
Rosie says The Star merely wanted to alert people to a day of events yesterday (Thursday), as the pub marked St George's Day with a charity fundraiser.
"I don't know why anyone would find it offensive," she said.
"The way he (the council officer) put it across was as if it was a racial complaint.
"No one really makes an effort for St George's Day anymore, so we thought we would.
"It's not as if the sign says you can't come in if you're not English, everyone's welcome.
"St Patrick's Day is a really big day, but not many people know it's St George's Day."
In order to raise cash for good causes, a team from The Star was going head-to-head with rivals from The Wheelwrights Arms in a tug-of-war competition, with the winners getting to select the charity money raised would go to.
When the Advertiser approached Croydon Council, a spokeswoman denied the officer had complained about the wording.
She said: "Officers from the council's mobile enforcement team visited The Star pub on Saturday after concerns were raised about a banner outside the premises.
"Officers spoke to the landlord about correctly securing the banner, and after checking its position, were satisfied it was not causing a hazard to traffic or pedestrians.
"No further action was taken."
But Rosie insists this isn't how it happened.
She said: "I pulled into the car park on Saturday and there was a man in a yellow jacket looking at the sign.
"He said 'we've had a complaint about the wording on the banner, people have found it offensive'.
"He said the wording wasn't appropriate and could we take it down. I said 'no we couldn't' so he said he would have to take it up with the council."
26 Comments
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by matey, here in England
Saturday, April 25 2009, 11:15PM
“Auto mate you need to see a doctor your really not well you numpty!”
by Phil McKrakin, Croydon
Saturday, April 25 2009, 9:01PM
“R Burton - Please tell me how you are certain what the facts are? The way I read it is there are two opposing stories here, it all depends on who you believe - the pub landlord and his daughter or spokeswoman for the council who wasn't even there?
Please though stop quoting things as 'FACT' when you have no way of knowing what the facts actually are.”
by auto, Not Planet Darling, plainly!
Saturday, April 25 2009, 8:43PM
“End the trend, The3rd, and others, get close, I suggest, to the root cause of this.
I have just been in France for a few days = b****y expensive, so I'll not go again soon.
However, there there is a sensible balance betwen risk and compulsion.
In France, that was obvious.
here, in the UK - we have signs everywhere, compelled removals of banners - sometimes, an application of documented risk management techniques when they are not appropriate
I am a health and safety professional.
I do not support - or even understand - the "Elf'n'safety" nonsense that we are afflicted with.
The competitive bureaucracies.
The determined attempts of the state - Pan-national, national, regional, City-wide, borough etc. - to interfere in your business.
We need a new Magna Carta, where we are allowed to do everything - as, historically, we were, unless it was specifically banned by law.
The current jobsworthian - ooooh, I can't see that you are permitted to do that - attitude must go, and if it means dismissing a few hundred Nu-Lab client voters, well - so be it.
I have to work in a market economy, Darwinian, and all that, so why should they not, too?
Government, not just in the UK, is too fond of saying -
"We can do this. It will provide a marginal benefit - albeit sometimes according to an unpublished study - so we must do this".
In shipping, the IMO decided that all ships - with minor exceptions - should carry Immersion Suits.
Don't misunderstand me - if I'm off Hammerfest, northern Norway - and fell in the water - I'd kill for an immersion suit.
That said - what are you doing in the water anyway?
Why are you off the ship?
Why did you not go to the lifeboat?
And -
have you ever tried putting a blooming immersion suit on?
And they have cost of the order of a thousand million pounds for the industry world-wide, plus maintenance and replacement costs, which all has to be added to prices - or degraded services, in the long run.
So YOU will pay for this justification of their existence in London - attending IMO Congresses, with expense accounts.
That is all this Immersion Suit debacle really is.
Multiply this by the number of similar schemes across then various layers of government, and we have a whole unjustified burden - which you and I have to pay for.
Oh - for a government that actually cuts the intrusion into life - simply saying - "If you go too far, you'll have to undo it - and pay for it!"
I can hope - can I not?
One final suggestion: in the UK, in June, there will be various elections.
Do V O T E .
Even if you only cross all the names on the ballot paper out, and write your name - or mine - or Kevin Keegan's, or Nelson Mandela's, or Harry Ramsden's or whoever - you will have voted.
Do it.
VOTE.
If you don't vote - don't whinge!”
by who cares, anymore
Saturday, April 25 2009, 5:56PM
“its over now til next year so all go back to living your lives while you have the chance”
by Anon, Croydon
Saturday, April 25 2009, 4:30PM
“Anon- u ignoramous”