It takes all sorts

[NickDavies]

http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubreviews/23006/

Latest review

[london calling]

http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubreviews/23006/

Latest review

Why are the general public allowed to review pubs.Surely there should be a way of restricting the first 5 or 10 reviews like Ratebeer does so random tourists don't rate pubs.its a 10 one of the best pubs you will ever encounter.Or maybe that was the fish and chips he rated.

[NickDavies]

Why are the general public allowed to review pubs.Surely there should be a way of restricting the first 5 or 10 reviews like Ratebeer does so random tourists don't rate pubs.its a 10 one of the best pubs you will ever encounter.Or maybe that was the fish and chips he rated.

I doubt he knows what fish and chips is supposed to be like either. It's bound to be Brake's (other food service operators exist) frozen then oven blasted stuff, dry and tasting of cardboard, needs a gallon of sauce to ease it down.

[Farway]

Why are the general public allowed to review pubs.Surely there should be a way of restricting the first 5 or 10 reviews like Ratebeer does so random tourists don't rate pubs.its a 10 one of the best pubs you will ever encounter.Or maybe that was the fish and chips he rated.

Of course general public should be allowed to review without clocking up number of reviews. That would be a great way to deter any newbies

I think, looking at other reviews for same pub most experienced readers would soon spot the general low trend of reviews, and the overall rating is only bumped up to 5/10 even by this 10 score

[Aqualung]

Of course general public should be allowed to review without clocking up number of reviews. That would be a great way to deter any newbies



I agree entirely, despite the shortcomings of the review it's not really doing any harm. It's nice to see some new reviewers in the last few months, one in particular with what I would call an eccentric style which I find rather appealing. One of the more interesting reviewers on the Dark Side last year was an Aussie called Queenslander. He had all sorts of opinions that I couldn't agree with but surely that's how it should be?

[Rex_Rattus]

I agree - definitely do not deter new posters. I reckon if I lived in Florida and The Shakespeare was plonked down where I lived then I would be a regular in there! I recall seeing a posting by a visiting poster who said that he thought the Fosters in some place was absolutely amazing. He's entitled to his opinion of course, and I agree with him, in that Fosters is absolutely amazing - for different reasons probably!

[NickDavies]

I reckon if I lived in Florida and The Shakespeare was plonked down where I lived then I would be a regular in there!

Ah but if it came with complete with existing clientele would you still want to live near it let alone go in it?

[Rex_Rattus]

Ah but if it came with complete with existing clientele would you still want to live near it let alone go in it?

OK, it would be a dilemma!

[london calling]

Why are the general public allowed to review pubs.Surely there should be a way of restricting the first 5 or 10 reviews like Ratebeer does so random tourists don't rate pubs.its a 10 one of the best pubs you will ever encounter.Or maybe that was the fish and chips he rated.

Its the reviewers who post negative or in this case a 10 when they are one timers only that bother me.They contribute ziltch to this site.

[NickDavies]

I don't think it matters. I pointed the post out for amusement; it says far more about the poster than the pub.

I think it was agreed long ago that the point scoring wasn't to be taken too seriously, it isn't there to create daft league tables like in BITE. And as it isn't a routine rant about a family Sunday lunch it's fair enough comment.

[Boots60]

I love American tourists. Give em a bit of dark wood surround & a few old local pics & ther're in an "older worlde" pub. Bit of stainless steel & glass with shyte music & its a hipster joint. They do not & never will get the concept of the English pub.

[trainman]

My concern is that any US visitor to London finds the f&c at the Shakespeare to be 'the best food they ate in 4 days' in the capital!!
Obviously not the sort I'd want to encourage to visit my beloved La Poule au Pot, a mere 10 min walk away.

[rpadam]

My concern is that any US visitor to London finds the f&c at the Shakespeare to be 'the best food they ate in 4 days' in the capital!!
Obviously not the sort I'd want to encourage to visit my beloved La Poule au Pot, a mere 10 min walk away.
Until quite recently, I used to work round there and have never heard of La Poule au Pot. However, having just looked at the Time Out review which begins: "Few places scream ‘Chelsea’ more loudly than La Poule. The place is normally packed with smart couples discussing holiday plans in plummy accents." (admittedly dating from Tuesday 15 December 2009) then perhaps I would not have tried it out anyway...

However, the Shakespeare has at least moved from the Central-London-pub-from-hell to a run-of-the-mill Taylor Walker operation, and if a contributor from America finds it to his taste then surely they have the right to say so?

[trainman]

smart couples discussing holiday plans in plummy accents."?
Yep, that's me. Obv!

And no, I don't have a concern about the US review, but wondered just where they had been eating! More visitors going home grumbling about Brit cuisine.

[Al 10000]

It's bound to be Brake's (other food service operators exist) frozen then oven blasted stuff, dry and tasting of cardboard, needs a gallon of sauce to ease it down.

That is the only sort of food me and the wife can afford,we often go into the local Spoons and have either a 5 ounce gammon two eggs and chips for just over £10 with two pints,the fish and chips is a similar price with two pints,if we really want to push the boat out we may go in for a breakfast before 12 at i think £3.65 and we have to buy drinks seperatley,we dont put sauce on it,we always enjoy our meals there.

I know realise that i am in a different class to a lot of members on this site.

[Aqualung]

I know realise that i am in a different class to a lot of members on this site.

No you are not as that is my idea of eating out!
If I go for the Steak Club mentioned elsewhere I smother the meat with mustard.

[ETA]

I know realise that i am in a different class to a lot of members on this site.

The truly great thing about the British pub is that it is classless - we are all equals at the bar or, in extremis, when dancing naked on the tables during a lock-in. It is probably the only institution in the World where, for example (and from my own experience) I can wander into my local and meet an ex-Prime Minister, a member of the Royal Family, a dustman, a celebrity musician, policemen, the village idiot (who, for the record, was NOT on this occasion doing a job-share with the ex-PM), a raving drag-queen and a renowned author, all rubbing shoulders with soldiers, estate agents, some pensioners, a florist and so on and so on. Once you walk through that door ans enter P-Space, the outside world's rules cease to apply and you are just another punter (unless you're a regular, obviously).

Where it goes wrong is where pubs try to price 'the rif-raf' out of the market with poncey menus, over-priced second-rate wines and peanuts at a poúnd each, or where arbitrary 'rules' like 'No Bikers', 'No Squaddies', and so on create an artificial apartheid.

And proper fish and chips (NOT Brake Bros crap) is probably one of the simplest and best VFM meals you can find in a bar anywhere in the world.

[Al 10000]

And proper fish and chips (NOT Brake Bros crap) is probably one of the simplest and best VFM meals you can find in a bar anywhere in the world.

I agree with what you say about the British pub being classless,i have been in most pubs in central London and when drinking in Belgravia you realise how posh some people are,but i can still drink in the same pub as them.

The fish and chips we have at our local Spoons always seem very nice,no hard batter and plenty of fish that is not dry,if Spoons meals come from the back of a Brake Brothers van then we are quite happy to eat it.

[Gann]

That is the only sort of food me and the wife can afford,we often go into the local Spoons and have either a 5 ounce gammon two eggs and chips for just over £10 with two pints,the fish and chips is a similar price with two pints,if we really want to push the boat out we may go in for a breakfast before 12 at i think £3.65 and we have to buy drinks seperatley,we dont put sauce on it,we always enjoy our meals there.

I know realise that i am in a different class to a lot of members on this site.

In line with the comments from others, I doubt that you are. You probably have a different level of disposable income to some of us and that it driven by many factors which do not necessarily include class..
And we probably have a lote more things in common than we are different, for example irrespective of how much money I may ever have during my life, I will never waste it on a pint of overpriced Perroni is a poncy branded flumed glass..

[Aqualung]

I'm getting this thread a bit more on topic after the diversion. I have to say I find the very concise reviews by the same poster highlighted in the Report a Review thread recently far more objectionable than any food rants I've seen. The comments made might echo opinions I hold about many London pubs I've been to in the past, especially ones I went to for darts but wouldn't even consider adding a revieew today on that basis.

[Mobyduck]

I'm getting this thread a bit more on topic after the diversion. I have to say I find the very concise reviews by the same poster highlighted in the Report a Review thread recently far more objectionable than any food rants I've seen. The comments made might echo opinions I hold about many London pubs I've been to in the past, especially ones I went to for darts but wouldn't even consider adding a revieew today on that basis.
Agreed

[london calling]

Agreed

Agree to agree assuming its the guy I assume you are referring too.

[Mobyduck]

Agree to agree assuming its the guy I assume you are referring too.

I agree as I assume we are talking about the same guy that I originally agreed about if I assumed right in the first place.

[Aqualung]

There were over thirty reviews today and some of the less helpful ones are listed below.




Go to the other pubs in the area.

ROB'S missus must be annoying if he'd rather be in here!

Big building site over the road from here and it must be where they get the ale from.

Nah!

Don't.

Avoid if possible.



I wonder if these "reviews" are based on recent visits, and I'm not having a go at those who backdate detailed reviews.

[ROBCamra]

He's now "reviewed" over 340 pubs. As far as I can see about 6 of them are useful. :muppet:

[Lady Grey]

Can I briefly go slightly off topic and mention the anomaly regarding the stats feature? According to the stats, there are 341 "reviews" by the aforementioned contributor. The anomaly also occurs in the photo contributors section, which is puzzling.
Sorry guys, back on topic. Interesting thread by the way.

[Rex_Rattus]

Can I briefly go slightly off topic and mention the anomaly regarding the stats feature? According to the stats, there are 341 "reviews" by the aforementioned contributor. The anomaly also occurs in the photo contributors section, which is puzzling.
Sorry guys, back on topic. Interesting thread by the way.

I think it's fairly straightforward - unless I've misunderstood your point (which is entirely possible!). He's posted 363 "recommendations" on 341 pubs - therefore 22 of his "recommendations" are about pubs on which he's posted more than once. Regarding photographs, it says he's contributed to 243 other pubs - therefore he's uploaded photographs of 244 pubs. Obviously he doesn't upload photographs of every pub on which he posts. Nor does it tell you how many photographs in total he's uploaded.

I also don't find these single word postings at all helpful. If you say "avoid" - and then go on to say that you should avoid it because there's no music, no TVs, and it's full of old blokes drinking real ale, then I conclude that it should be sought out rather than avoided!

[Lady Grey]

I think it's fairly straightforward - unless I've misunderstood your point (which is entirely possible!). He's posted 363 "recommendations" on 341 pubs - therefore 22 of his "recommendations" are about pubs on which he's posted more than once. Regarding photographs, it says he's contributed to 243 other pubs - therefore he's uploaded photographs of 244 pubs. Obviously he doesn't upload photographs of every pub on which he posts. Nor does it tell you how many photographs in total he's uploaded.

Having reread the stats, I see your point. Sorry.

[Maldenman]

Bit of a tricky one this, the contributor in question has posted some reviews which give a modicum of useful information and has added photos and changed some map points so he is clearly not a troll a la dark side. He may quite likely be thoroughly unaware that some postings are considered less than helpful. If I was an admin my strategy would probably be some selective deletions following a carefully written and friendly email advising why but reinforcing that he is potentially a valued site member. Not easy.

[aleandhearty]

Bit of a tricky one this, the contributor in question has posted some reviews which give a modicum of useful information and has added photos and changed some map points so he is clearly not a troll a la dark side. He may quite likely be thoroughly unaware that some postings are considered less than helpful. If I was an admin my strategy would probably be some selective deletions following a carefully written and friendly email advising why but reinforcing that he is potentially a valued site member. Not easy.

Nicely put. Echoes my thoughts almost exactly.

[trainman]

I'm lost. Is this still about John Olsen? If I click on his username it shows contribution on one pub..?

[Maldenman]

Sent you a PM Jim.

[sheffield hatter]

He may quite likely be thoroughly unaware that some postings are considered less than helpful. If I was an admin my strategy would probably be some selective deletions following a carefully written and friendly email advising why but reinforcing that he is potentially a valued site member. Not easy.

Some of us (sometimes referred to as the Seven Dwarves) have been given some (fairly limited) admin powers. This is not one of them. I would agree with your plan of action. We await Snow White's thoughts on this issue.

[Mobyduck]

He's now "reviewed" over 340 pubs. As far as I can see about 6 of them are useful. :muppet:
He's on overdrive,now on 416 and not that many more of use.