8am in Wetherspoons

Had breakfast in Wetherspoons this morning, really good breakfast and cheap too. But what a depressing place, I was the only one with food and coffee, the other 10 or so single middle aged blokes were all nursing pints and sitting silently. I tried to convince myself they had just come off shift but at least one broke his silence to tell someone else he was off work today as he had to to the hospital.

Genuine question.

What were you expecting it to be like?

Being surprised at seeing people drinking in a pub is the most surprising thing about this tale.

Are you in Wetherspoons for a Pro Brexit march meeting?

Loads of people drink before work on the continent, no-one seems to bat an eyelid.

I’d be wondering what shit he was expecting to hear at the hospital that would make you want to get a few drinks inside you at 8am.

Cheers!

Its not just Weatherspoons. We’re a nation of pissheads. I was at the checkouts in Morrisons when it had just opened at ten on a Sunday morning the other week. I looked around and noticed I was the only person not stocking up on the days booze.

The saddest was some bloke who looked like a geography teacher who had a basket full of (pocket-sized) quarter bottles of vodka

Interesting. I often have breakfast at a Wetherspoons in Weymouth. I’m usually only down for a couple of days so cant be bothered stocking the fridge if I’m not back for a couple of weeks. The food there is cheap and interesting and unlimited coffee refills for £1.25. But the bar doesn’t open until 9.00 and it is still full of people.

muggomagic, fair point, i hadnt thought of that.

PP I thought there might be more people in having a cheap (solid) breakfast, as I’m normally in work at 7:30 It’s not something I’d normally experience.

They had planned to meet to welcome the new messiah but JRM got a kicking 😉

10am up here, you’ll see the same scene. Drink is such an ingrained part of our culture that folk think that imbibing at such early hours is normal, alcohol is still glamourised all across the media and social media.

Irony is that that particular scene is about as unglamorous as you’ll see. And none of them will be nightshift as is often cited, 16 years experience of nights, and drink is pretty much the last thing you want…

I was in one last week, just before lunch, waiting for my missus, and it was full of loud mouthed ‘suits’, all gangs of blokes come in from the office (no women). Much better when they farked off. We were having a meal at a restaurant nearby.

It’s a bit sad folk drinking in a pub at 8am though.

It’s a bit sad folk drinking in a pub at 8am though.

Indeed. I drink my White Lightning in the park at 8am and shout at buses.

Oh I don’t know, I used to love getting battered after a night shift. Tube home in rush hour after a Smithfield AM session was hilarious. And proper industrial level drinking in Sydney was a scream too. Unfortunately I ended up married thanks to the second one. Maybe morning drinking isn’t so wise.

Iz disappoint. Thought The KLF were making a low budget comeback.

The saddest was some bloke who looked like a geography teacher who had a basket full of (pocket-sized) quarter bottles of vodka

Xmas gifts for his students?

Actually hold my beer I’m off to pitch my new idea of JRM running a wetherspoons to Chanel 5

Chanel No.5 surely?

rofl – he’s got plenty of close colleagues who are also experts in organising a p**s up in a brewery with some spare time to help out.

had the misfortune of being in a ‘spoons a while back. I knew the chief pillock in charge’s voting preference, but when I read the letter “promoting british beer”, I didn’t expect it to be a dysonesque rant saying “eff you germany and france, you can stick your foreign beer and wine”.
2 UK companies that will never see another penny of mine.
they are more prepared than most for the imminent drawbridge raising.

as for a pint at 8am, that is well late! any bar in the airport, and people are getting the pre-flight pints in at 6am for a 7am sleazyjet/ruinair flight! party starts early – gotta get the liver prepared for the onslaught it’s gonna get for the rest of the week.

I like breakfasts in Weatherspoons if I’m in a strange town. At least the food is reliable and cheap.

Earwigging in on the conversations of the few sad old alcoholics just provides a bit of early morning entertainment. Sometimes they can be a bit like a Derek and Clive sketch.

Passing WS early in the morning and looking in I thought perhaps those inside had been there all night stuck to the carpet.

Reminds of that Banzai clip, guess the nationality of the first person I ask in Wetherspoons at 10am is he Scottish or Irish!

It’s where shrunken grey haired old builders go to die.

Genuine question, was there not an independently run greasy spoon cafe anywhere near? Personally would rather spend my money there than line that shitheads pockets

I like breakfasts in Weatherspoons if I’m in a strange town. At least the food is reliable and cheap.

Aye, eggs benedict in spoons is a pre bike fave, and tbh I couldn’t really give a toss how the owner votes.

I used to deliver to alot of JDW pubs in that London, most were open and reasonably busy even pre 9am.
you could tell the night shift workers though. In one pub a guy was cleaning his teeth, mentioned it to the manager . This chap had a bottle of wine with his breakfast before work.- every day.
Foods good value and the coffee nice enough

This thread makes me hungry for a spoons breakfast (with tea)

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like a beer after a night shift but couldn’t be bothered dealing with people, that’s a step too far.

I had the misfortune of a ‘Spoons breakfast with my work colleagues in Cardiff a month or so ago. Also totally shocked my the sheer number of people drinking on a Thursday morning at that time of day.

Also (haven’t really noticed before) when at the airport twice in the last month for early flights (8am departures) the sheer number of people on the beers. Again the ‘Spoons in Gatwick was like a town centre on a Friday night, with tables absolutely stacked with empties.

I felt weird refilling my water bottle. I don’t know how they do it.

Iz disappoint. Thought The KLF were making a low budget comeback.

Also disappointed, though I thought it was a lost Arab Strap track the OP had unearthed.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like a beer after a night shift

A couple off the last shift, as it meant I’d wake up after 4 hours bursting for a piss, meaning I could just stay up and get back into normal sleep pattern!. Never even thought about it during a run of nights though, feel shitty enough as it is.

OMG i didn’t realise that opened that early! Thanks for the PSA

some bloke who looked like a geography teacher who had a basket full of (pocket-sized) quarter bottles of vodka

Ha. I was queuing behind a teacher the other night, lotta bottles of whisky, at least a shelf, chatting away to the checkout lady. She assumed that he was buying them as presents – he shot her a very clear not-bloody-giving-these-away look.

I thought perhaps those inside had been there all night stuck to the carpet.

Given how sticky the carpets are, that is a very probable reason. Dunno how they managed to go to break the seal? actually, that might explain the odd smell in there 😉 eww.

OMG i didn’t realise that opened that early! Thanks for the PSA

A lot open at 7am to get a pnt early you need to order food too.

I get what some are saying about ‘spoons not being the classiest of venue but their no music policy, especially at this time of year, is worth any amount of reputational damage caused by being found stuck to the carpet. Very good veggie sausages an’ all.

wetherspoons app is awesome too, sit down and you never have to leave the seat, just order food and beer and get it delivered to your table, non of this walking to the bar and queuing nonsense. zero exercise too which seems to suit most of the clientele i see in there

Rocketdog – does the app allow you to order coffee refills to be delivered or do you have to fetch them via effort?

Used to like a bit of “Spooning” but I’m not sure that I could live with myself if I give the bloated arsehole that runs it another penny.

A couple off the last shift, as it meant I’d wake up after 4 hours bursting for a piss, meaning I could just stay up and get back into normal sleep pattern!. Never even thought about it during a run of nights though, feel shitty enough as it is.

If you’re on rotating shifts i completely get that, they’re foul and i wouldn’t have wanted to go near booze straight after for love nor money coke nor hookers.
Actual protracted nights i acclimated to pretty well within a few weeks and then rather enjoyed and would happily have gone for a beer at 8am after finishing were it not for the other people to be found in the pub at that time.

Rocketdog – does the app allow you to order coffee refills to be delivered or do you have to fetch them via effort?

not sure, never had a coffee from there

wetherspoons app is awesome too, sit down and you never have to leave the seat, just order food and beer and get it delivered to your table, non of this walking to the bar and queuing nonsense. zero exercise too which seems to suit most of the clientele i see in there

I have to admit that the app changed everything for me, I decided years back that ‘spoons was a drinking den for louts and addicts and I would NEVER drink anywhere based on it being cheap, I don’t drink enough or often enough to care about saving 20p on a pint.

The app changed all that, it elevated (some of them anyway, some are really grotty) from cheap, to ‘table service’ which I adore.

Now I’m over 40, I don’t want to stand to drink for too long, I prefer to sit, and when I do I like to hang out with my mates and talk shit, not go two-by-two to the bar every half hour or whatever, stand in the scrum and all that.

There’s a few in Cardiff now, the big one, The Prince of Wales I think, always used to be horrible, it’s like a massive warehouse and like the OPs experience it was always full of big men with bigger red noses during the day and rammed with lunatic binge brinkers at night, Gatekeeper up the way was a bit better, but mostly the same. Central Bar away from the Hen Do Strip is much nicer and the Mount Stuart in Cardiff Bay is pretty lovely unless it’s heaving. Sit down, watch the world go by, look out over the bay, people bring drinks and food to you.