Kid-Free Festival
Daniel asks:
"Should I be as pissed off as I am that children have to pay full price for the Greenwich Beer and Jazz festival? I was really looking forward to a lazy Saturday afternoon with my family and some friends - but having to pay full price for my pair of four year-olds, and our friends' children seems a little excessive.
Now if they were students or OAPs they would get a pound off!"
I can only think of one reason why kiddies will be expected to pay the same as adults - that it's a way of limiting the amount of children that will be at what, despite its being held outdoors, is essentially an adult event.
Now - it makes no odds to me. I went last year for curiosity's sake but I won't be doing it again. I'm sure its great for real ale enthusiasts, but it's no fun for people who don't drink beer - there are better events for children and Phantoms. My suggestion would be the shindigs at the Greenwich and Docklands Festival, many of which are family friendly - see you there.
But hey. That's my reading of the pricing policy. Is it correct? I don't know. Is it right? You tell me. But since last year, if memory serves, sold out, it's a seller's market. You organises the festival, you takes your choice as to whether you can afford to lose the family market.
Oh hell. I have a horrid feeling I have just opened the Floodgates of Flame.
Play nicely with the other folks, now...
"Should I be as pissed off as I am that children have to pay full price for the Greenwich Beer and Jazz festival? I was really looking forward to a lazy Saturday afternoon with my family and some friends - but having to pay full price for my pair of four year-olds, and our friends' children seems a little excessive.
Now if they were students or OAPs they would get a pound off!"
I can only think of one reason why kiddies will be expected to pay the same as adults - that it's a way of limiting the amount of children that will be at what, despite its being held outdoors, is essentially an adult event.
Now - it makes no odds to me. I went last year for curiosity's sake but I won't be doing it again. I'm sure its great for real ale enthusiasts, but it's no fun for people who don't drink beer - there are better events for children and Phantoms. My suggestion would be the shindigs at the Greenwich and Docklands Festival, many of which are family friendly - see you there.
But hey. That's my reading of the pricing policy. Is it correct? I don't know. Is it right? You tell me. But since last year, if memory serves, sold out, it's a seller's market. You organises the festival, you takes your choice as to whether you can afford to lose the family market.
Oh hell. I have a horrid feeling I have just opened the Floodgates of Flame.
Play nicely with the other folks, now...
Labels: Debates
posted by The Greenwich Phantom at
08:41
25 Comments:
Spot on, Phant. Alcohol and kids don't mix.
Agreed - it is actually nice to be able to go out and not have kids running around the place and getting underfoot.
Children are allowed in most pubs, eg, the Tolly - so not quite sure why they shouldn't go to this festival - plus, there is music too, can't they enjoy that?
Nobody is saying they can't go - just there is no discount for children. Seems fair enough, as I'm sure there aren't many beer festivals or jazz concerts/gigs that offer concessions for kids.
hi steve - i was just responding to CB and IV
I think the Fant is right about the intention behind the pricing policy - they probably don't particularly want to encourage people to bring children to what is, basically, an adult event. There's very little for children to do except get bored. When the Beer Festival was in the Borough Hall, the organisers used to set up a creche in the Minor Hall.
Fair enough!
I very much doubt I'll attend, despite being a big real ale fan - it seems far too expensive, especially considering the costs of food and drink once you're in.
Did anyone enjoy last year's event?
@rod - haa, the Minor Hall for the creche. Very appropriate!
A creche sounds like a very good thing - and perhaps a good answer for all - the adults can enjoy their beer in peace while the children are safely looked after with things to do - but then I suspect it might still mean paying the extra for the children to pay for the childcare.
To be honest I didn't really enjoy last year. As a non beer drinker, I found the only other attractions unexciting - the food was inadequate and the music dull. I understand they've done things to deal with that this year, but it's not tempting me back for that sort of money.
As a beer nerd I did enjoy it last year, but then I didn't have to pay to get in. There was a really good selection of beers and ciders to try, but if that's not your thing....
I agree that the food offer was not good enough last year - maybe the organisers have learned from that. The music last year was patchy and largely nothing to do with jazz - certainly there seem to be some better acts booked this year.
I think it has the potential to become a Greenwich institution, but it needs to work as a music festival (as well as just a beer festival) to justify the admission price.
The word "beer" makes me want to go.
The word "jazz" makes me want to stay away.
Pleased they're discouraging kids, though. I doubt jazz would be up their street.
A beer festival is not an event aimed at children so why encourage lots of children to come (and I say that as a Nursery teacher!)?
I did enjoy last year as a real ale fan but probably can't make this one.
I thought it was awful! It was incredibly expensive - hardly ANYTHING for your money! I had to queue for over an hour and i had bought a pre-paid ticket. The PIMMS ran out after about an hour or so, and even some of the beers ran out.
The place was so jammed packed you couldn't even get a seat on the floor. The rubbish was piling up everywhere...
All in all, a very expensive shambles!
We call it the Greenwich 'No Beer' Festival in our group of friends.
We paid top whack in advance for the Sunday evening session, whereupon we were told there was no beer left on tap, only bottled. They were VERY unwilling to give us our money back so we went in. There was, indeed, no beer, hardly any cider, the food was appalling and the 'boogie-woogie' band played like zombies.
Dreadful. If they were going to charge the highest rates for the Sunday night, they should have arranged enough beer. I'm not going back.
I felt short-changed last year and I got a free ticket!
No qualms about the beer, but the music was badly produced and certainly pushed the boundaries of what constitutes "jazz".
It's a bit of a damp-squib in my view; jazz is for dark and smoky cellars and certainly doesn't translate well to a stage outdoors in the summer - all the nuances are lost and the ambience that is often crucial to make the more conceptual stuff bearable is decidedly lacking.
With regards warm over-priced beer being served by the Campaign for Real Beards; no thanks.
I reckon stick an extra 20p on a pint, drop the pretence of "jazz" and let 'em in for free!
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I walked past about 10ish on the Saturday when the "Blues Brothers" were playing. It looked horrendously overcrowded and a friend said you had to queue for ages for a beer and then after the beer a long queue for the loos. I went on the Sunday. The weather didnt help as later on it was actually windy and chilly but there was hardly any beer to try and the food was limited and the music added to the chill! Big improvements are needed.
"I reckon stick an extra 20p on a pint, drop the pretence of "jazz" and let 'em in for free!"
Well, that's the alternative to what I said about it having to work as both a music festival and a beer festival.
From memory (it was quite a few years ago)when CAMRA ran it in the Borough Hall, it was simply a real ale festival and it was free to get in - you paid a reasonable (non compulsory) sum for a glass. I presume that CAMRA weren't looking to make much of a profit (which, for example, enabled them to organise the free creche I mentioned) and saw it as part of their campaign.
I'd be perfectly happy to see it revert to that format, back in the Borough Hall. A beer festival for enthusiasts, and if middle-aged men with beards put you off, do something else that weekend.
It's the middle aged women with beards I'm more worried about.
Last year they charged to get in, charged for the glass and then failed to deliver enough beer. To give them their due they may have been faced with unprecedented numbers of people.
I still think they should drop the jazz element as it was misleading and a lot of people were disappointed; the Blues Brothers act was particularly poor.
Perhaps it should either be the:
'Get pissed in a tent festival - proivde your own entertainment' or,,,
'Greenwich beer, puppet show, clowns and knitting' festival
In no way should it have 'jazz' in the title - all the time Miles Davis can't make it.
Thanks for posting Phantom and thanks for all your comments.
Looks like we're not missing out too much - kids or no kids.
Think I'll stick with Lambeth County Show - that's a proper day out!
Like anonymous, we paid in advance for Sunday tickets and were very disappointed when we were told that there was only bottled beer left, and that was Meantime, which we can get locally. However, I did enjoy the music, probably because it wasn't 'proper' jazz. I complained to the organisers and was given some comps for this year but even so, I don't think I'll bother, kids or no kids.
Its an event very clearly aimed at adults, children don't get in at a discounted price. Reverse the logic.. can anyone think of events aimed at children but adults without children get a discounted price ?
I had pre paid tickets for the Sunday evening sessions last year, but they had run out of real ale by then and the session was only rescued by Meantime brewery shipping in kegs and by a decent rock and/or roll band. Thank goodness no jazz broke out.
I'm suprised that no one has been crass enough to mention the popular saying about ability to organise a celebration in a brewery.
Beer festivals are for adults. I have three kids and am looking forward to spending some time away from them. People get drunk at beer festivals, use coarse language and have a great time. The last thing I want is someone being annoyed with my behaviour because they brought their kids to an adult event.
If your kids are like mine and enjoy a few pints of cask before you put them down for a nap, then its worth paying the price of their admission. My kids can only handle about 7 or 8 pints before they pass out--but my kids are in their early 50s. Of course the responsible thing to do is to leave your kids at home which I am going to do this year. I am gonna have my nurse wheel me over there for a few pints. She always leaves when I get a little belligerent, so keep an eye out. I may need you to wheel me home.
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