Thursday 2 April 2009

Hans Up

As I arrived at the Dog and Partridge in Royton for my quiz match, at the same time as I pulled into the little car park, a German registered car arrived. I observed it and thought no more about it.

The D&P is very much a locals pub, neat and attractive with an experienced licensee. The place gleams. Lees Bitter on cask and various smooth versions are sold. Cask seemed to fly out on a very busy Tuesday. It's the sort of place where groups still buy big rounds and the pub was trading well. We were in a side room getting stuffed, when someone threw his head round the door and said goodbye to the opposing team. A lot of arms shot up in mock Hitler salutes. "See you Hans" and "Bye Hans" was shouted. Hans grinned happily, clearly enjoying the satire and left.

It is a cracking pub with top notch bitter, good natured locals and a visiting German who "gets" it. Brilliant.

The Dog and Partridge is at 148, Middleton Rd, Royton, Oldham, Lancashire OL2 5LL

23 comments:

Tandleman said...

Shouldn't really comment on my own post, but of course Hans could be a BIFFO* who is not called Hans and just has a German car. It's nicer to think of him as German though.

* Big Ignorant F*cker from Oldham

Neville Grundy said...

"A lot of arms shot up in mock Hitler salutes."

How dispiriting. Presumably all Sun readers.

Tandleman said...

What a sour and curmudgeonly response. Obviously I failed to convey the sheer good nature of it on both sides.

Neville Grundy said...

So it is now curmudgeonly to dislike jokes based on racial stereotyping? The kind of joke every English football hooligan finds hilarious when their team plays Germany? You're on decidedly dodgy ground here.

Tandleman said...

Not me. I don't have knee jerk reactions without considering the context.

Neville Grundy said...

Racist jokes in context? That's an interesting concept. Giving a Hitler salute to a German is like calling the waiter Gungadin in an Indian restaurant, another thing certain characters never cease to find sidesplitting. I can't imagine any situation that I would find this behaviour amusing, whatever the context. The phrase "out of context" is frequently used to justify the unacceptable; I suppose that, having known you for a quarter of a century, that I never expected this from you.

Whorst said...

Very poor on your part Talismann. My guess is your part of The National Front with close ties to the KKK, USA. Perhaps this is all related to your trips to Germany? Sad day in beerland, sad.

Ron Pattinson said...

Got to agree with RedNev. There's nothing funny about giving Hitler salutes to a German. That's what passes for satire, is it?

Making racist jokes about Germans is depressingly acceptable in both Britain and Holland.

Anonymous said...

so racist humour is acceptable now?

Sat In A Pub said...

It's well known you CAMRA types are all beer snobs and racists.

Tandleman said...

RedNev - I am simply not going to go there other than to say that it is no worse than me being called "Tommy", which I have been on a few occasions in Germany. I won't say any more as we go back a long way.

This was consent, but I guess I am wasting my time saying so. As for you Ron, I am going to say little in case I lose my rag with you. I was observing, not condoning. What would you lot have done? Kicked up a fuss? Made a stand? I effing well doubt it. Like all the jokes I have endured about being Scottish? Racist? Stereotype? Grow up the pair of you.

Tandleman said...

"My guess is your part of The National Front with close ties to the KKK, USA."

I almost forgot you. You are just a fecking clown, but everyone knows that.

Sat In A Pub said...

Sorry I meant beer racists and snobs.

Ron Pattinson said...

Since I married Dolores, a German, my attitude to this sort of thing has changed considerably.

No, I wouldn't have kicked up a fuss. I would have left.

Whorst said...

Haaaa! Join the ranks Talismann!!

Barry M said...

"Hans" may not have been "getting it", but rather putting up with it. Objecting would lead to more abuse. Personally, I think it's sad behaviour. Can't stand racial stereotyping.

Tandleman said...

You know, I did think carefully about posting about this, but I thought "no harm" it was just an observation. PC has been replaced by common sense.Daft eh?

I am not going to be painted into a corner (any more than I have been) on this one. Whatever you say you hate, you'll just mouth about here, but really you would do nothing. It seems you were all there and I wasn't, but of course, you know exactly how Hans felt. You read about this kind of thing somewhere and if he didn't feel that way, he bloody well ought to.

Whatever - I'll leave it at that as anything I say will be twisted, though maybe I'll just go back and see what Hans himself thinks sometime - not that he can be believed. The man's clearly a victim.

Simon said...

Why did you post it though? I don't think you needed to storm out, or make a fuss, or even be offended - but why did you choose to write about this on your blog and make out it was so funny??

Tandleman said...

Simon. The whole thing took maybe two seconds. It was a cameo. These were 60 year old men and it did amuse me. Clearly many think it shouldn't have.

Why did I choose etc? It is probably a generational thing. We grew up with politically incorrect and sometimes we lapse. That's it. No more to say.

Simon said...

The way you abused and tried to bully people who criticised the post was pretty telling too

As for you Ron, I am going to say little in case I lose my rag with you.

That's particularly ugly and unpleasant

Tandleman said...

Simon, you have a point.

I agree I could have been more gracious to RedNev and Ron, but I was incensed by the the implications of what RedNev said. Ron's comments just seemed to be gratuitous over (what seemed to me) a trivial anecdote. Nonetheless I apologise to both of them for not defending myself in less robust terms.

On the wider point. I have given my "explanations", seen what followed, noted the unhappiness with my laissez faire stance, taken on board comments about poor judgement and eaten my humble pie, so it's over now.

As this blog does not allow you to close comments, further comments will be unanswered.

camragirl said...

You should take a leaf out of Tim's book and close comments.Or maybe not!

As to the thread,a big fuss over nothing,in my opinion.

Neville Grundy said...

I know very well that TM is definitely not a racist; neither is he a sympathiser of racists. If anything I have written suggests otherwise, then I'm sorry; it wasn't my intention. I only wanted to suggest that a mistake was made. That's the end of the subject as far as I'm concerned.