THE SPOONS
The community centre. A place for all walks of life to gather for group activities, social support and public information. An unlikely venue for this type of hub is the Wetherspoon's Pub.
Many pubs offer their patrons a safe, warm and friendly environment to gather with friends but none seem to do so well as these chain of pubs do, or can offer that extra bit more than advertised. It's not just the great value food and drink on offer. These places are like sanctuaries for some who have lost their way - safe-havens to visit, where there is warmth from companionship and happiness to be found from sharing good banter and a drink or two with friends.
The Moon Under Water is a fictional pub that George Orwell envisaged. A place where real ales and good value food can be found, where the whole community can enjoy being together, without exclusion. This is the reasoning behind the inspiration for JD Wetherspoon and I think they got it so right.
These places are indeed a community centre, where one can find solace and kin, a friendly face or a shoulder to lean on. They offer us a chance to be human, acknowledging those who we may also be or become and not sneer or judge. It's the only public place I know where one can feel comfortable being when not at our best, where ordering a drink before 10 am is not seen as a bad thing and where we can mix without criticism.
