The Hamilton Hall, Liverpool Street

I am writing to you regarding my experience at Hamilton Hall (Liverpool St Station) on Thursday 30th August at 07.50 in the morning.

As you know, on Thursdays (and sometimes Tuesdays) Hamilton Hall doesn�t always open at its supposed time of 7.30 in the morning but opens late, due to the slot machine people inside the pub counting out their money.

Anyway, at 07.40 this morning, all I wanted to know was when the pub would be open, ie would it be worth my while waiting or going home to sleep (I�m a night shift worker). On politely knocking on the door all I got in answer was a girl waving and laughing at me from inside.

After ten more minutes at 07.50 I knocked on the door again because I saw one of the bar staff inside. She shouted from inside that `we open late on Thursdays.� I shouted back asking if she could put a sign on the door telling the waiting crowd what time the pub would be open or come closer to the door and actually tell us what time they would open, give or take.

This request was ignored, and instead I got, what I can only describe as a thug (well built bald headed chap) shouting, swearing and pointing at me from inside. Now, with his effing and blinding I wouldn�t have minded if he�d said we open at effing o�clock or something, so I knew whether to stay or go � that would have been useful! Why couldn�t he have come to the door, say sorry mate, but we aint opening until�..

I was later informed that this was the pub duty manager. As I continued to draw a little square with my fingers on the door indicating it would be nice if he could put the opening time on the door, his abuse became more energetic. Regardless of his skills in running a pub, he certainly shouldn�t be put in a position where he is dealing with the public. I�m wondering, did Wetherspoon vet him properly when he applied for his job? If I�d acted like that, one of my colleagues would have called the police and had me chucked out of the building. What makes a pub any different?

At 8am, there were still bags of money on the bar inside the pub and I judged that it wasn�t going to be open any time soon. I know that the profits you make from games machines are more important than your drinking customers, but I don�t think Wetherspoon should go out of its way to ignore its drinking customers.

I�ve tracked down some of the people waiting outside who have also signed this letter, but if you can look at Wetherspoon�s camera evidence you have, you will see that I am not exaggerating when I tell you that your customers are treated at best with contempt, and at worst with Hamilton Hall�s very own yob.

Concerning the staff member who sneers at us and calls us alcoholics when she opens the door, all I can say is that I�m only after a pint before I go home to bed. If you�re going to treat your customers like were something you�ve got on the bottom of your shoe in the mornings, I recommend that you don�t bother opening. Whatever happened to the great family pub that Wetherspoon used to be?

Any way, out of curiosity, what time did Hamilton Hall open in the end?

3 Sep 2007 14:46