Cleckheaton’s Wetherspoons, The Obediah Brooke and its staff have been shamed after kicking out three pensioners during the coronation celebrations. Kathleen and Peter Mellor and Michael Robson, stated ‘We had these tiny paper trumpets and would blow them occasionally when King Charles was on the screen.’ After being kicked out the Mellors and Robson turned to local Facebook groups leading to uproar from Cleckheaton residents.
Despite causing a stir online a spokesperson for the Wetherspoons caused much controversy saying that the pensioners being barred was warranted. ‘We appreciate that they may have wished to celebrate the coronation but the repeated noise was causing disturbance to the staff and other customers.’. One member of the public Angie Brook claimed on Facebook that ‘We are British. Get a grip, we know how to celebrate.’. The original person who added the post to the media site and was supposedly at the event, James Patterson, commented that the pensioners were ‘actually gutted about how they were spoken to’ and ‘who in their right mind would bar a group of retired royalists on the day of the King’s Coronation?’.With Peter Mellor stating ‘Nobody should be treated this way, especially not on such a momentous occasion.’.
Despite the innocence that the story holds with the locals wanting to stick up for the pensioners, the comments posted on Facebook show racist undertones regarding the issues. With one man saying ‘That’s what happens when you employ someone who hates our culture and traditions!!’. With another local stepping in to say ‘They we’re just rowdy… put the racism away for a day.’. Despite the pensioners being repeatedly asked to stop the blowing of small paper horns the noise persisted which led them to being told to escort the premises in spite of what others have claimed about the morals of the employees in question.
It has been questioned by the public the truth to the story and whose side was in actuality factual, with Cleckheaton Matters Facebook community member, Gemma Louise claiming otherwise. Saying that Patterson could not have witnessed the event in the face of his claims as he is supposedly barred from the Obediah himself and that the Wetherspoons staff ‘wear chest camera with audio so what they are claiming simply isn’t how it is.’.