Author / Nicky Renwick

by Nicky Renwick

20 ‘Black Friday’ pubs

If the thought of battling shoppers for so-called bargains on the high street fills you with dread, why not spend Black Friday in a suitably named bar instead.

https://uylo.co/blackfriday

Over the years our cousins across the pond have brought the world such marvels as crisps, toilet paper and jelly beans, and their latest gift to us is the shopper meltdown that is Black Friday. The day after Americans celebrate Thanksgiving has become a worldwide excuse to seek out bargains (before doing so all over again on Boxing Day and in the New Year sales).

The origins of this festival of consumerism are not entirely clear. The phrase seems to date back to the 1950s and its use by the authorities in Philadelphia to describe the heavier-than-usual traffic they would encounter on the day after Thanksgiving, and this became over time the accepted phrase to define the start of the Christmas shopping season. So Philadelphia can now add Black Friday to its list of recent accomplishments, alongside spreadable cheese and the scene of the original Rocky training montage.

Indeed, these days it’s necessary to possess the physique and strength of the 1970s Rocky to thrive in the battle for bargains on the high street. We’ve all seen the footage of throngs of people pushing and shoving each other for the ‘right’ to buy a discounted television, and there have been reports of related injuries and even deaths in some countries. 

Not content with turning the high street into a battle zone, the fight has gone online in recent years, with Amazon, Argos, Currys and even the dragon-bothering John Lewis soliciting aggressively for your disposable income. 

All of which will be music to the ears of some, but we at useyourlocal prefer our consumption to be of the digestible form. So we used our extensive database of the UK’s pubs and bars (which, by the way, is the best there is) to put together a list of ‘alternative’ Black Friday establishments: in other words, hostelries that can claim a fleeting association of sorts with this shopping bonanza. 

You’ll find the list on our website. It features a Big Shop and a Deal Cutter and even a Closed Shop. Alternatively you can abide by the old adage and go in for the New Penny and then for the Pound (Inn). If you’re feeling agricultural, head to the Farmers Arms or the Grain & Hop Store; if two-wheeled transport’s your thing, we’ve got an Old Bicycle Shop; and if you’re really just a big kid at heart the Toy Shop is the one for you. You’ll even find a Sale (Conservative Club) if you really want one.

So which will it be, elbows in the ribs amid throngs of discount-hunters, or a drink or two in a nice warm bar while contemplating nobler pursuits? We love pubs at useyourlocal, so our choice is an easy one: we’ll be taking it all in with a pint – of the black stuff, naturally.

by Nicky Renwick

The World’s Biggest Pub Quiz 2017

On Sunday March 5 2017, PubAid and the largest men’s health charity in the UK, Prostate Cancer UK, are calling on the pub industry, including clubs, bars and venues, to host a quiz and raise money for charity.
Over 11,000 men die from prostate cancer in the UK each year. That’s one man every hour. Money raised through this partnership will help fund ground-breaking research, support men and their families affected by the disease, and fight injustice in care.

Co-founder of PubAid, Des O’Flanagan, commented: “The quiz is a great way of recognising the fabulous work that UK pubs do for charity in raising over £100m a year. We’re delighted to be partnering with Prostate Cancer UK who have recognised that great British pubs are places to get their message heard and been enthusiastic supporters of the role the pub plays in the fabric of our communities.”

James Beeby, Director of fundraising, at Prostate Cancer UK, commented: “We are thrilled to partner with PubAid who have been celebrating the success of pubs raising millions of pounds for great causes since 2009. We have a growing number of ‘pop up’ pubs known as the Men United Arms so it made sense to link up with industry experts to reach more publicans and consumers with a message about prostate cancer, and to raise money to fight the disease – which affects 1 in 8 men in the UK.”

To find a pub close to you that is taking part,  click here – come and support this great charity.

 

 

by Nicky Renwick

Win £50 in our Pub & Bar Survey 2016

Want to win £50 to spend on a night out down your local? At Useyourlocal.com we’re on a mission to get more people into pubs & bars, more often. We think that people love the idea of visiting their locals more but sometimes need just a little bit of extra help & encouragement.

We’d love to know more about how you find out about what’s going on in pubs & bars. How often do you look online? How easy do you find it? Would you like to know more about what’s happening near you? Would you be up for going more often than you already do?

Our 2016 Pub & Bar Survey will help us make our website better and will also help us on our mission of getting more people to use their locals more often. Oh yes, and there’s always the carrot of a £50 bar tab on us ( T’s & C’s apply).

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Terms & Conditions

  1. The prize draw (the “Prize Draw”) is open to people aged 18 and over who provide their email address after completing the survey.
  2. Employees or agencies of Useyourlocal.com (UYL), or anyone else connected with the Prize Draw may not enter the Prize Draw.
  3. Entrants into the Prize Draw shall be deemed to have accepted these Terms and Conditions.
  4. By submitting your personal information you agree to receive emails from Useyourlocal.com containing news, offers and events offers that we think may interest you.
  5. To enter the Prize Draw you must complete the survey and submit your name and email address.  No purchase is necessary.  If you have any questions about how to enter or in connection with the Prize Draw, please e-mail us at [email protected].
  6. Only one entry per person. Entries on behalf of another person will not be accepted and joint submissions are not allowed.
  7. Useyourlocal.com accepts no responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed, misdirected or incomplete or cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason. Proof of delivery of the entry is not proof of receipt by Useyourlocal.com.
  8. The closing date of the Prize Draw is 23:59 on 5th January 2017.  Entries received outside this time period will not be considered.
  9. One winner will be chosen from a random draw of entries received in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.  The draw will be performed by a random computer process.  The draw will take place on 7th January 2017.
  1. The winner will receive a £50 bar tab on us, at a pub or bar of their choice.
  2. Useyourlocal.com accepts no responsibility for any costs associated with the prize and not specifically included in the prize
  3. The winner will be notified by email on or before 7th January 2017 and must provide a postal address to claim their prize. If a winner does not respond to UYL within 14 days of being notified by UYL, then the winner’s prize will be forfeited and UYL shall be entitled to select another winner in accordance with the process described above (and that winner will have to respond to notification of their win within 14 days or else they will also forfeit their prize).  If a winner rejects their prize or the entry is invalid or in breach of these Terms and Conditions, the winner’s prize will be forfeited and UYL shall be entitled to select another winner.
  4. The prize will be sent to the winner by UYL by post.
  5. The name and country of the winner can be obtained after 7th January 2017 by sending a stamped addressed envelope to the following address: Useyourlocal.com, i6 Charlotte Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4XF.
  6. The prize is non-exchangeable, non-transferable, and is not redeemable for cash or other prizes.
  7. UYL retains the right to substitute the prize with another prize of similar value in the event the original prize offered is not available.
  8. The winner may be required to take part in promotional activity related to the Prize Draw and the winner shall participate in such activity on UYL’s reasonable request.  The winner consents to the use by UYL and its related companies, both before and after the closing date of the Prize Draw for an unlimited time, of the winner’s voice, image, photograph and name for publicity purposes (in any medium, including still photographs and films, and on the internet, including any websites hosted by UYL and its related companies) and in advertising, marketing or promotional material without additional compensation or prior notice and, in entering the Prize Draw, all entrants consent to the same.
  9. UYL shall use and take care of any personal information you supply to it as described in its privacy policy, and in accordance with data protection legislation.  By entering the Prize Draw, you agree to the collection, retention, usage and distribution of your personal information in order to process and contact you about your Prize Draw entry, and for the purposes outlined in paragraph 14 above.
  10. UYL accepts no responsibility for any damage, loss, liabilities, injury or disappointment incurred or suffered by you as a result of entering the Prize Draw or accepting the prize. UYL further disclaims liability for any injury or damage to your or any other person’s computer relating to or resulting from participation in or downloading any materials in connection with the Prize Draw. Nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall exclude the liability of UYL for death, personal injury, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation as a result of its negligence.
  11. UYL reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, this Prize Draw with or without prior notice due to reasons outside its control (including, without limitation, in the case of anticipated, suspected or actual fraud). The decision of UYL in all matters under its control is final and binding and no correspondence will be entered into.
  12. UYL shall not be liable for any failure to comply with its obligations where the failure is caused by something outside its reasonable control. Such circumstances shall include, but not be limited to, weather conditions, fire, flood, hurricane, strike, industrial dispute, war, hostilities, political unrest, riots, civil commotion, inevitable accidents, supervening legislation or any other circumstances amounting to force majeure.
  13. The Prize Draw will be governed by English law and entrants to the Prize Draw submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
  14. Promoter: Useyourlocal.com, i6 Charlotte Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4XF