explain please!

[electricblue]

Last year there was a story about a pub that had a sign in the window saying;No english,that was fine,BUT

When another pub put a sign up saying;No argentinians,they were told off for racism,thing is why??

[tellboy]

I take it the Pub was in Wales ? Why are Bed & Breakfast signs and Vacancies signs in North Wales written in English not Welsh I wonder ?

[andy-hughes]

I don't know the story, or the location, but from the information given -

The sign 'No English' could be interpereted as advising that no-one on the premises speaks English - in the same way that a lot of European shops will put out a sign confirming the European languages spoken by the staff.

A sign saying 'No Argentinians' is uneqivocable - it states clearly that people of Agentian origin are not welcome, and that is illegal under racial intolerance legislation.

[noxlumos]

I think the whole thing is an urban myth to be honest, but had they put "No Argentinian" then that would have been fine too on the basis of andy's answer:)

[SarCaustic]

They speak Spanish in Argentina, Nox

[electricblue]

No,it was a pub in suffolk,and english people were not allowed so when the 2nd pub hit back they were fined for racism and told to remove their sign!

[littleoldme]

When did the People's Republic of Suffolk declare independence then? :-)

Seriously, English people banned from a pub in their own country? Is this true, or are the Daily Mail up to their usual tricks? If it's true, that's disgraceful, but I suspect there's more to this than meets the eye.

[ugly_bob]

I would have gone in there just to cause a fuss. Or pretended to be an Argy.

[electricblue]

Yeah this was on our local news,it also made the paper,just wondering why its one law for some,and another for others,thats all!!

[Whickerman]

Sorry, I just don't believe it.

[jake-the-peg]

I can find nothing on the net relating to pubs with a "No English sign".

However I can find references to places in America displaying signs "No English, No service".

Could this be the root of this myth?

[electricblue]

Norfolk news,genuinely,not on april fools either!

[redcrx]

Happened in Norfolk too. A leisure facility was taken over by the owner of an employment agency who then turned it into a portuguese club. Portuguese only. Im all for anti-racism campaigns but it does seem to be a tad one-sided at times.

[jake-the-peg]

Well unfortunately archive.org's records for Norfolk news seen to stop in March last year (I guess they locked their website to them) and I can't find the item in the first quarter so I guess we won't know the details unless somebody turns up the article.

There is of course a big difference between somebody creating a private club for Portugese people and people putting up a sign saying "No English" in a pub which should be open to all - I'd have expected that action should and would have been taken in that case if the intention was to racially ban English people from a public place.

[redcrx]

jake I have nothing against a club being opened for the portuguese, i think it prevents trouble within the main town, but had anyone opened an English club, solely for english members then i certainly think that the portuguese residents would complain.

[jake-the-peg]

The Portugese club doubtlessly does not bar English people. I'm sure if you were Brazillian or were married to a Portugese person or if you were intrested in learning Portugese you'd be made most welcome.

If you were living in the Spain and were a member of a club for Brits you'd not lynch any Spaniard that walked in the door.

They're promoting a language and culture, not trying to erradicate a different language and culture. Unfortunately erradicating foreign languages and cultures is exactly the aim of certain "British Organisations" in Britain.

This is not confined to the UK either - I'd be rather suspicious of say a "Portugese Society" in Lisbon or a "German Club" in Berlin

[beejaybee]

tellboy. In some parts of Wales the signs are written in both English & Welsh. I suppose in North Wales they`re in English so that all the foreigners can understand them. Or the owners themselves are probably English & would n`t know any Welsh.