Forum Topic

Ealing drunkards

I'm sure I'll get accused of racism over this post, but I'm going to start the debate anyway. I've just read this article http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10061830/Coroner-raises-concerns-about-drunkenness-among-Poles.html and I've got to say I'm worried about this in Ealing. Now that the weather is getting slightly better it appears that almost every bench in Ealing parks and churchyards is occupied by a group of Eastern Europeans getting blind drunk all day, everyday. Apart from being interested as to how on earth they can afford to, it's a real blight on our recreation areas. I'm sure that there are plenty of other nationalities who enjoy an all day session, but I certainly don't remember it being like this when I was a kid. In fact I certainly wouldn't feel very safe letting kids play in the park unsupervised. Walpole Park seems to be worst at the moment, with big burly guys screaming and shouting and falling over drunk. Do they ever get moved on? I heard a rumour that Chiswick may start introducing controlled drinking zones, which I'd personally find a shame in Ealing, but is there any other way? The problem is far, far worse in Ealing than in Hounslow IMHO.

Philip Slater ● 4698d13 Comments

Eastern Europeans dont think al fresco drinking is anything strange.. quite the opposite.

Al Stuart ● 4696d

That having just watched 'Watchdog' on BBC1 is something I didn't know. So there is a whole raft of things they could do that might be of better value and make the place better for everyone .Why does that not happen I wonder?

Michael Brandt ● 4696d

"Now if parking wardens could do the same for loiterers and drunks then we might get value for money!!"They are supposedly Civil Enforcement Officers and, as such, are empowered to enforce by-laws.

Nigel Brooks ● 4696d

I'm sure that there are plenty of Polish descended on this forum to be able to tell you how this behaviour is dealt with in Poland.It is not tolerated and drunks and drinking in public is a fineable and arrestable offence. If you cannot provide an ID card and you are stopped with open booze upon you you can be arrested and fined and go on a register.That's why Polish boozers will place the booze in a bag. They know it's not permitted.But as usual nothing gets enforced here unless it involves vehicles.Now if parking wardens could do the same for loiterers and drunks then we might get value for money!!

Michael Brandt ● 4696d

Understandable.I have treated wine corks with much the same distain for several decades now.

Tony Colliver ● 4696d

I'm afraid drunkenness is a Slav disease as well as an English disease. I am reminded of the man who invented a device for re-sealing bottles of vodka only to have the Russians laugh in his face at the idea that they would ever fail to finish the bottle.

Susan Kelly ● 4696d

They may be drunk but they are not stupid. A pint of strong beer costs about £4 in a pub and more in a wine bar or restaurant so at £1 for nearly a pint in a tin for a good quality Polish beer these people can clearly budget.

Alex Witraz ● 4697d

We walk in Walpole Park most days and we've noticed these men drinking. We've never ever experienced any untoward or threatening or abusive behaviour from them. They are a mild annoyance and look uncouth and unsavory, but then some folks might might think I'm a tad strange, so who am I to object to these men. As somebody else observed, thats life these days, so let it be - its not a perfect world.

Gerry Tan ● 4697d

It is of course very sad, but I have never found the Eastern European drinkers to be threatening or intimidating.  Presumably they meet together and have a drink in the park because the pub prices are now eye watering.

Philip Coe ● 4697d

What offends you most...that they're there, that they're no longer exclusively British alcohol abusers or the fact that they exist at all? Do the citizens of cardboard city and sundry suitable shop doorways offend your eyes and ears equally as much. The bottom line here is that hard drinkers, like the denizens of cardboard city, are a fact of modern life and as such are something we simply have to live with. All the most righteous drinking zone controls in the world won't make the problem go away, they'll simply push the problem along and into/within somebody elses eyesight.What I'm saying is that bleating all you/we like isn't and won't ever change the situation and the 'system' knows this also. It can't and won't ever really deal with either them or the problem in general.

Robert Rosamond ● 4697d

Not really, I have good friends who live in Krakow and  Wroclaw and 'hard drinking' is endemic among the middle-aged men.

Nigel Brooks ● 4697d

I guess they've caught the English disease. At least the foreigners can't say that we're all drunken hooligans

David Wright ● 4697d

Elthorne Park, sadly, has the same problem, with a late night group of eastern European, judging from appearance and accent drinkers.They are generally no problem, albeit a bit loud, and keep themselves to the enslavement of their addiction.Rather than simply move them on I would like to know if there is any professional intervention service within their community that could become involved; else all we do is move the problem rather than resolve it for the benefit of both the problem drinker and the wider community.

Nigel Brooks ● 4698d