At weekends, we publish some of our most popular blogs.
Here is a video blog from Deaf comedian and actor John Smith, in BSL, with a transcript in English below.
Transcript:
Years ago, lots of Deaf people went to the Deaf club.
There, they did sports, football, darts, different activities.
Then ‘Deaf Pub’ meet-ups started. That was fine. It was lovely for people to meet and chat.
But Deaf club attendances went down, and the number of people meeting at Deaf Pub meet-ups went up.
Some of the Deaf clubs closed down.
It’s interesting – hearing pubs have been closing down, but they’re full when they have Deaf Pub meet-ups!
The owners of the pubs must be saying “thank you” to the Deaf customers!
Plus, some Deaf Pub meet-ups charge a pound to get in. A pound?
A bouncer said the money was for Deaf children. I disagree with that. Why? It’s a public place. Most people don’t pay a pound to go in a pub!
Why do Deaf people have to pay a pound?
Some Deaf Pub events are free and that’s fine. But there’s one where you have to pay. Hmmm.
Would black people have to pay a pound to meet up? Wheelchair users? I don’t think so!
Anyway, I’m concerned that the number of people going to Deaf Pub events means that the Deaf community is disappearing.
I’ve been to Deaf Pubs, I’ve had a chat with people. But what about the Deaf community? Older people?
Young people or those who are under age? They can’t go to Deaf Pubs.
So I’m worried about the future of the community.
Deaf clubs have value.
People of any age can go. Children, adults.
In 2004, 2005, things changed.
Here’s one example of why Deaf clubs are good.
Before, I said I was going to do a talk on DLA, how it was changing to PIP. Everyone came. The Deaf club was full.
Everyone was worried about their DLA, they wanted to know what was happening.
The Deaf club gave them the information, not the Deaf Pub.
When Deaf clubs close, where will Deaf people get the information, and how?
John Smith is a Deaf comedian and actor.
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Dave Hollings
May 15, 2016
Why not put the two together? Maybe your area’s deaf club is struggling or you no longer have one? Why not sell the deaf club building and buy a pub? The pub would attract deaf and hearing customers and employ deaf staff, giving them real, secure jobs. Upstairs you can have your deaf club – meetings rooms, information services, a space for young people. And you don’t need to be fundraising to keep the building all the time – you are fundraising every time you sell a drink or a meal in the pub. For the next two years, there is free money and advice to help communities, including deaf communities, to do this. https://www.plunkett.co.uk/more-than-a-pub
Cathy
May 15, 2016
Dave, not all deaf clubs can be sold as the building is not theirs. A primary example is Manchester Deaf club. This building is part of Manchester University and could never be sold to buy a pub! Likewise Stockport Deaf Club belongs to the blind, so the Deaf community rent the upstairs section. It could never be sold to benefit Deaf people.
And even if a pub was bought, would Deaf people be running it? I bet a million dollars they would be on the wrong side of the bar!!!
You also need to remember that when a business goes into administration their creditors are first in line for monies owed, so by the time all that is done there would be nothing left to buy a pub with!!
A nice idea in theory, but I don’t quite think it is in practise.
Cathy
May 15, 2016
John Smith makes interesting points. It is a shame that Deaf clubs are closing down; the latest one Iam aware of is Blackpool.
It is true that we used to go to the Deaf club to socialise every week. We played darts matches, pool n snooker. We would have competitions for these games with other Deaf Clubs. We would have hot pot n stews and all sit down as though we were at a banquet! The atmosphere was fantastic!
Sadly, such gamely camarederie died well before the millenium! Indeed it is not difficult to see why: these competitions and meals had to be organised by volunteers, but the volunteers disappeared, not least because many have died.
It is no surprise that pub meet ups developed: ever since the mobile gave the Deaf community easy access to communication, who needs the Deaf club now? Just text ya mate and meet up in the “Jack n Jill” at 8pm. Simples!
It is a very sad state of affairs and many Deaf clubs are just about “limping along” their finances are not great, but without input from Deaf people themselves: one by one they will all flounder and die!
The only good thing about Deaf pub nights is that it keeps the Deaf community together, albeit getting drunk and wasting money! And the irony is that John talking about DLA changing to PIP is highly likely to mean that Deaf people are not going to be able to afford Deaf pub nights! This means Deaf Pub meet ups will die out and pub Landlords will be crying: “Where have all the Deaf customers gone?!”
The answer is they will end up going back to the Deaf Club, but it will be far too late when they have already closed down!! The Deaf Community ends up completely fractured! John asks where will the Deaf get information from and how? The answer is from nowhere and no way!
Harry
May 25, 2016
Deaf clubs should matter! it allows the deaf people to become more involved in the social life. It is such a shame that the clubs are closing down, but people need to know how important the clubs are to the deaf people and how it made them happy!