Scores of military veterans are ripping up their traditional Remembrance Sunday routine as noise complaints have prompted their favourite pub to change its opening hours.
The White Lion Hotel, near the Cenotaph in Bristol city centre, normally hosts veterans and their families for teas and coffees before the annual procession.
But the pub claims it has been asked to stay closed until the ceremony is finished this year, following allegations noisy customers disturbed the event in 2017 and 2018.
The council told Bristol Live the pub "offered" to open later following a noise complaint, to "avoid any potential issues"
Army veteran Pete Jefferies, 56, said: “The complaint said music was being played during the Remembrance parade. That’s just not true - we wouldn’t allow it.”
Mr Jefferies, a former sergeant major who served in Northern Ireland, said he has been popping into the White Lion before the procession for the last eight or nine years.
He explained alcohol is not available until the afternoon, but hot drinks are served in the morning in return for a donation to the Royal British Legion poppy appeal, a practice which raises hundreds of pounds.
Mr Jefferies said: “I know that most of the people stick £10 in. Last year the bar manager told me it was nearly an extra £400 that he was able to give to the British Legion just for the coffee.”
Mr Jefferies, of Shirehampton, said older veterans have also been grateful for the pub’s early opening because it allows them access to toilets when caught short during the ceremony.
This year, however, the pub says it will not be opening until 12.30pm - after the conclusion of the parade at around 11.30am - on the advice of Bristol City Council’s licensing team, which flagged up noise complaints in 2017 and 2018.
A representative of Wickwar Wessex Brewing Company, which owns the pub, told Bristol Live they were asked to “voluntarily surrender” the hours between 10am and 12.30pm.
Wickwar’s head of operations Darren Earl said: “We’ve had to have our licence completely changed for that day.”
He added: “The worst thing is, we’re positive that the noise did not come from our customers.
“Something that used to benefit the [Royal British Legion] charity, we can’t be part of that anymore. We thought we were doing a very positive thing, which we’ve been stopped from doing.”
Mr Earl said the amount raised in previous years will be matched by Wickwar this year, but he indicated that might not happen in the future.
Meanwhile, Mr Jefferies expressed disbelief over the noise complaints.
He said: “Well over 100 veterans stand outside that pub - and they wouldn’t put up with anything that’s disrespectful.”
The procession on Sunday (November 10) will begin at College Green before heading along St Augustine’s Parade and Colston Avenue to reach the Cenotaph. After the two-minutes' silence, the parade will return to College Green.
A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: “Following a conversation with the White Lion Hotel about a noise complaint, the licence holder offered to open later on Remembrance Sunday to avoid any potential issues. The decision to open later is one for the licence holder and not Bristol City Council.’’
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