Landlord says 'au revoir' to French wine in war protest

Apr 4 2003 Jessica Shaughnessy, Chester Chronicle

AN INNKEEPER whose son is fighting in Iraq has vetoed French wines and replaced them with bottles from countries sympathetic to the British war effort.

Champagne and Burgundy came off the wine list at the Cock O'Barton in Barton Village, near Malpas, last week.

'I now serve wines from countries like Australia and the United States, countries that are fighting alongside us,' said John Hair, whose 34-year-old son, Norman, is working as an RAF weapons technician in the Gulf.

And what do his regulars think? 'Most of them agree that the French are anti-British,' said Mr Hair, 73.

'They have turned their backs on us. Even though we rescued them all those years ago. In my opinion we should have given them back to the Germans.'

Mr Hair says he has already had some feedback on his controversial stance since he put up a sign outside his pub explaining his position.

'It's a small sign,' he said. 'It just says: 'French wines have been vetoed. Replaced from friendly countries.'

'Somebody came in the other day and asked me for a bottle of French wine. I told them if they wrote a cheque for £30 to the British Service-men's Widows and Children fund, I would give them a bottle of French wine on the house - to take home with them.

'Another customer came in and said I was being offensive to their French friends. But I have nothing against French people, I am sure most of them are very nice - it's just their country's policies.'

He continued: 'The best response was from an American that came in. He was so pleased when he saw the sign he took a copy of it back to his home in Indianapolis.

'He said he was going to pin it up in his office and show fellow Americans that they do have support over here.

'There is not a lot of people actively supporting our boys. A lot of them don't really have an opinion either way.

'And there is a lot of people who are anti-war. But they are the do-gooders.'

Mr Hair, who took over the pub in 1965, says his feelings about France are not entirely due to the fact that his son, one of two sons and four daughters, is out in Iraq.

He said: 'Everything the French can do that is anti-British, they do it.'