I visited the Roebuck on the 24th July 2021 with my two friends and colleagues after being part of the Tommies and Trenches event at Nottingham Castle. We were attending in uniform, 1st World War and Boer War, British Army (North Staffordshire and Royal Warwickshire Regiment). We have done this at many venues before, never had any problem at all. We're part of a re-enactment group that has commemorated the 1st World War for the past twenty years.
There was a queue at the door due to overcrowding, and the door staff were friendly and amenable, asking about our attire, and we explained. All was well. Went in, sat down, and I then approached the bar to order drinks. Was approached by a loud, extremely drunk woman who insisted I was "dressed as Hitler" to which I calmly explained I wasn't. Bar staff seemed bemused by her drunken antics and ignored her as she complained. I thought nothing more of it. One of my friends helped me take the drinks back to the table, where we sat quietly and looked at the menu about to order food.
We were then approached by another woman, who asked us how we were doing. I and my Serjeant said we were doing fine, just having a drink whilst looking over the menu. She explained she was the duty manager and asked if we had ordered yet. We said we had not, but were about to. She said we had "offended people with our dress" and she'd have to ask us to leave. Perplexed, I asked what offence had been caused. She awkwardly explained "Well, being Nazi uniforms" or words to the effect (I knew what was coming, given the drunken woman at the bar).
My Serjeant explained that the uniforms were those of the North Staffordshire Regiment (I pointed at my cap badge, my side cap being under by epaulette, naturally) and the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, again pointing at the cap badges on his and our Private's caps and the shoulder titles on our Private's jacket. The manager said it didn't matter. I then explained that, whilst she was within her rights to ask us to leave, we wanted to explain the truth of the matter, that these were not "Nazi" or even German uniforms, but British Army uniforms.
Again, didn't matter to the manager. Several other people nearby expressed that they felt asking us to leave was wrong. We then simply stood up, finished our drinks, put the glasses upside down on the table to signal our displeasure and left.
Apparently, this manager doesn't care about facts, reality, or that we were quietly enjoying our drinks and about to order food. It was more important to satisfy the complaint (singular, despite her claims) of a loud, drunken, women who is ignorant to history and apparently cannot or will not see the Prince of Wales' feathers on a badge, Queen Victoria's Crown on every button on a tunic, or "Dieu et mon Droi" and the Royal Crest on a belt buckle.
"I WENT into a public 'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, " We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' " Tommy, go away " ;
But it's " Thank you, Mister Atkins," when the band begins to play
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's " Thank you, Mister Atkins," when the band begins to play." read more