Forum Topic

Fullers

The CEO of Fullers claims that the company is "driven by our purpose to create experiences that nourish the soul"This is a tremendous step forward from Fullers' attitude in the early 1960s when I was refused service in the saloon bar of one of their Southall pubs because I was accompanied by my Indian girlfriend at the time. When I complained to the then CEO of Fullers, the reply I received far from disassociating the company from this overt form of racism - simply told me that the racist decision not to serve me was at the discretion of the pub manager!I complained to George Pargiter, Southall's MP at the time, who introduced me to the TV "Free Speech", programme-maker Edgar Lustgarten, but as the publican refused to appear this item was never shown. George Pargiter was one of the many Labour MPs who eventually succeeded in voting for the 1965 Race Relations Act - The Act made it a civil offence to refuse to serve a person, to serve someone with unreasonable delay, or to overcharge, on the grounds of colour, race, or ethnic or national origins. The Act also created the offence of "incitement to racial hatred".

Dave Wetzel ● 1562d5 Comments

Well done for making an issue of it which I'm sure helped accelerate legislation even in a small way.Fuller's may actually have been constrained in what they could do at the time and the failure to act might not have been an endorsement of what occurred but until the landlord had behaved illegally there was little they could do. Did they offer an apology at least?

Felicity Caborn ● 1561d

Since the 60’s there has been many leaps forward on every level in society can’t compare 1960’s to 2022. Your experience in the 60’s was commonplace.

Jayne Thorburn ● 1561d

I remember hearing of someone who walked out/was sacked from his bar job back in those days, because he refused to charge their Asian customers more than they charged white customers.This was the Hare & Hounds in Osterley; curiously it is a Fullers Pub, though I don't know if it was back then.P.S. I don't for one moment imagine the H&H is anything like that now.

Richard Cathcart ● 1560d

Now they don't discriminate on anyway way. They overcharge everyone.

Basil Finnis ● 1560d

Dave Wetzel - I salute your determination to confront this issue.Everything we say, and everything we do changes the World, if only a little.  I have no doubt that your actions nudged the World on just a little to the better place we are in now - six decades later (even if that journey still has a long way to go).

T P Howell ● 1560d