Vance Gleefully Shunned on U.K. Visit

 JD Vance's current visit to the UK hasn’t gone particularly well.  There’s been demonstrations, an outcry over villagers being ‘asked’ for their social media info, headlines about his time fishing with UK foreign secretary David Lammy, a musician pulling out of a gig after realzsing it was for the politician, and a van driving around the Cotswolds showing a ‘cursed’ image of him looking like an egg.

Charlbury, a small town near the 18th-century manor where Vance and his family stayed while in the Cotswolds, was also the scene of a colorful protest against his visit on Tuesday. The “Dance Against Vance” protest was punctuated by placards dubbing him a “war criminal,” and images of a meme that shows a bald and baby-faced Vance with rosy, swollen cheeks.

Residents in Charlbury and the tiny hamlet of Dean, where the manor house is situated, quickly grew weary of Vance and his entourage of vehicles and Secret Service agents. Even the deputy mayor of Chipping Norton, not far from Dean, spoke out against his vacation. “We’ve had a curtailment of our freedoms here, just by his mere presence, in terms of where we can walk and where we can be,” said Steve Akers. “And the American Secret Service knocking on people’s doors and asking about their Facebook profiles.” 

Now, it’s been reported that Vance tried to reserve a table at The Bull in Charlbury, only for him to be turned away as staff threatened not to show up if the vice president was there.  To add insult to injury, political rival Kamala Harris was able to eat at the restaurant just a few weeks before Vance's visit, as she was there for a pre-wedding dinner for Eve Jobs, daughter of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.  Ouch!

The news was reported by the celebrity and pop culture newsletter Popbitch, which said The Bull “refused [Vance’s] patronage” after the Oxfordshire establishment faced “staff grumbles and a barrage of negative press attention”.  Once the name of the restaurant has circulated online, people have taken to Google’s reviews function to let them know what they think of the staff’s reported protest against Vance’s booking.

“It’s crazy. I’m born and raised in the USA. I’ve never been here or in the UK, but this is by far my favorite pub ever. Good on ya folks,” wrote user Adam Crishi, giving the restaurant five stars.  Another reviewer joked: “Lovely pub! Didn’t have any JD in though.”

Andrew Goodall wrote: “Biggest, best most beautiful pub. Some would say the bigliest! Excellent in every way! Especially in regards to their ethics!”  Vance references were made, too, as Eszter Olah commented: “Did you even say thank you? You should definitely say thank you (to the staff) if you dine here.”