If you’ve ever spent more than a week in the UK, you’ll likely know what Wetherspoons is.

Or ‘Spoons as some affectionately (and some not so affectionately) call it.

It’s a large chain of pubs spread out through the country. In a nutshell they open early, close late and serve cheap ‘n’ cheerful drinks throughout the day.

Legend has it that the chairman\founder, Tim Martin, named it after a teacher of his called Mr. Wetherspoon.

Apparently Wetherspoon had often doubted Tim Martin’s academic brilliance and so he decided to take revenge and prove a point by naming his super successful chain after him.

How’s that for triumphing over adversity?

P.S I’m also aware that Tim Martin has since come out and said: “”I decided to call it Wetherspoon’s after a former teacher – not because the teacher in question at my primary school in New Zealand had said I would never make it, as some people think, but because he was too nice a fellow to be running our particular class and he couldn’t control it. So I thought: I can’t control the pub, he couldn’t control the class, so I’ll name it after him.”

…but I prefer the version of the story that I posted…how’s that for fake news and alternative facts!?

(image – trip advisor)