Kids in Pubs

We have a couple of pubs in our village. One is busy but has no music and is loud with people talking, it's a village pub. The other has music, younger people and generally more lively.

Some time ago I was out with a friend. We went to the first pub for a while and then decided to potter down to the second before home.

We got there about 10:30pm , there were a couple of other playground mum's I recognised. I was amazed that there were 3 children there and one I know quite well. She is 10 years old. She was dressed much like all the other screeching women in the group and carrying a handbag. (My 12 year old was already tucked up in bed .)

The mum of the child in the pub was incredibly drunk and after much discussion the children were taken home by one lady about 5 minutes before the mum was partially carried home by dad.

I don't necessarily have a problem with taking my daughter into the right type of pub during the day time -  if we are going for a special occasion meal or if it is at a "day out place" and we go in for a pot of tea and a some pop. But I think if you plan to go out for a night on the razzle, the children should be left home with a sitter and you should arrive back capable of being able to look after them. But then I have the luxury of having a lot of reliable sitters to hand

Don't get me wrong I drink my fair share, this is not about alcohol but about responsible (as I see it) behaviour in front of children.

My parents rarely went to pubs but I do recall sitting in the car a couple of times on a Sunday afternoon with a bottle of pop and a packet of crisps reading the AA handbook whilst waiting for them.  Imagine what the social services would say to that today.  I feel it helped me to pass my driving test first time!

Do you take your children into pubs? Is it a good life lesson for them to see this? Am I being too judgemental, being so shocked?