Thursday 24 November 2005

Hic!

Just over ten minutes ago the licensing laws in this country changed again! Now in a political coup from the "Lunatics have taken over the asylum" school of planning Tone and co are also banging on about "responsible drinking" so we now have a two-tier system.

A high ranking plod was interviewed last week. Standing in a pub, sipping a glass of water and standing next to Charles Clarke - probably there to make sure that if the policeman went "off message" he could give him a thump and restore New Labour order - he explained that nasty little scrotes who go out and get bladdered on a few lager tops are the problem but upstanding pillars of society such as himself would welcome the chance to enjoy a glass of wine on the way back from the theatre or cinema. I may have missed the details of how people will be assessed on entering the pub - two doors maybe? Upstanding citizens in the snug and leery binge drinkers in the vault? perhaps you can only get a drink if you show the stub of your theatre ticket or the programme?

"Sorry sir, seeing that film only allows half a bitter and out by midnight"
or
"Opera at Covent Garden Sir? That'll do nicely - pull up a comfy chair, I'll crack open the Bollinger, you can stay all week, would you like to meet my wife?"
No plans to change the licensing laws at The Mermaid you'll be pleased to know.

9 careful considerations:

bluefluff said...

The small print in these news stories is interesting - only 359 pubs & clubs have actually applied for 24 hour licences (& most clubs already had extended licences anyway). The remainder are retail outlets.
Slight touch of hysteria in some of the reporting, methinks.

Anonymous said...

I can imagine the hordes of drunken zombies after chucking out time rampaging across the country in search of these 24-hour premises.
The horror!

Nogbad said...

Someone from the pub trade was talking about this earlier. He claimed that 70% of the booze sold in this country is purchased for "home" (or street corner?) consumption.

Nogbad said...

GW - Our local weekly paper (there isn't enough news in Kent to support a daily paper) has helpfully listed all the pubs in the area which have varied the licensed hours. Interestingly The Mermaid is listed but arguably all they've done is tied the license to the current hours :-)

Echomouse said...

This reminds me of Coronation Street. My mother watches that show religiously. The characters are always in the pub drinking. For breakfast, lunch AND dinner. How any of them manage to function during the day is beyond me. LOL

Nogbad said...

Mouse - That's where I come from! Listen to the Martin Platt character and you are pretty close to how I speak!

Buggles Balham High Road said...

Our local independent brewery applied for all their tenants licences, as they own all the pubs in town, and in our local paper they report that this makes them accountable for 20% of the new extended licences in England!

Anonymous said...

News just in! (from Manchester of all places!) How do you get to do this kind of research?

Nogbad said...

Funnily enough I started writing about that earlier GW! Isn't it wonderful? I really think I want to move into research :-)