Thanks to another shortsighted budget, the end of the pub is signalled. No longer will there be a place to relax over a pint after work or while away the evening with a game of darts.

Following the catastrophic effect of the smoking ban, the person in the street who enjoys a pint and a ciggarette is penalised in order to pay for the planned cut in VAT.

If the government addressed the true problems of binge drinking, with supermarkets selling below cost alcohol in vast quantities for consumption in an uncontrolled environment, the increase in price would allow fair competition between the on and off trade. Therefore providing increased revenue to our countries depleted coffers.

 

The chaotic "human rights" laws used by the extremes of the present government to control our lifestyle have left a huge loophole.   In order to ease the flow of compensation culture "no win no fee" cases it is my understanding that there is NO definition of "disabled".

 Hence lutonmaic you and your friends can declare yourselves disabled due to nicotine addiction.  Then sue the governmnt for disability discrimination in removing your "human right" to smoke in a pub where the landlord is content for you to do so..

no longer will there be drunk drivers on their way home after work in the evening either, thats one bonus, less drunks on the road going home from the pub.

Not sure I get your point about "controlled enviroment" and the cheap alcohol from the supermarket - so you advocate paying more for alcohol and have someone tell you when you have drunk enough then?

Personally I will take the cheaper bevvy and decide for myself thanks.

Thesmoking ban has not been catastrophic - far from it. I speak as a smoker who prefers the pubs now they are smoke free. I have never met so many new people whilst out, simply by stepping outside I now have something in common with people I probably would never have struck up a conversation with.

BTW it is not the supermarkets fault for those that binge drink. People take responsibility for the quantity the pile away - you would not blame the mountain or the weather if someone dies from hypothermia whilst out walking in shorts and a T shirt would you?

Times change and tastes change and people dont want to go down the boozer any longer. 

That is absolute nonsense, I still go down the pub every Thursday night without fail as do several of my mates. People still go to pubs otherwise there would be none left.

How many pubs have actually closed down where you live?

Quite a few actually and I envy you for being able to afford to go to the pub at the prices they charge.

Personally I think pubs are being killed off by high prices, children being allowed in them and the irresponsible parents who let them run riot and think the rest of us adults shouldn't mind. 

New Years eve was thoroughly ruined at my local by all the kids running around and being allowed to destroy the buffet provided by the Landlord (who wants to eat sandwiches with finger marks in them).  The final straw for me was my feet being trampled on and one child head butting me in the stomach.

Where are the good old fashioned pubs that were run for adults?

nemisis:

Quite a few actually and I envy you for being able to afford to go to the pub at the prices they charge.

Personally I think pubs are being killed off by high prices, children being allowed in them and the irresponsible parents who let them run riot and think the rest of us adults shouldn't mind. 

New Years eve was thoroughly ruined at my local by all the kids running around and being allowed to destroy the buffet provided by the Landlord (who wants to eat sandwiches with finger marks in them).  The final straw for me was my feet being trampled on and one child head butting me in the stomach.

Where are the good old fashioned pubs that were run for adults?

was brought up in an old fashioned pub in the 50s and 60s,...piano in the "best room" small black and white tv in the vault.. and  NO CHILDREN even us that lived there were allowed in the pub...         spoilt pubs when they geared them to the teens... used to love playing or watching darts matches, pool, incidentally there have been 7 pubs, 3 social clubs  closed  within a mile radius of where i live......the great british pub as we knew it has finished, unless you travel out a fair distance ....

Well maybe i am just fortunate to live in a town of sociable drinkers!

I am treasurer of a working mens club in my area, we are much cheaper than local pubs, but do not do food, our turnover has not been hit as hard as many local pubs, try finding a club in your area, you may be very pleasantly surprised at what you get for a small membership fee. I was bought up in the late 40s, all bottled drinks were returnable with a refund, I used to make pocket money by collecting them, 2 years ago 6 of the manufacturers had charged, returnable bottles, today all are non returable bottles ????? what is cheaper clean and recycle or make new ???? When my generation where chidren DOB (1946) milk, lomanade, coke, tizer etc were all returable bottles, WHAT HAS GONE WRONG WITH THAT SYSTEM ?????

Well here we go again, the responsible drinker has to pay for the mindless idiots, Jo public will be forced out of enjoying a quiet drink down the pub because of mindless binge drinking louts, soon you'll need as mortgage for a pint