24 hour drinking is here, do we want or need it?
Well as of midnight last night approximately 360 Pubs, Clubs and Bars around the Country were legally allowed to serve alcohol for 24 hours.
Is this going to bring about mayhem and disruption? I think not, I believe in the initial stages some Pubs will use this oppurtunity to get some free publicity on the basis that any 'publicity is good publicity' but at the end of the day, my logic is that there is only so much disposable income available and it will simply not cause an overall increase in consumption of alcohol. The fact that a relativley few establishments can now serve, if they choose to do so, around the clock is slightly academic as there is no subsidy in place to pay for the extra consumption that is so widely predicted.
My view is that this change to the law was needed in order to give the British public the choice they should have and bring us in line with many other Countries, however it is similar to a local Pub changing hands, in the first few weeks, numerous people will flock to that Pub to see the new owners and generally 'have a nose around'. This is often short lived and it is only after a month or so that the Pub's new owners will be able to really ascertain their real level of business, the curiosity element is no longer relevant. At this point it is down to the owners/managers of the Pub to attract new custom and re-establish the regular trade that a previous owner may have lost.
In our, admittedly, rural area about 12 Pubs/Clubs within a 25 mile radius have the new 24 hour licences, will I or anyone I know be flocking to them, even for 'a nose around'? No definitely not, but perhaps that's because I'm firmly in the 'middle aged' category. A certain local nightclub has obtained a 24 licence, it will be interesting to see if the 24 licence is used more than perhaps 4 or 5 times in a year because as I said earlier there is no extra money to be spent on 24 hour drinking. In fact the majority of Landlords I see as I travel the Country promoting www.pubsulike.co.uk inform me that the opposite is the case with more and more people staying at home with a bottle or two of wine and a DVD. That, as they say is another story which I will come back to.
The Publican magazine, a trade journal, is currently running a Proud of Pubs campaign. I will be writing a Blog dedicated to this as I for one believe the 'local' is a very important part of our community and too many are going to the wall due to inexperience or to the fast changing drinking culture or our Country, what do the rest of you think?
Is this going to bring about mayhem and disruption? I think not, I believe in the initial stages some Pubs will use this oppurtunity to get some free publicity on the basis that any 'publicity is good publicity' but at the end of the day, my logic is that there is only so much disposable income available and it will simply not cause an overall increase in consumption of alcohol. The fact that a relativley few establishments can now serve, if they choose to do so, around the clock is slightly academic as there is no subsidy in place to pay for the extra consumption that is so widely predicted.
My view is that this change to the law was needed in order to give the British public the choice they should have and bring us in line with many other Countries, however it is similar to a local Pub changing hands, in the first few weeks, numerous people will flock to that Pub to see the new owners and generally 'have a nose around'. This is often short lived and it is only after a month or so that the Pub's new owners will be able to really ascertain their real level of business, the curiosity element is no longer relevant. At this point it is down to the owners/managers of the Pub to attract new custom and re-establish the regular trade that a previous owner may have lost.
In our, admittedly, rural area about 12 Pubs/Clubs within a 25 mile radius have the new 24 hour licences, will I or anyone I know be flocking to them, even for 'a nose around'? No definitely not, but perhaps that's because I'm firmly in the 'middle aged' category. A certain local nightclub has obtained a 24 licence, it will be interesting to see if the 24 licence is used more than perhaps 4 or 5 times in a year because as I said earlier there is no extra money to be spent on 24 hour drinking. In fact the majority of Landlords I see as I travel the Country promoting www.pubsulike.co.uk inform me that the opposite is the case with more and more people staying at home with a bottle or two of wine and a DVD. That, as they say is another story which I will come back to.
The Publican magazine, a trade journal, is currently running a Proud of Pubs campaign. I will be writing a Blog dedicated to this as I for one believe the 'local' is a very important part of our community and too many are going to the wall due to inexperience or to the fast changing drinking culture or our Country, what do the rest of you think?
posted by Graham Jones at
Thursday, November 24, 2005
2 Comments:
The industry says few pubs will open for 24 hours. Most will open an hour or two longer, and may lose money if they attract few drinkers. They will have to pay for extra running costs. The new system increases the cost of licences. The British Beer and Pub Association predicts "little or no profit".
Pub industry takings could rise significantly. One estimate is that the turnover could increase by £1bn for 30,000 pubs seeking an extra five hours. Andrew McNeill, of the Institute of Alcohol Studies, said: "These new laws are about selling more alcohol and larger profits for the drinks industry."
The Government believes the silent majority backs liberalisation, and argues that people are frustrated when on a night out they cannot enjoy a drink after 11pm. Ministers say holidaymakers returning from the Continent wonder why this country cannot have the same late-night bar culture.
A Populus poll in September found that 62 per cent opposed the changes. Women were three to one against later opening. Only those in the 18 to 24 age group were in favour. Four out of five of people over 65 were opposed. More than three fifths of the public feared 'serious problems for society'.
By
Anonymous, at 11:43 AM
see georgedickey blog
By
WASHINGTON KARAOKE, at 5:31 PM
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