Open All Hours?

[Talk Wrench]

It's rumoured that the new government may revert to the restricted licensing laws which were eased during the tenure of Blair and Brown.

Whilst the proposals are being pushed as a march against harmful drinking (and associated social implications), a reversion of this kind would have a huge impact on an already struggling hospitality sector and subsequently, upon jobs...and tax!

Would this move be a good one or detrimental to the already sluggish UK economy?

 

[Tin basher]

IF it happens it will be yet another example of the nanny state the "grown ups" seem to favour.

 

[Cornish_Pikey]

Having restrictive licensing laws has made drinking culture in Britain what it is today. The need to get pissed before being kicked out at 11pm or 2am from pubs and nightclubs respectively encouraged speed drinking for decades.

Kicking all folks out at the same time from all establishments causes a massive load of grief as there are suddenly massive queues of people at kebab shops, taxi ranks etc.

Better to keep pubs and clubs open til whenever and let folks drift home in dribs and drabs when they are ready to go rather than have streets jammed full of pissed up folks.

In countries where the pubs and clubs can choose to open whenever they want they have a more sensible approach to drinking and don't seem to have the same culture as we do.

Rule changes "for your protection" by the government usually have the opposite effect.

 

[muttywhitedog]

My daughter worked in a local pub during her uni time and would pick up the occasional afternoon shift. Quite often she would be the only person in the bar.

The pub now opens Thursday, Friday, Saturday evenings and Sunday until tea time.

 

[Deltaitem]

Well, it's all still rumours, innit? When/if/highly unliklely that it will ever come to pass, then would be the time to discuss. Until then, it's no more than pub talk, if you saw what I did there.
Other rumours, apparently former UK PM said that the Rwanda plan was un-British and un-conservative, and he would know.
No, wait, that's not a rumour, he actually said it.
He makes more sense now than he did as PM

 

[Oldstacker]

It's rumoured that the new government may revert to the restricted licensing laws which were eased during the tenure of Blair and Brown.

Whilst the proposals are being pushed as a march against harmful drinking (and associated social implications), a reversion of this kind would have a huge impact on an already struggling hospitality sector and subsequently, upon jobs...and tax!

Would this move be a good one or detrimental to the already sluggish UK economy?

I seem to recall that when the hours were extended some pubs complained that they were opening longer with commensurate costs but they were not getting any more income. They weren't getting any more customers and their customers weren't buying any more. Hence the situation that mutty describes.
One solution may be to limit the number of hours for each pub but allow flexibility over when those hours are used.

 

[Talk Wrench]

Well, it's all still rumours, innit? When/if/highly unliklely that it will ever come to pass, then would be the time to discuss. Until then, it's no more than pub talk, if you saw what I did there.
Other rumours, apparently former UK PM said that the Rwanda plan was un-British and un-conservative, and he would know.
No, wait, that's not a rumour, he actually said it.
He makes more sense now than he did as PM

Or you could join the discussion about whether changing the licensing laws would be a good thing or a bad thing.

 

[Barch]

It has changed for the worse since the demise of Ronnie Barker.

 

[Oldstacker]

Thinking on, there is such a variation in the range of settings in which pubs exist and the clientele they serve that my suggestion above makes more sense.... village country pub might choose to open 7pm to 11pm Weds - Fri but longer hours Sat & Sun to get the lunch trade whereas a city centre pub close to a uni might want to do 6 - 12 every night & extend until 2am Fridays and Saturdays. Give them both some flexibility within limits rather than trying to have a blanket '1 size fits all' constraint?

 

[busby1971]

What’s the why, retail sales and change in drinking habits have made licensing hours a little irrelevant

 

[Barch]

How do they decide the hours for supermarkets and off licences?

I remember when supermarkets used to rope off the alcohol aisles until 'opening time'.

 

[mullah lite]

How do they decide the hours for supermarkets and off licences?

I remember when supermarkets used to rope off the alcohol aisles until 'opening time'.

As do I. The plethora of sources for booze have effectively killed off pub drinking for many. (That and the price!)

It seems that good food is the key to keeping a pub open, the booze element is a sideline.

 

[Oldstacker]

How do they decide the hours for supermarkets and off licences?

I remember when supermarkets used to rope off the alcohol aisles until 'opening time'.

Agreed, and that highlights the can of worms that KS proposes to open. There will be some unwanted side effects... Don't forget that some areas of Wales had the pubs closed all day on Sundays back in the 70's.

 

[Cornish_Pikey]

There's always unwanted side effects of the educated few in Westminster making decisions that affect the entire nation.

 

[Barch]

Agreed, and that highlights the can of worms that KS proposes to open. There will be some unwanted side effects... Don't forget that some areas of Wales had the pubs closed all day on Sundays back in the 70's.

It was later than that, mate. I remember taking my lads over to Deeside to play ice hockey less than 20 years ago, and it was nigh on impossible to find anywhere open, never mind a pub.

There was/is a Tesco opposite the rink with an internal McDonald's, and even that was on 'Sunday hours'.

 

[Tin basher]

Or you could join the discussion about whether changing the licensing laws would be a good thing or a bad thing.

Small picture. For me personally going back to a set closing time and limited hours of opening won't affect me at all. I go to the pub twice a week Monday evenings for darts team matches, Wednesday evening for a catch up natter and beers with mates. So late night opening, afternoon drinking, doesn't impact me at all. Big picture pubs took a hit when you had to smoke outside and again took a larger hit with Covid. With lockdown peoples drinking habits changed and many have not gone back to their old ways. A supermarket slab of lager is way cheaper than pub lager per unit. So a combination of things have hurt the pub trade and another restriction may well force some more to call time for the last time. To many pubs not enough punters pubs close, To many punters more pubs will open. Eventually following supply and demand it will level out the number of pubs available equalling the number of punters who want to go there.

 

[Barch]

I am sure that a Labour government relaxed the licencing laws in an attempt to introduce a 'Continental Café Culture' into the UK. All it has done is give the pissheads a longer play time in the 'drinking pubs' and reduce the last-order rush before closing.

I can't think of any drinking only pubs in my small town, all of the pubs that are still open serve meals from lunchtime until 9pm and seem to be in healthy states.

Do we deserve 'drinking pubs' or should we stick with 'food and drink' establishments?

 

[Tin basher]

Do we deserve 'drinking pubs' or should we stick with 'food and drink' establishments?

My personal preference is for a "drinking pub" not one that as you walk in asks what table you have booked or would like the menu or drinks first etc etc. On the rare times I go out for food I choose a restaurant not a boozer.

 

[Barch]

My personal preference is for a "drinking pub" not one that as you walk in asks what table you have booked or would like the menu or drinks first etc etc. On the rare times I go out for food I choose a restaurant not a boozer.

I feel that your preferred drinking establishments are on the way out.

 

[muttywhitedog]

My personal preference is for a "drinking pub" not one that as you walk in asks what table you have booked or would like the menu or drinks first etc etc. On the rare times I go out for food I choose a restaurant not a boozer.

Its the food sales that keep the pubs alive. There's not enough money in running an establishment that does drinks only.