U.K.: 1 in 50 Pubs to Extend Hours

The Guardian, UK ^ | Friday November 15, 2002

[Willie Green]

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.

LONDON (AP)- Only one British pub in 50 is expected to take full advantage of legislation which will allow them to stay open around the clock, a government minister said Friday.

``The number of licensees that will open 24 hours will be very small, about 2 percent,'' Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said, as the government gave Parliament its promised bill allowing landlords and local residents the flexibility to decide pub hours.

The government hopes the proposed change - part of its crackdown on petty crime and anti-social behavior - will lead some pubs, bars and clubs to stay open later, curbing last-minute binge-drinking and noise and brawls that now spill onto many streets at 11 p.m., the current closing time every day but Sunday. Last call on Sunday is 10:30 p.m.

``The experience from other European countries is that you don't get that peak in anti-social and disgusting behavior that can destroy the quality of people's lives,'' Jowell said.

While many welcome the Licensing Bill, some question whether services, particularly public transport, will be able to cope with an increased late night crowd if many pubs do decide to stay open through the night.

``If we are going to have a 24-hour culture, it will affect all parts of government, not just licensing,'' said Licensing Minister Kim Howells.

Restrictions on pub hours were introduced in the 1870s and tightened during World War I to keep factory workers sober. The 11 p.m. closing time dates back to 1964.

[Willie Green]

They said the same thing about self-serve gas stations.

[SamAdams76]

Keeping pubs open all night will allow many people to drink in a more relaxed manner. Case in point, put a keg of beer in my house and tell me I can drink it at leisure, it will last for a couple of weeks and I'll never get drunk. However, put a keg of beer in my house and tell me that you are coming back for it in four hours, then I will likely overdo it and my wife will be very upset at me and she'll make me sleep in the basement.

[mgstarr]

Time gentlemen please.

[ECM]

Ahahahahaha :)

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

That's true. When people look at their watch and see that "Last call" is half an hour away, the drinking accelerates rapidly!

[Flashman_at_the_charge]

Most violence occurs at closing timers as all the pubs empty out into the street and tempers flair as people queue for burgers and taxis home.

[Prodigal Son]

I lived on the High Street in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland right over the best Pub in town, 50 meters down the street from another popular pub, across the street from another and close enough to the burger stand that its generator would disturb my sleep. Friday and Saturday- you may as well be out there with 'em because you'd be bound to be woken up anyway and our windows/walls were thin enough so you felt like you were right in the middle of the squabbles.

[Flashman_at_the_charge]

I remember one late night in Huddersfield when I was queuing for a taxi. I saw an obviously inebriated gentleman swaying on the curbside, waiting for his ride home. What made this one particularly funny was the fact that he had purchased a pizza but was holding it under his arm vertically. You could see the contents oozing from the box and dripping between his fingers, a fact he was totally oblivious to. I often wonder if he thought they’d given him no topping when he finally made it home and opened the box.