"That Question...!"

Freedom2choose, above all others, have dominated the fight against the smoking ban-that evil, destructive & socially devastating piece of legislation engineered by the health lobbyists and implemented by the weakest, lilly-livered set of politicians ever incarcerated in the House of Commons.
But, today, a ray of light harpooned the smokers darkness. Licensees must see this as their chance of salvation. Working men's clubs must be looking skyward for the sign of benediction.
"Conservative Home" listed a lengthy questionairre today and to the joy of about 13 million discriminated against souls, not to mention thousands of struggling licensees, this popped up.....

Private clubs should be allowed to have smoking rooms
O... Agree
O...Disagree
O...Don't know

Now, if we cast our minds back in time, wasn't this the part of the Labour manifesto pre-ban? Didn't Patricia Hewitt take part in a meeting with the Leicester WMC's to hear the multitude of concerns they had if they were included in the ban?...and...Didn't she go back to London and vote for the ban (without exemptions) thus reneging on the manifesto?
Since this Draconian law was enacted the misery caused has been unparallelled in British polical history, including the ultimate price for some. 4 suicides.
The health lobby worked incessantly to bring about this ban.
freedom2choose have worked even harder to have this ban reformed.
I say reformed simply because reform is the only just and proper course of action.

Anti smokers and those that do not enjoy the pleasant aroma of tobacco (burning or not) do indeed have the right to enjoy socialising in a smoke free environment. But against that, smokers also have the right to enjoy their preferred social environment. It's called Human Rights.

Equally, licensees should have the right to choose how to run their businesses, thus if they choose to prosper at the hands of smokers then sobeit, they allow smoking in their establishment.

Those that choose to remain smoke free will always have a certain amount of clientele. It is up to their own endeavours as to the numbers in their establishments.

Back to the question: Private clubs should be allowed to have smoking rooms.
Well of course they should, it was always in the Labour manifesto and should never have been dismissed. Working Men's clubs are the very core of our working class entertainment sector. The place where Henry Solly envisaged the 'sweated brow' relaxing with pint & fag after a hard days toil. The place where entertainment was affordable to the lower paid/classes. Every club (to the best of my knowledge) could set a room aside for smokers, or even divide a large room to cater for smokers. There is not a problem with this, it is the simple solution to combat a ridiculous law.

It would also be the salvation for hundreds of clubs, now suffering because of this law. Figures wise, we would tend to lose 2.2 clubs per annum for various reasons, but we have sacrificed 93 in 30 months because the law states that smokers are no longer welcomed-with their fags. Considering that it is the working classes who enjoy cigarettes the most it would seem that this law was purposely discriminatory against the working classes!

Some clubs are £2K per week down on takings, how much longer they can survive is questionable. Permitting private clubs a smoking room will be the salvation of this great institution. Of that I have no doubt.

The evidence which occasioned the SB law is shameful. Had a business been set up in the same way this law was engineered it would surely have found the SFS (Serious Fraud Squad) crawling all over it within a fortnight.
Lies, fabrications, manipulated statistics & junk science-that is what this law is based upon but the people are waking up.

Let's hope the Conservatives have finally done so too!

Just think of the votes they could muster from a promise like this!

Are you listening David?

Named, Shamed - you 'Delete' them!

The following list of names are each and every T.U.R.D (Turbid, Useless Regional Directors!) that voted to restrict the freedoms of the working man. They are those misguidedly elected into power under the assumption that "they work for us"-they have never worked for us!
Happily, within the first 5 months of 2010, the majority of these 'turd's' will be forced to relinquish their hold on our daily lives for they have brought nothing but unhappiness to the table. They have caused the British people, 15 million of them, to completely change their way of life. Socialising has never been so uninspiring since July 1st, 2007, but the Valentines Day massacre in February, 2006 was the day of the SB vote in the House of Commons where the common man failed to matter anymore!

Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington) Nick Ainger (Carmarthen West & Pembrokeshire South) Bob Ainsworth (Coventry North East) Douglas Alexander (Paisley and Renfrewshire South) Graham Allen (Nottingham North) David Anderson (Blaydon) Ms Janet Anderson (Rossendale & Darwen) Ms Hilary Armstrong (Durham North West) Ian Austin (Dudley North) John Austin (Erith & Thamesmead) Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West) Ed Balls (Normanton) Gordon Banks (Ochil and South Perthshire) Celia Barlow (Hove) Kevin Barron (Rother Valley) John Battle (Leeds West) Hugh Bayley (York, City of) Mrs Margaret Beckett (Derby South) Ms Anne Begg (Aberdeen South) Sir Stuart Bell (Middlesbrough)
Hilary Benn (Leeds Central) Joe Benton (Bootle) Dr Roger Berry (Kingswood) Clive Betts (Sheffield Attercliffe) Mrs Liz Blackman (Erewash) Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods (City of Durham) Tony Blair (Sedgefield) Ms Hazel Blears (Salford) David Blunkett (Sheffield Brightside) Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) Gordon Brown (Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath) Lyn Brown (West Ham) Nick Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend) Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) Des Browne (Kilmarnock & Loudoun) Chris Bryant (Rhondda) Ms Karen Buck (Regent’s Park & Kensington North) Richard Burden (Birmingham Northfield) Colin Burgon (Elmet) Andy Burnham (Leigh) Dawn Butler (Brent South)
Stephen Byers (Tyneside North) Liam Byrne (Birmingham Hodge Hill) Richard Caborn (Sheffield Central) David Cairns (Inverclyde) Martin Caton (Gower) Ian Cawsey (Brigg & Goole) Colin Challen (Morley & Rothwell) Ben Chapman (Wirral South) David Chaytor (Bury North) Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone) Katy Clark (Ayrshire North and Arran) Paul Clark (Gillingham) Charles Clarke (Norwich South) Tom Clarke (Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill) Ms Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley) Vernon Coaker (Gedling) Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead) Michael Connarty (Linlithgow and East Falkirk) Frank Cook (Stockton North) Rosie Cooper (West Lancashire) Ms Yvette Cooper (Pontefract & Castleford)
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North) Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) Mary Creagh (Wakefield) Ms Ann Cryer (Keighley) Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby) Alistair Darling (Edinburgh South West) Wayne David (Caerphilly) Ian Davidson (Glasgow South West) Ms Janet Dean (Burton) John Denham (Southampton Itchen) Jim Devine (Livingston) Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester) Andrew Dismore (Hendon) Jim Dobbin (Co-op Heywood & Middleton) Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras) Brian Donohoe (Central Ayrshire) Frank Doran (Aberdeen North) Jim Dowd (Lewisham West) David Drew (Stroud)
Mrs Gwyneth Dunwoody (Crewe & Nantwich) Ms Angela Eagle (Wallasey) Ms Maria Eagle (Liverpool Garston) Clive Efford (Eltham) Mrs Louise Ellman (Liverpool Riverside) Natascha Engel (Derbyshire North East) Jeff Ennis (Barnsley East & Mexborough) Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme) Jim Fitzpatrick (Poplar & Canning Town) Robert Flello (Stoke-on-Trent South) Ms Caroline Flint (Don Valley) Paul Flynn (Newport West) Ms Barbara Follett (Stevenage) Michael Jabez Foster (Hastings & Rye) Hywel Francis (Aberavon) Mike Gapes (Ilford South) Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow) Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North) Mrs Linda Gilroy (Plymouth Sutton) Paul Goggins (Wythenshawe & Sale East) Nia Griffith (Llanelli) Nigel Griffiths (Edinburgh South) John Grogan (Selby) Andrew Gwynne (Denton & Reddish)
Peter Hain (Neath) Mike Hall (Weaver Vale) Patrick Hall (Bedford) Fabian Hamilton (Leeds North East) Ms Harriet Harman (Camberwell & Peckham) Mark Hendrick (Preston) Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow) John Heppell (Nottingham East) Stephen Hesford (Wirral West) Ms Patricia Hewitt (Leicester West) David Heyes (Ashton under Lyne) Meg Hillier (Hackney South & Shoreditch) Mrs Margaret Hodge (Barking) Sharon Hodgson (Gateshead East & Washington West) Jimmy Hood (Lanark and Hamilton East) Geoff Hoon (Ashfield) Phil Hope (Corby) Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North) George Howarth (Knowsley North & Sefton East) Dr Kim Howells (Pontypridd) Ms Beverley Hughes (Stretford & Urmston)
Mrs Joan Humble (Blackpool North & Fleetwood) Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore) Ms Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate) Sian James (Swansea East) Diana Johnson (Hull North) Dr Lynne Jones (Birmingham Selly Oak) Martyn Jones (Clwyd South) Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester Gorton) Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North) Barbara Keeley (Worsley) Alan Keen (Feltham & Heston) Ms Ann Keen (Brentford & Isleworth) Fraser Kemp (Houghton & Washington East) Piara Khabra (Ealing Southall) Sadiq Khan (Tooting) David Kidney (Stafford) Peter Kilfoyle (Liverpool Walton) Jim Knight (Dorset South) Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & Cleveland East) Dr Stephen Ladyman (Thanet South) David Lammy (Tottenham) Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith) David Lepper (Brighton Pavilion) Tom Levitt (High Peak) Ivan Lewis (Bury South) Martin Linton (Battersea) Tony Lloyd (Manchester Central) Andy Love (Edmonton) Ian Lucas (Wrexham) Steve McCabe (Birmingham Hall Green) Mrs Chris McCafferty (Calder Valley) Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) Sarah McCarthy-Fry (Portsmouth North)
Ian McCartney (Makerfield) John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington) Pat McFadden (Wolverhampton South East) John McFall (West Dunbartonshire) Jim McGovern (Dundee West) Ms Anne McGuire (Stirling) Ms Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes) Ms Ann McKechin (Glasgow North) Ms Rosemary McKenna (Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East) Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock) Tony McNulty (Harrow East) Denis MacShane (Rotherham) Shahid Malik (Dewsbury) Ms Judy Mallaber (Amber Valley) John Mann (Bassetlaw) Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West) David Marshall (Glasgow East) Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway) Eric Martlew (Carlisle) Michael Meacher (Oldham West & Royton) Ms Gillian Merron (Lincoln) Alun Michael (Cardiff South & Penarth) Alan Milburn (Darlington) David Miliband (South Shields) Edward Miliband (Doncaster North) Andrew Miller (Ellesmere Port & Neston), Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby) Ms Anne Moffat (East Lothian) Ms Laura Moffatt (Crawley) Chris Mole (Ipswich) Ms Madeleine Moon (Bridgend) Ms Jessica Morden (Newport East) Ms Julie Morgan (Cardiff North) Elliot Morley (Scunthorpe) George Mudie (Leeds East) Chris Mullin (Sunderland South) Ms Meg Munn (Sheffield Heeley) Jim Murphy (East Renfrewshire)
Paul Murphy (Torfaen) Dan Norris (Wansdyke) Eddie O’Hara (Knowsley South) Ms Sandra Osborne (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock) Albert Owen (Ynys Mon) Nick Palmer (Broxtowe) Greg Pope (Hyndburn) Ms Bridget Prentice (Lewisham East) Gordon Prentice (Pendle) Ms Dawn Primarolo (Bristol South) Gwyn Prosser (Dover) Ken Purchase (Wolverhampton North East) James Purnell (Stalybridge & Hyde) Bill Rammell (Harlow) Nick Raynsford (Greenwich & Woolwich) Andy Reed (Loughborough) Jamie Reed (Copeland) Linda Riordan (Halifax) John Robertson (Glasgow North West) Terry Rooney (Bradford North) Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd) Joan Ruddock (Lewisham Deptford) Ms Joan Ryan (Enfield North) Martin Salter (Reading West) Mohammad Sarwar (Glasgow Central) Miss Alison Seabeck (Plymouth Devonport) Jonathan Shaw (Chatham & Aylesford)
Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) Jim Sheridan (Paisley and Renfrewshire North) Ms Clare Short (Birmingham Ladywood) Alan Simpson (Nottingham South) Marsha Singh (Bradford West) Dennis Skinner (Bolsover) Andrew Slaughter (Ealing, Acton & Shepherd’s Bush) Andrew Smith (Oxford East) Ms Angela C. Smith (Sheffield Hillsborough) Ms Angela E Smith (Basildon) Ms Jacqui Smith (Redditch) Anne Snelgrove (Swindon South) Sir Peter Soulsby (Leicester South) Ms Helen Southworth (Warrington South) Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West) Ian Stewart (Eccles) Howard Stoate (Dartford) Dr Gavin Strang (Edinburgh East) Graham Stringer (Manchester Blackley) Ms Gisela Stuart (Birmingham Edgbaston) Gerry Sutcliffe (Bradford South) Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside) Ms Dari Taylor (Stockton South) David Taylor (Leicestershire North West) Gareth Thomas (Harrow West) Stephen Timms (East Ham) Paddy Tipping (Sherwood), Don Touhig (Islwyn) Jon Trickett (Hemsworth)
Paul Truswell (Pudsey) Dr Desmond Turner (Brighton Kemptown) Neil Turner (Wigan) Derek Twigg (Halton) Kitty Ussher (Burnley) Rudi Vis (Finchley & Golders Green) Ms Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North) Lynda Waltho (Stourbridge) Tom Watson (West Bromwich East) Alan Whitehead (Southampton Test) Malcolm Wicks (Croydon North) Alan Williams (Swansea West) Mrs Betty Williams (Conwy) Michael Wills (Swindon North) David Winnick (Walsall North) Ms Rosie Winterton (Doncaster Central) Mike Wood (Batley & Spen) Shaun Woodward (St Helens South) Anthony Wright (Great Yarmouth) David Wright (Telford) Iain Wright (Hartlepool) Dr Tony Wright (Cannock Chase) Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey)

The above named are in red as they are Labour MP's, but they should also be red with embarrassment when you look at the carnage they have wreaked within the hospitality industry! Apparently they are all working for YOU, except when they followed the party line in a "free vote" they instantly stopped working for you because so far they have voted to close 4,352 businesses. Businesses that were once viable sources of income for licensees, tenants, manager et al. They never once thought of the consequences of their actions that day. They never once questioned the validity of the SCOTH report or the junk science behind the SB proposal. They simply got carried away on the wave of euphoria created by the health lobby promoting clean air! How many now rue that decision to vote for the smokeban? How many are banned from entering their local pubs or clubs?
If you read this Patricia Hewitt/Peter Soulsby-you most certainly ARE!
Come election day it is only to be hoped that you all sweat a little as your fate is decided by the people of this country-but don't hold your breath for too long! I know a few on the list have already gone (thank God) and some are in public disgrace-porn video's, extravagant expenses etc but when voting day comes around expect to be relieved of duty, relieved of rather large wage packets, relieved of virtually unlimited expense accounts (well, until you get collared!)
You have divided this country, set man against man in following the dictatorship of the egomaniac Blair. Did you not notice that he stepped down 3 days before the SB came into force? Did you not notice that this country was ruined before he handed over to the No10 wannabe?
The only saving grace as far as Blair/Britain is concerned is that he is not Euro President!
55million people should sigh in great relief at that outcome. As for the 'wannabe', Herr Brown, after the election he will be gone-and totally forgotten for the man has about as much charisma as a dead rat!

The next list is to the shame of the Tories:-
David Amess (Southend West) James Arbuthnot (Hampshire North East) Tony Baldry (Banbury) John Bercow (Buckingham) Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley) Peter Bone (Wellingborough) Tim Boswell (Daventry) Peter Bottomley (Worthing West) Julian Brazier (Canterbury) James Brokenshire (Hornchurch) Alistair Burt (Bedfordshire North East) Greg Clark (Tunbridge Wells) Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire)
David Curry (Skipton & Ripon) Mrs Nadine Dorries (Bedfordshire Mid) Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East) David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford) Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) Ms Justine Greening (Putney) John Greenway (Ryedale) Oliver Heald (Hertfordshire North East) Michael Jack (Fylde) David Jones (Clwyd West) Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury & Atcham) Robert Key (Salisbury) Mrs Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest) Mark Lancaster (Milton Keynes North East) David Lidington (Aylesbury) Peter Luff (Worcestershire Mid) Anne Main (St Albans) Patrick Mercer (Newark) Anne Milton (Guildford) James Paice (Cambridgeshire South East) Michael Penning (Hemel Hempstead)
John Penrose (Weston-Super-Mare) John Randall (Uxbridge) Andrew Rosindell (Romford) Lee Scott (Ilford North) Andrew Selous (Bedfordshire South West) Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield) Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden) Sir John Stanley (Tonbridge & Malling) Gary Streeter (Devon South West) Shailesh Vara (Cambridgeshire North West) Rob Wilson (Reading East) Jeremy Wright (Rugby & Kenilworth) Sir George Young (Hampshire North West)

I know that some on this list have now changed tack somewhat for they have seen the folly of that "free vote". It would seem that the Tories are more for the working classes than the 'working man's party'-who have done bugger all for 'their own'! If the Tories cannot see the obvious and set their stall out to reform the SB then there is no hope for this country whatsoever. There is no money in circulation to speak of, yet filling pubs & clubs with happy drinkers is the easiest source of getting the economy moving again. In years gone by just how many arguments were there between smoker & non smoker? Virtually none, but this evil, divisive law has set one against t'other to such an extent that a hatred has been born.
To the Tory hopefuls I say this:- you have been gifted the next term of government by the most useless and inadequate Labour administration ever known to this country. Listen to your voters, reform the ban to suit all parties, give licensees the chance to run their businesses how they see fit instead of allowing them to watch all their hard work go down the toilet of bankruptcy & poverty.
Your time is coming early next year, prepare wisely for you have many young hopefuls in the wings ready to play their part in British politics. The health lobby and the quango's need to be subdued befor civil disorder breaks out-you have the chance to appease the nation, do not baulk at the prospect!

Liberal Democrats:-
I can't be bothered listing the 47 Libdems who voted for the SB as they are basically a nonentity party with no particular direction. Why they are named such (Liberal) is beyond the comprehension of this humble scribbler, for there is

No liberalism in voting to leperise 15 million people in your own country.
No liberalism in voting to close 4,352 businesses.
No liberalism invoting to cause 37 unnecessary bankruptcies.
No liberalism in causing more than 100 couple to become homeless.
No liberalism in voting to occasion 4 suicides &
No liberalism in voting to put 100,000 people out of work!

It also brings the word 'democratic/democracy' into question. If they pick up anymore seats next year it will merely be the losses from the Labour benches but from my apolitical stance, if I were Nick Clegg, I would be looking over my shoulder for Nigel Farage and the rampaging UKIP mob. You see, UKIP have balls-the LibDems don't!
So the message is simple from Simple Simon, if your MP or prospective candidate is in favour of providing choice then vote for him/her. If they are not, simply support someone who is! Whatever you do please do not, NOT vote for taking a vote away from a future 'turd' is still a victory.
To abstain from voting will be a crime for every single person needs to take charge of his/her destiny, it's no good moaning after the event when you could have had a hand in changing things.
If you want your pubs & clubs to survive then get your 'roodypoos' in the voting booths next March, April or May. Show the 'turd's' the doorway to oblivion-see if they have to 'sign on'?

“A Pub Co Christmas Carol”

I've borrowed this from the Pub Lovers Blog

-a 'must read and pass on' job!

It was 11.30 pm Christmas Eve 2009, a foul night, freezing with sleet and snow, gale force winds roaring across the West Country.
The M5 was blocked and a few diversions were in place, the North Coast Road was the only one open to Cornwall and that was blocked on Countisbury Hill.
Two cars were pushing along, one following the other and the one in front kept going because the other was behind.
The diversion from the M5 had taken them through Minehead from Taunton, not an easy drive, Porlock Hill was just manageable with loads of salt and grit.
Just before Culbone Stables another diversion to the left, down into the Doone Valley where there was very little snow and some icy roads, by- passing Countisbury Hill.
The two cars picked their way carefully down the narrow lane, one a dark grey Aston Martin and the other a silver Mercedes.
It had taken ten hours to get this far from the Midlands, both drivers hoping to get to Cornwall for Christmas.
Both cars were slipping on patchy ice along the lanes, their speeds far slower than the speeds that they were built for, stupid driving was not on the agenda. They passed through a hamlet and up an incline beside the East Lyn River, which was in full flood and not a place to skid into on a dark night.
The incline flattened and then descended down, both cars slowed to a crawl and inched down the hill to a pub with a car park beside the river.
The road immediately started to rise on the other side of the pub and they realised that neither would be going anywhere with the ice on the road and gently reversed into the pub car park overlooking the river.
The lights were on and it looked like a haven in the wilderness with a big fire flickering through the windows.
There were no cars in either car park.
Both drivers climbed out of their cars with hats pulled down and collars up and dashed for the pub door, they stepped in and shut the door quickly.
A large jovial man dressed as Father Christmas, behind the bar chortled “Happy Christmas”, both drivers grunted about how foul the weather was and made a beeline for the seats on either side of the fire, removing their coats as they sat down.
The bar was decorated with holly and festive decorations, carols were playing quietly in the background, the subtleties of Christmas celebration were wasted on the two exhausted drivers.
The jovial Father Christmas brought over two large glasses of mulled wine and several mince pies and said that they were on the house, since all his usual customers were long gone.
The two drivers looked at each other and one said “You’re Ebenezer Tuppense from Titanic Inns”, the other said “You’re Silas Morley fron Judy Taverns, we haven’t talked since that disaster at the Select Committee.”
Ebenezer said “I think we will drink the mulled wine and forget that episode”.
They both drank the warming wine and lapsed into a near totally relaxed state, in fact any movement was an effort.
Both men felt a gentle squeeze on their shoulders and came to.
The large jovial Father Christmas said to them “I am the Ghost of Christmas Past, come and join me.”
The door opened, the wind had stopped blowing and all three stepped outside.
They were both bemused but in a fuddled state and the jovial giant picked them up and they all three zoomed upwards and Eastwards.
Neither felt cold or terrified as they sped back across Exmoor, Taunton with the lights flickering, the M5 snaking Northwards covered in snow with lines of stationary cars with twinkling lights.
Swinging West along the A303, over Andover, Basingstoke, the River Thames was shimmering in the moonlight meandering through the white countryside.
They finally floated down on to the car park of a pub in a small village called Laleham on Thames.
The pub was called “The Ash Tree”, it didn’t look inspiring, there were some very old cars parked outside, all covered in snow and not a place that either would frequent.
All three walked into the pub, nobody even noticed them, the pub was packed, everyone was singing carols and having a fabulous time, the staff were all working like mad, the landlord Frank was everywhere, the two had never seen a pub as busy as this for years.
The Ghost of Christmas Past eased them out of the door for a short walk towards the centre of the village and the “Saracens Head”, this was a much smaller pub, but again, this was packed with people enjoying themselves and celebrating Christmas Eve, they were all local people, the same as those in “The Ash Tree”.
The Ghost eased them once again out of the door, they appeared to be invisible, nobody noticed.
They walked round the corner by the village church and a hundred yards further on was the “Five Horse Shoes”, there were some wonderful old sports cars parked outside, again covered in snow.
They walked in, again the pub was packed with young people and a few older ones all enjoying themselves celebrating Christmas, it was a beautiful pub with genuine beams, polished brass and a big fire.
Stanley the licensee was dispensing hospitality to everyone.
The two looked at each other, their thoughts were the same what incredible businesses.
The Ghost once again eased them out of the door again and said that they must get back because time was limited, they flew West to Exmoor and back to their seats in front of the pub fire.
They both immediately started to doze, the door flew open and a lady in a long white cloak with fur trimming came in clutching a book, in fact she looked just like Bridget Jones with her Diary.
She looked at our two weary travellers and said, “I am the Ghost of Christmas Present, come and join me.”
She took them both up and over Exmoor, in exactly the same way as the Ghost of Christmas Past, finally landing in “The Ash Tree” car park, there was one car in the car park and a fairly old one at that.
All three walked into the pub it was looking tired, there were three customers and a manager from the Management Company running the place.
They were discussing how many people had failed in the pub, because the rent was too high, the discounts were non existent and people couldn’t make a fair living.
All three moved out very quickly the whole thing was totally depressing, the “Saracens Head” further down the road towards the village centre was boarded up, with a tired business agents sign hanging off the wall saying business opportunity, and looked as though it had been there for a long time.
Once again they walked round the church and could see the illuminated sign of the “Five Horse Shoes”.
Three cars were in the car park, the door opened and a scruffily dressed man walked past them.
They entered the bar that had been so vibrant and fun, the air was subdued, piped pop music was blaring out with about six customers and a tired barman.
The conversation once again was about greedy landlords or Pub Co’s, the difference was the same, nothing had been invested in the pub, a succession of inexperienced people who had all failed miserably because the landlords draconian demands had been too much for any to survive.
All the time the Ghost of Christmas Present was scribbling in her Diary, she finally took them outside much to their relief and transported them back to the West and the comfortable chair by the fire side in the Exmoor pub.
They sank into the chairs almost exhausted, she gently opened the door and departed.
It seemed no time at all when the pub door opened a large man in Prison Warders Garb came in, he looked familiar and could easily have been mistaken for the Chairman of the Select Committee who both our weary travellers had managed to incur some scathing comments from.
He approached our two very weary travellers and said, “I am the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, please come and join me”.
They both pleaded that they had driven miles and been transported miles and their systems had reached breaking point and they had no desire to see the final ignominy of what had been three brilliant pubs.
He said, “You won’t, you are going into the future in another direction and have no option.”
They staggered to their feet and walked outside the Ghost whisked them upwards and Westwards, across Barnstaple, Okehampton.
Tavistock was away to the right, they were crossing the centre of Dartmoor, the prison loomed up, with Princetown beside it.
They floated down through the prison wall on to a walkway with rows of old cells in front of them.
Two grey haired and bearded figures were peering out of the cell, the doors were open, they looked familiar, their hands were gnarled and callused, they appeared to stoop with premature old age.
The terrible premonition that these two sub normal beings might be them, sent shivers down both their spines, the Ghost looked at them both and nodded having read their minds.
Their legs and hands were shackled, they shuffled out of the cell and joined a queue of other convicts, who were then chained into gangs.
All the gangs moved through the security gates and doors eventually getting on a flat top behind an engine on the narrow gauge rail track heading for the Prison Quarry.
Having arrived at the quarry the tools were handed out and they all started breaking rocks in their respective gangs.
Only one did not and he drove the engine, they realised that it was Sid Mayell the Chief Rent Negotiator for Titanic Inns, he always loved trains.
They both looked at the ghost dressed in his Prison Warders outfit and mentally asked the same question, “What happened?”
“It’s a long story, the Select Committee were furious that nothing was done and got the new Government to bring in legislation to outlaw increasing rents and over valuing the freehold without considering true business viability and declared it a Ponzi Scheme, since so many people had lost billions of pounds buying leases that were not viable. Every Pub Owning company that followed that method, at least one director, accountant or valuer whose idea to follow suit was held liable. The Government directed that all people with a justifiable claim against the company even retrospectively could do so, this caused the total collapse of the majority of large Pub Co’s, the directors were held personally liable because it was deemed a criminal act, consequently you both lost everything and were sentenced to fifty years hard labour without reprieve.”
They both said, “What happened to our families?”
“They are living in high rise Council Flats in the Midlands on Social Security with many other prisoners families.”
Silas said, “What happened to my house in the Caribbean?”
“That got flattened in a hurricane and your insurance had not been paid.”
The Ghost said, “ Have a look at some of your fellow convicts and the guards”
Again the terrible realization that there were loads of corporate Pub Co Directors breaking rocks and the guards were all ex licensees, they actually made more money as guards than running pubs.
They were both in total shock, much to their relief the Ghost whisked them away from that awful scene and dropped them back in their chairs in front of the fire on Exmoor.
They were woken by the jovial Father Christmas saying the gritter had been through, the weather had warmed up and they could continue their journey.
They both looked at each other and said that they had had the most dreadful dreams and realised that they were both exactly the same, both were in a state of shock.
They put their coats on and walked out of the door thanking the licensee for his generosity and walked to the railings around the car park over looking the river.
They both said, “Were we really that bad?” and sadly they agreed, “What can we do to make amends?”
“We can do an awful lot if we really try, we need some people that really understand the industry and licensees, we also need to listen to licensees.”
“Let’s see if we can put the clock back, I would prefer to have pubs like those in the past and make honest money for everyone”
The lights had been turned out on the pub and it was very dark as they climbed into their cars.
They started their engines and the lights came on, showing a boarded up pub with a sagging sign with a faded Titanic Inns Freehouse sign and a sagging banner acquired by Judy Taverns, closed until further notice.
They both felt a cold shiver run through their bodies as though something had just walked over their graves.
It must have happened they still had the after taste of the mulled wine in their mouths.
Looking at the dashboard clocks in their cars it said 11.30 pm????

Please email this to anyone that may appreciate the story and every BDM and Pub Co Director that might benefit.

Twatted - yes, twatted

I often wonder why I pay the exhorbitant BBC licence fee when I am continually bombarded by crap programmes. I listen to the news religiously yet the 'beeb' only report what the government want us to hear, like-
We are winning the war in Afghanistan (but sadly, the 102nd soldier was killed today) ...

The Department of Health have reported that 1 million smokers have kicked the habit (but tobacco sales have increased) ...

The Chancellor has introduced the new "scrappage scheme" whereby you get £2K off a new car, subject to terms & conditions (yet another bumfluff scheme to help out the flailing car industry) ...

The economic downturn is inevitable, but we will pull through (hope we don't have to declare what is really going on here?) ...

The NHS have declared that you are four times more likely to quit smoking with their help (excuse me here but a 98.4% failure rate is hardly inspiring is it!)

The Chancellor has admitted that we are now in a recession (shit! I've had to use the "R" word) ...

The Chancellor has now declared we only need to borrow £173bn to stave of bankruptcy(pardon?) ...

The Prime Minister is heading the "G20" summit of world (w)bankers to solve the global economic crisis (thanks Gordon-that cost us another £53m ffs!) ...

The government are considering banning cigarette machines to stop the kids taking up smoking (kids these days would rather walk out of the pub with the machine and sell the contents!) ...

In a new initiative we are now training the Afghani police force (oops! one of them went on shooting spree against us!) ...

It's bloody endless, it really is.

So, tonight I decided ITV might be the call, after all, they are not bought and paid for by our dearly beloved nanny state - are they?
To my absolute astonishment I watched more of our taxes being wasted as we are now urged to 'save the planet' by driving 5 miles a day less.

Me?

5 miles a day less? WTF are they on about?

6 months ago they wanted me to trade in my old faithful under their so called scrappage scheme but, of course, 'poor man-on-the-street' little old me couldn't afford such matters of importance. Anyway, I don't drive many miles per day for my work as it's all local stuff.

So sat and thought about this negative 5 mile biz, let's see how it pans out:-

I need the estate car for my work as it carries all my kit in it when needed-roof rack and all! So, the last 7 jobs could not have happened without the vehicle as the furthest destination was 4.2 miles. So, perhaps if I sell my worthy chariot and 'sign on' next week I will have done my bit to 'save the planet'! Will they accept that reasoning when I sign on? Just how many benefits could I actually claim? I haven't a clue-perhaps I need to nip down to Dover and find me a freshly landed asylum seeker for they always seem to know exactly what they can claim. Better still should I declare to be his brother then I will also get free housing?

Then I got to thinking about Copenhagen & the climate summit. All these delegates flying in from around the globe must have caused uncountable tonnes of carbon emissions which makes my (maximum) 4.2 mile travelling distance (emissions) pale into insignificance.
So I can languish on the dole to save my 5 miles a day while these poncey 'twats' (trans world air turmoil saviours) junkett around the world on stinking great airliners spouting utter garbage about saving the very thing they are violently polluting.

Do you wanna know something?

I feel like I'm being TWATTED!
Do you?

Sense in Liverpool-Wow!

We have all seen the devastattion caused since California decided smoke bans were the new edict, the new curse on a minority and the greatest health move in the history of man. Well, back in good old England we have our own 'California'. It's called Liverpool!
Liverpool, most people will remember, is famous for the 'fab four', the songmeisters, the Beatles.
Also, Liverpool is famous for people like Ken Dodd, Cilla Black & Gerry and the Pacemakers who, apparently 'Ferry'd across the Mersey' with great success!
Latterly, Liverpool have donned the "Smoke Free" mantle. I can only assume that Liverpool felt they needed to see themselves as the flagship city of England in this anti smoking tirade sweeping Europe.

Liverpool declared itself a "smoke free city" but how the hell can it be a smoke free city when 25% of the populace damn well smoke? It's all bullshit propaganda spouted by over zealous, ass wiping non smokers on the city Council. The non smokers may well dream of a smoke-free city but it is simply never going to happen.

No doubt most smokers will be aware ogf the fact that Liverpool wanted to 'X'-rate films that displayed smoking. For some idiots the sight of people smoking in films where children could actually watch this heinous act was proof enough that they would rush out and buy cigarettes and smoke themselves to death. As a simpleton I would have thought that any scenes displaying any form of sexual activity would have been a far more serious subject as we certainly don't want to be over-run by legions of unmarried, benefit existing teenage mothers!
With smokers fearing the worst an amazing about turn has occurred.

Proposals to give automatic 18 ratings to films shown in Liverpool which feature smoking characters have been rejected by councillors.

Let me repeat that bombshell.

Proposals to give automatic 18 ratings to films shown in Liverpool which feature smoking characters have been rejected by councillors.

A public consultation found little support for the idea and cinema owners felt it would affect business. yes, you read this right - a public consultation. WOWEE! So for once, Joe Public actually had a say in policy instead of being told what is going to happen whether they liked it or not. What a strange occurrence for Englands California. Note also that it was considered it may affect business. Well, that's all the anti smoking brigade do-affect businesses. Detrimentally!
Liverpool's Primary Care Trust had made all the usual bleatings about indoctrination by images etc etc, for the PCT were on a roll and never expected any of their plans to be ko'd. But the people spoke!

In a public consultation, 73% of young people asked about the policy opposed the idea. Officials found that 65% of adults questioned also opposed the idea. The amazing thing here is that these 'against' figures have actually been reported and not doctored to suit PCT purposes-as much of this governments consultation figures have been.
When you read that 75% of smokers 'want to quit' and that 'compliance runs at 98%' it makes you wonder if there is any hope for smokers in this war against tobacco.
Common sense and honesty has prevailed in the last place this writer would have considered it possible. The true figures have been recorded and acted upon by a council that obviously has morals.

Perhaps, at long last, common sense is going to prevail for it is obvious that if you like smoking you'll smoke, if you don't, you won't. No amount of film watching is going to suddenly turn you into a fervent smoker, conversely, no amount of prohibition is going to stop you smoking. Both are your freedom of choice.

On this rarest of occasions Simple Simon gives Liverpool City Council a massive thumbs up. Perhaps other councils ought to take note as there are plenty of kids who need the kind, loving family environments that smoking foster parents/adopters can provide. Still, one step at a time.

The answer to "SPOB's"

Today is quite a day really, for it is November 4th, though tomorrow would have been better suited to the news! November 5th was that infamous day when Guido Fawkus attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament.

Today, November 4th is the day that many in this country will wish he (and his cohorts)had succeeded! For today is the first day that our Stinking Pile of Bilge (SPOB'S, ie, elected rulers, celebrate our complete inclusion in the Eurodump under the guise of the so called Lisbon Treaty.

The "SPOB's" came into power with promises of reform, promises of a referendum for the British people-in fact, promises of all sorts of fair practice. In reality they have done exactly the opposite as we now have more than 3,000 stealth taxes imposed upon us, many for misdemeanours most normal people wouldn't even dream of! We have a Health & Safety brigade that now consider every action before possibly allowing such action to take place-I mean to say, who on this earth would contemplate banning a 'bake your own' cake stall at a school fete? Health & Safety did in Scotland.
We will now be subject to all manner of euro rules and regulations, probably proposed/decided upon by some delegate from Albania who hasn't the slightest idea where the river Thames actually is.

Gordon Brown, head man of the "SPOB's" has hailed the ratification "an important and historic step for all of Europe". Important? definitely so, as this is the end of England as we know it. Historic? definitely, as we have given away our soveriegnty to the rest of europe.
Two World Wars, yet we remained a proud & defiant independent nation but the "SPOB's" have dismissed all that by sneaking around europe signing up little treaty agreements here, there and everywhere until we were totally enveloped by the mass of so called intellectual progressors.

Ireland was bullied and bought into line after their referendum of the people decided No, Non, Niet, etc etc. Sarkovsky (the French playboy PM-another "SPOB") could not stomach such a result and informed the world that democracy must prevail therefore the Irish can keep having referendums until they vote correctly-YES!
Millions of euro's were thrown at the problem (our money, the people's money) so as to procure the 'correct result', yet the day after this 'marvellous success, one of the contributors (£400,000) laid off 500 workers! What a marvellous success that was then!

The only man in europe with any form of brainpower was Vaclav Klaus, the Czech PM. Valiant though his efforts were he eventually succumbed to the court system. Quote:-
"But he was left with no choice after the Czech constitutional court threw out a complaint by senators who believe the treaty will destroy the nation's sovereignty".
Klaus echoed the fears of many Britons after signing through gritted teeth. He said in Prague: "With the Lisbon Treaty taking effect, the Czech Republic will cease to be a sovereign state." Well Vaclav, so will this country my friend!

I dread to think what this will cost this country in terms of money we no longer have, pensions we no longer have, the will to live in a free and democratic society which we no longer have.

The only bright side of all this (if there is a bright side) is that the 'grinning jackernapes', the second best leader/actor in the world after Ronald Reagan, seems now destined NOT to be the EU President. Thank God for that! For what that man did to this country in 10 years of misrule, before handing over the reins to his equally inept Chancellor, is unbelievable.
NewLabour, NuLabour, NuLiebor, NuBollox!
His mainstay of unruly youth culture is 'blame the parents' for everything. haul them into court, fine them, imprison them, slaughter them - except, of course, when his son is found pissed out of his head in London. March these youngsters to the cash machines and extract £80 from their accounts. Just how many teenagers have that amount in a bank account after a night out? His did, but amazingly didn't have to pay!

We now find that only Britain's most fundamental abilities to defend itself and set taxes are not affected by Lisbon. Well surprise, surprise-for which other european country can possibly match our crucifying tax laws. Because our tax laws are so out of line with the rest of europe there is no way that one single euro tax system would ever work-this is why this exemption has been made.

Now let's get to the draconian smoking ban implemented July 1st, 2007!
German courts overturn their smokeban.
Holland overturns their smokeban.
Croatia overturns their smokeban.
Britain slaughters smokers in the courts-even when they are not smoking!
Germany understands the need for smokers within businesses!
Holland understands the need for smokers within businesses!
Croatia understands the need for smokers within businesses!
Britain slaughters business owners for trying to maintain their businesses-even when they are shopping in their local Macro!
So when does the new 'Euro-Britain' fall into line with the rest of europe and allow people to earn a living again? When do the British courts, now under euro jurisdiction treat the accused to a fair and just trial. When do the courts provide justice and not some charade played out to suit the pockets of the judicial system? We wait with bated breath.

As for this writer? I am but a simple soul, born & bred in this country. brought up to respect certain things, brought up to expect fairness and equality, brought up to expect my human rights to be respected and brought up to expect a pension IF (unfortunately for the government) I realise that landmark of 65 years of age.
Now, having seen all that has happened, I simply want to pick up my gun, gather a few supplies and sit outside the Houses of Parliament "SPOB" shooting. I have this wonderful vision in mind of all those self important individuals receiving a single 7.62 bullet to the head as they leave their place of so called employ. The "SPOB's" have taken away all that I held dear as I grew up, all that I humbly expected as my right of birth, all that I looked forward to in declining years. They have stolen and destroyed my very soul.
So Guido Fawkus, I salute your attempts to remove that pile of bricks that houses the "SPOB's", perhaps you should have picked them off one by one! Let's face it Guido, you would probably have got half of them whilst the 'force' of the day were stopping/fining horse&cart drivers for some misdemanor of other. I will celebrate your attempts tomorrow night with alacrity as I furnace all my hedge cuttings in the name of celebrating Nov 5th.

No Christmas cheer as the cull starts early

We have the beauty of our autumnal season to behold every morning as we stir our first cuppa of the day and gaze out of the window, pondering what the day has in store.
Having suffered a moderate summer the pub trade has continued to see losses as the non smoking brigade still refuse to invade what hostelries are left. ',Food-led' pubs have seen a fair trade, many of them surviving by food alone, but that time has drawn to a close again as the autumn season becomes entrenched.
Pub staff are now finding that hours have to be cut as expenses are minimised in expectation of even less customers coming through the doors. Pubs that have served food throughout the summer months now have an overflow of staff-which does not sit well with the accountants at the top of the tree! So, the poor staff who have been running themselves ragged for the past 4 months to keep their masters in luxurious lifestyles, now tremble in morbid fascination as they wait to find out just how many hours per week they need NOT enter for work. As the pubco's find profits spiralling downwards one thing is for sure, the bosses will not have a cheerless Christmas but the staff of these eating houses, that also sell beers, will now be worrying about financial losses in the wagepacket as we creep inexorably closer to the yuletide festivities.
2 hrs here and an hour there doesn't seem alot but when people are working, but still be on the breadline, those 3 hours are of the utmost importance to the household economy.
Yet, come Christmas Day, all staff will be expected to work until every last penny has been wrested from the revellers pockets, for Christmas Day is bonus day for 'food-led' pubs; the staff are not important in the grand scheme of things, save serving food & drink.
Fully expect your other half to miss the glory of Christmas day for the great God pubco needs their services badly!
They can treat them like unwanted flotsam from now 'til Christmas but can also forbid them to remain at home on that day. In fact as far as Christmas is concerned the food-led pubs only concern is money, not the staff. Mind you, if none turned in through tactics of revolt, an interesting scenario would then occur.....100 Christmas dinner expectees and no staff...oh sweet lord...retribution on the overlords bigtime! One days wages, even at double time, does not make up for the loss of wages leading up to Christmas Day-there is no Christmas cheer as the cull starts early.
Of course there is one way to fight back! This household has sacked Christmas day altogether, the 26th of December is now our Christmas day-sod the pubco's!
And just think folks, if smoking hadn't been totally outlawed in pubs the above problem would never have surfaced. But isn't that what has caused all the problems within the trade?

A non political, political view!

Never having been a political animal I am amazed at the vemon within me, especially the venom that has grown since the inception of "NuLabour" over a decade ago. I remember the first time I saw 'Adolph' Blair on the tele, can't remember the occasion but can clearly remember thinking "oh my God, who is this grinning jackanapes?" A term to be coined by the press a few years later. I also remember thinking he looked about as sincere as a baboon's backside! It was then that I started to take a meagre interest in politics. I niaively thought that all politicians were elected as the best options considered by the people to serve the people! What a fool I was.
It soon became apparent that my simplistic political beliefs were just pure garbage-bit like NuLablour proved to be.
The biggest political factor that had stuck in my mind was the "King Arthur v Maggie" battle that had the miners 'up in arms' over pit closures and mass unemployment prospects. I remember 'King Arthur' pulling up in his £30K merc' and rallying the penniless troops (miners) with fine words and unrealistic promises of victory. I also recall a sympathy with the miners but a realisation that "Maggie" was a massive odds-on shot; well 1/100 actually.
With her inevitable victory the north of England began to settle down again but now with a new deep rooted hatred for the Conservatives-after all, "THEY" had destroyed a way of life. I often wondered how the Conservatives would fight back from this complete loss of faith in what rapidly became known as the 'Northern Heartlands'-especially for Labour politicians.
As it happens they haven't had to!
To the disbelief of millions, NuLabour ignored all human rights issues, all considerations for all factions of our society and any thought of discrimination by introducing the total smokeban. In one masterstroke of political madness they promptly handed the initiative back to all other parties. In one vote they ostracised 25% of the population of this country by forcing them outside to have a relaxing cigarette. Oh yes the trumpetting about the 'greatest piece of legislation (re health care) by any political party in the history of parliament' was much banded about the tabloids & TV for anyone to absorb; well, until they had received enough of this bunkum! What the idiots within the party did not realise was that they had been infiltrated by 'do-gooders' anti smoking units and killjoys to such an extent that party leaders either didn't foresee the carnage to come or simply didn't care. After all, Blair stepped down 3 days before the smokeban law came into force.
In one fell swoop they broke the hearts of the very people who voted for them almost religiously every election-the Northern Heartlands. As I travel around the country I have never heard so many 'dyed in the wool' labour supporters now curse the day Blairism hit the country. The miners/Maggie scenario was now secondary to what was happening here. With the impementation of this ban the Labour party had most certainly snatched defeat from the lingering jaws of a possible victory at the next election!
Whilst the anti smoking brigade back slapped each other at the wondrous victory they had engineered through Blairs administration not one of these retarded babbons considered the economic impact the smokeban would have on this country. After the smokeban came the recession, yet the man who sold our gold reserves and led us neatly into the recesion was now the new Blairite, except he was Brownite-with an 'sh'!
Amazingly, as pubs & clubs shut their doors for ever, the numbers increasing on a weekly basis, it occurred to not one of these 'dumbkopf's' that the economy was being seriously hammered by the 'greatest law ever'. Less people going out within the hospitality sector equals less money being constantly circulated, which in turn, equals fewer pickings for the remaining pubs & clubs. That in turn leads to cutbacks in staff which eventually leads to dole queues being severely elongated. Dole queues being extended by such large numbers can only lead to one thing-poverty! We are now spending more on benefits than we a 'taking in' from the employed....Mr Micawber anyone? The smokeban will reduce this country to poverty status before these buffoons realise what they have done. I can't wait to see the anti smoking lobbyists scream in anguish as their earnings are suddenly taxed at a 30% higher rate to make up the shortfall in treasury coffers-caused of course by less revenue from tobacco and higher smuggling rates, less revenue fron beer sales etc, etc.
You see, they haven't cottoned on yet that although the majority in this country have been battered into submission by fear of fine/penalty for the most unimaginably petty infringements-most of which the normal man in the street would have no idea about-the smokers have spoken with their feet. They have marched out of the pubs & clubs, happier to smoke at home than freeze outside a hostelry whilst no one drinks inside. Supermarkets are lapping up the boomtime 'cheap beer sales' thrust upon them by an unwitting government for it gets more punters through their welcoming doors which in turn means they will sell other items as well and boost their already gargantuan profits.
Any other group of individuals eg, homosexuals, lesbians, the disabled (to name but a few) all have rights, yet it seems that smokers have none! Why is this? Why are smokers the new lepers of our society when we contribute in excess of £12bn per annum in extra tax to our government. Incidentally, we are the least expensive to treat according to Dept of Health statistics!
Through all this we see that Mr Cameron has a golden opportunity to right the wrongs of all that is/was Blairism-but has he got the balls? Are his party going to rectify the terrible wrong inflicted on 25% of the population or are they also going to bend to the will of these quango's funded by the government itself? In fact, now that the smokeban has been enacted, why are these self styled policy makers still being funded? Why has fox hunting been banned-what harm does it do? OK, it's a sport for the more wealthy of our society but it provides wages for people, enjoyment for many and keeps the fox population in check so why ban it? Will Mr Cameron revoke this pathetic ban?
Sadly for the Conservative party it seems that their bike riding leader merely wants to follow in the footsteps of 'Adolf' Blair and allow the overpaid extremist views to dictate all our lives, not allow us to choose for ourselves-which of course is our basic human right. Will Mr Cameron be man or mouse, will he accept the golden gift of power that this Labour lot have presented to him? No election victory will ever be as easy as this forthcoming event. Labour are dead and buried thanks to their own inadequacy of spotting charlatans within their midst and the penalising of the populace for any & every possible misdemeanour to be thought of.
Labour may even find themselves not the opposition party after the next election as new, but rapidly growing party may well usurp them at the ballot box. One thing is for certain, Labour are dead and buried, now who is man enough to step up to the plate and allow the people their basic human right of choice?

The Publican's Unhelpfulness!

Today saw the unveiling of Pubs' recession struggles revealed in Publican Market Report, a much awaited piece of useless written garbage by some within the industry. This is the report that would tell us the results of the last two years trading withion the industry. let's go for it!

Perfect opener "The true extent of the desperate difficulties pubs are facing to stay in business are revealed in this year’s Publican Market Report." (I'm impressed!)
"As recession grips the country, licensees up and down the land are finding it harder and harder to make a profit. Latest figures show that more than 50 pubs are closing a week and, of those that remain open, profits are either down or down a lot at 57 per cent. "
"Those struggling the most appear to be lessees and tenants with two out of three (65 per cent) saying trade is down. "
from there on in the report fails as miserably as any sane person would expect it to!
Recession
.....Recession
..........Recession
For God's sake, just how pathetic is this 'voice' of the trade. Recession? What came before the bloody recession-let me see! Oh yes, of course, the small matter of the SMOKING BAN.
Remember it? July 1st, 2007. The day that clean air pubs attracted millions of new non smoking and non drinking customers. Something tells me that they are still waiting for both sets of imbibers to launch themselves at our rapidly diminishing stockpile of boozers!
According to one:- "To help combat the effects of the recession, pubs have been forced to drop training and cut staff hours." Hang on a minute, aren't rules and regulations getting ever tighter as licensing laws are now firmly clamped around the throats of licensees. How can they possibly cut corners with such demands in place? How can they possibly admit to providing 'possibly undertrained staff'? But staff hours, well that's normal practice, except it means the licensee ends up working 100 hours per week for possibly less than the minimal wage!
Quote:- CAMRA chief executive Mike Benner said he was “not surprised” by the level of support for minimum price structures. What a wussy! Anything but the truth to rely upon.
Throughout the whole of the report presented byThe Publican there is not one mention of the starting point and main exponent of this hospitality sector disaster-the SMOKING BAN.
It is unbelievable that a journal that purports to support its legions within the industry either can't see the damage caused by the smokeban or simply doesn't want to recognise the obvious because advertising fees might suddenly diminish due to slating the Pubco's for not fighting the ban. (Hang on-they had a hand in it!)
Meanwhile they are quite happy to spout utter tripe about beer ties, pubco models, beer taxes etc but steadfastly refuse to print the truth. That the two main pubco players backed the wrong horse seems immaterial. Choice was not wanted for the simple reason that "some non smoking pubs may be forced to close".
Well upon my soul, now that they are all non smoking, more than 4,000 have gone to another dimension. Why the Publican are still supporting Thorley/Tuppen on the road to Damascus-sorry-Disaster, I'm buggered if I know. If they had the balls to admit they were wrong this ban would be amended within months. Neither of these Pubco genius's could sell every single pub and hope to come out with a profit-such is the dismal state of their empires! Shareholders who believed all the government hype pre-ban are loathe to admit they are still shareholders. Truth is such an expensive dream at the moment-and it will only get more expensive!
Meanwhile all the poor people that have their life savings/investments tied up with these pubco's must be quaking in their boots at the start of each day.....is a customer even liable to walk through the door?
If my local pub is anything to go by, 75% of pubs might as well set up a bar in the smoking shelter after 8pm! Yet should the 'PC' brigade ever gain the bollox to admit the smokeban is the true killer of the industry, should the media ever have the bollox to admit the smokeban is the creator of all problems pub and stop pandering to government 'quango's (ASH et al) we might find the hard up, struggling and fearful of the future licensees thrown a lifeline-an amended ban where CHOICE reigns supreme.
Let non smokers have their own pubs or parts of a pub. Let licensees decide for themselves whether they want smoking pubs or non smoking pubs-I'll have a wager on the percentage outcome!
In a country that is supposedly democratic (I'd almost forgotten the word-thanks dictionary!) we have become surprisingly adept at being undemocratic. We pander to the asswipes at ASH who are driven by hatred of that which they don't agree with and watch this country slip further into the financial mire thanks to the £50m spent on the most ludicrous crusade ever. People still die-when your numbers up? sorry folks.....your numbers up!
Smoking is a freedom of choice. Pubs should have the same freedom of choice. Licensees should always have had freedom of choice. Drinkers should have freedom of choice-that is democracy funnily enough!
So next time we wait with bated breath for The Publicans Market Report-don't bother!

Hypocrits v Lunacy

We have over the past 2 years seen virtually every form of pond life appear in one guise or another. Cruella DeVille has appeared to bollock smokers to death should they dare need an operation. We've had the usual culprits spewing out fantastic quit smoking figures in the face of NRT's 98.4% failure rate. and we learn that money is being spewed down the smoke cessation soilpipe like it's gone out of fashion-hang on, it has gone out of fashion! we're bankrupt!

In America, California to be exact, we have the amazing sight of smokebans causing financial carnage to such an extent that "I'll be back" (good old Arney) is now contemplating legalizing marijuana. Yes, our illustrious governor of good old 'Cali' is considering legalizing the substance as it will bring in £1.4bn per annum. So that's it then, case proved! Smokebans skint businesses, skint tourist trade & skint regional areas so lets legalize smoking pot! It's utterly brilliant really, smoking is banned but this 'different' form of smoking is to be legalized so as to earn state treasuries money. The blatant hypocrisy is immeasurable.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world where Americans & British soldiers dutifully give up their lives in the name of freedom on a daily basis (sadly 3 more killed today) we find that despite all the war torn trouble & strife, Iraq are imposing their own smoking ban-in the name of health! FFS! HEALTH?
It's got to be the most unhealthy country (alongside Afghanistan) in the goddamned world. I mean, it's full of flying lead poisoning which is fatal. Every step could be your last as 3,000 nails can send you explosively skyward or you could even be talking to a local one minute and be in a thousand gory bits the next!
How the bloody hell in the name of all normality the Iraqi government can be contemplating a smokeban when there is carnage in every quarter as they repel the infidels is totally beyond me, and probably every other sane person in this country. The world has been taken over by hypocrits and lunatics - and the simple reason folks?
Smokebans, the WHO & the NWO - the former the result of intolerance from the latter pair of arsehole groups!

Boom time a coming?

I suppose some will see this as a dark, threatening sort of blog. A tale of woe and destruction dreamt up by some black hearted lord of the afterlife-but no, it's just me and my thoughts 'a wanderin'. Well Lee Marvin did, so why can't I?
You see something ludicrous struck me today as I battled weakly against the new plague and pestilence known to us as "Swine Flu".
I lay thinking of all the hatred caused by the anti smokers, you know them, people like Bhanzaff, Glantz, Cruella DeVille etc. They don't want smokers to have any fun at all. They don't want smokers to be on the same planet and it is these type of narrow minded assholes that want the world to be as perfect as they think it should be-fat chance.
After only days of smoke ban law the Turkish cafe bar owners are up in arms at the immediate cost to their businesses with reports already that up to 1/3rd may well close down as smoking customers do what smoking customers do worldwide-desert the bars, stop spending money etc It seems that the WHO, ASH and all these other anti smoking parasitic charities couldn't give a baboons ass about poverty, homelessness or business failures so long as their mantra is acted out.
I have no doubt thought, that 'their time' is fast coming to an end. Economically their whole strategy is flawed as it will be they who will scream loudest at an £30p on income tax when that 'leaf of evil' is eradicated from the planet and governments worldwide still want the coffers to be filled. Economically 'their time' is ending because the world is now in a giant recession, money is not being circulated so freely by the people, the workers, the base line of humanity-well, except to the tobacco smugglers of course!
In 2012 a new horror will emerge in this country-it's called the Olympic Games. To my mind that means lots of different people from lots of different countries-yes I know we got that already but this is different, this a statement from world sport!
And? who is most primed to take full advantage of all this hype, all this carnival atmosphere and most of all, so many different cultures crammed into one place? Got it yet?
Osama Bin Laden, that's who!
Well the yanks haven't found him yet have they? They might have crusaded against the poor smokers all over the planet but they haven't caught up with the 'binman' just yet. The conclusion coming isn't too difficult to arrive at!
As my mind wandered even further I could imagine the hater of the western world thoughtfully tugging at his beard as he deliberated which particular target would be first to taste his venom. Just how big a mark would he want to make on the biggest sporting event for four years? Just how much pandemonium could he cause if he tried?
Fuelled by 'tamiflu' and a cocktail of other prescribed curers of ills I suddenly thought about smokers. We'd all be mysteriously protected as we were all victims of the "Western World", we were the lepers, the social outcasts-the saved.
It all seemed so perfectly obvious to me, hazy but obvious. This man hates the ideals of the western world and it is the western world (or lunatic parts of it) that have forbidden the smoking of Hookah pipes - a tradition steeped in ancient eastern history. A pipe of relaxation, a pipe for debating with, a pipe for making decisions with, a pipe of some power!
So, if my drugged up head and feverish torso has equated all things correctly and the imbecilic ban is not amended by 2012 there could be some fireworks of the not planned variety in a very large city.
The armchair will be my viewing spot for the 2012 games thank you, but please feel free to afford ASH, CRUK and all those other uncharitable charity folk the luxury of the 'hot seats' with the best views!

"Almondism's"

Hot on the heels of that disgusting piece of interviewed (recorded for all time) garbage from Cruella DeVille Almond we get more serious news from the healthist freakery rampant in this sad old country of ours.
You remember the words:- "Then they'll just have to die!"
Well todays story is slightly different, slightly sadder but might only be the start of healthist leviathon bearing down on us.
Gary Reinbach DID die!

Gary Reinbach died in hospital after he was refused a liver transplant - unless he could prove he had not drunk alcohol for at least six months. He'd had a drink problem for more than 9 years having resorted to booze after traumatic family problems.
He had been admitted to the hospital 10 weeks ago as he was too ill to be sent home - he had cirrhosis of the liver.
It appears that he had been refused a transplant unless he could prove that he had been booze free for 6 months. He was in the hospital for 10 of those 26 weeks - a booze free environment, surely that must have counted for something?
He was desperately ill, that is why he was in the hospital for those ten long weeks - they had complete control over his drinking habits not to mention the perfect opportunity to work on his alcoholic tendency. Did they think that he needed to be drink free for 26 weeks as well before starting any anti drink therapy?
His heartbroken mother stated that he was too ill to leave the hospital to even attempt to prove he was serious about getting off the booze - so what chance did Gary Reinbach actually have?
Amazingly, a hospital spokeswoman said: "Our sympathies are with his family at this time."
Excuse me?
Then why did he die after being in the hospital for ten weeks without booze?
Why is 26 weeks the predetermined time for seriously ill patients to struggle on against an addiction before the 'angels of medical mercy' swoop down to save the sick?
After all, he had even taken the first serious step on the path of recovery - contacting Alcoholics Anonymous!
One cannot help but wonder what sort of society we are now deeply immersed in. The "healthist lobby", for want of a better/worse description, seem to have taken on the mantle of Gods for it now seems that they hold the all powerful key to life or death.
I can hear the mantra now, "Oh mortal sinners, if ye do not adhere to the righteous and healthy path then we will shorten that path, for it is only us, the pure, that should live longest and suffer least."
The prementioned vile, heartless creature has set a new trend it seems. How long before we see the word ALMONDISM appearing in medical journals, medical reviews or even the dictionary?

Cruel, Cruel Cruella

Transcript of interview with Jane De Ville Almond on radio 5

DeVille:- I’ll just tell you a very short story. We recently had a guy who’d had one heart operation and he continued to smoke and he went in for and had a second heart operation, which I actually think should not have been allowed.

Interviewer:- hmmm

DeVille:- because he wasn’t making a commitment to his own health and was just relying on surgeons and people... (interrupted)

Interviewer:- should he have paid for it?

DeVille:- He should have paid for it

Interviewer:- but that would have cost thousands and thousands of pounds-how can you expect an ordinary sort of person to pay that sort of money?

DeVille:- Well then I’m afraid if he can’t commit, if you’re going to have an operation, you know, it’s a bit like people....(interrupted)

Interviewer:- but then what? If he can’t afford it? What?

DeVille:- Well then, then they'll just have to die!

This is the transcript of the Radio5 interview with Jane DeVille
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z71Vv6QAmiw (approx 06/07/09)

17th July, 2009. Upon checking You Tube this notice has been posted:-
This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Jane DeVille Almond.

It is no wonder Jane DeVille Almond, a supposed 'medical care expert' who teaches/instructs others in the field of care, has claimed copyright of this disgusting video. Anyone would be ashamed of going worldwide with such hatred toward a smoker who needed medical attention.

Is this the new teachings of this woman? Is she now so mighty that she decides who lives or dies according to their lifestyle?

Does the National Insurance system, which is paid throughout your working life to cover medical costs, now not cover smokers?
How can this uncharitable, heartless woman be a director, and trustee, of two national UK charities the National Obesity Forum (NOF) and the Men’s Health Forum (MHF) which she is also vice president. (http://devillealmond.com/aboutjane.aspx)

She is trained in nursing not dictating lifestyles. She has no compassion for her fellow man/woman if that person smokes. Part of the original Hippocratic oath states:- “I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.”
Perhaps she swore to the hypocritic oath not the hyppocratic oath ( I sincerely doubt the latter) - whichever oath it may have been she is obviously no longer a fit and proper person to be caring for people and should be relieved of all employment positions forthwith. Perhaps this evil woman is part of the Dr Harold Shipman ‘life or death’ clan.
As far as smokers are now concerned, this vile woman is the new “Cruella DeVille”.

I noticed on an f2c (freedom2choose) front page article some amazing comments by a gentleman from the organisation known as CAMRA. Their spokesman came up with the following pearls of wisdom:-
Camra said while the smoking ban might have been responsible for an initial drop in pub trade, customers soon adapted . Leicester branch chairman Keith Williams said: "The reason people are staying away from pubs is the credit crunch – and supermarkets because of selling cheap beer"

As a simpleton who has muddled through life for more than half a century I simply cannot understand how people like Mr Williams hold any form of office whatsoever-I really can't!.
Let us delve into this myriad of excuses for pub & club failures shall we?
The Credit Crunch- 0h sorry, did that appear before July 1st, 2007? Ummmmm-NO!
What actually occurred was that nasty piece of legislation which quickly drove the hard & fast regular drinkers out of the pubs & clubs! Smoking or not smoking has never impeded my sense of taste when pint of the chosen nectar is in my hand, indeedy not sir! I don't need to slobber beer round the inside of my mouth like some billious whale to get the taste. I also don't need to sniff the 'bouquet' either-I know what I ordered at the bar and most likely watched it sploshing into the glass ready for my consumption. The lunatics who run the CAMRA asylum see things slightly differently however and promoted the smoking ban as, in their view, experts of the rich nutty flavour etc would enjoy said nutty flavours considerably more once smokers had been excommunicated.
Little did the fools realise that when there were no pubs left for them to install 'real ales' in, they (CAMRA) would become obsolete-as would their bouquetish nutty flavoured ales!
Cheap Supermarket Beer. oh? was that a prominent feature of our lives before July 1st, 2007? Ummmmm-NO!
Supermarkets have been selling cheap beer since they first got licences to do so. They were called 'loss leaders' to entice more people into the stores but they never held much proportion of total beer sales.
However, since the ban, supermarkets have seen a rapid rise in alcohol sales for the simple reason that the regular drinker-smokers now refuse to spend their 'hard earned' in a place that can no longer welcome them because of some draconian piece of legislation. Amazingly, and probably much to CAMRA's chagrin, I have witnessed some of their members advancing to the checkout with a trolleyfull of drinkables (and on more than one occasion I might add).
Lets add a few more here shall we?
The Recession-well that's what it was called as we first slipped into financial decline, but which came first? Ummmmmm-the smoking ban! It is amazing that people blame the recession (now a credit crunch) for lack of money circulating. it was circulating very nicely prior to July 1st, 2007. but when 25% of the population were 'leperised' by this law 70% of an awful lot of pubs & clubs customer base disappeared. And why not? Who wants to stand in some half built, ramshackle construction, not fit for pigs, in the freezing cold or the rain or wind just to say they had been down the local for an hour or two? Not many, to my mind.
Beer Tax Rises- damn the chancellor for being so greedy! But has this closed pubs/clubs so prolifically previously? Ummmmm-NO!
The recession of the 70's produced the pub trades best ever time, in fact the pub trade 'peaked' as more and more people found solace in the pubs & clubs bemoaning their individual poverty status. What the most misappropriately named 'Darling' has found is that his vindictive nannyist, bullyboy (and girl) government have done is to cut their own financial throats with this ludicrous ban. 1.7 million pints per day less being consumed than before the ban means a hell of a lot of revenue the treasury doesn't get anymore-hence 3p on a pint, for the all powerful treasury cannot do without their regular income from the populace. Smokers, for all their supposed sins, never batted an eyelid to such matters prior to July 1st, 2007, but this was a different ball game. As it is mainly non smokers that dribble into a pub this was a direct tax on THEM! hahahahaha!
They say they support the ban (more government hogwash) but they are paying for it as many thousands of smokers now drink at home, have garden parties where shelters of their own design and grandeur are erected. Oh yes! there are always an abundance of ashtrays as well-mostly from the pubs as they, apparently don't need them anymore! This is the smokers turn to laugh in the face of adversity for as Mr Williams (the pre-mentioned buffoon above) states, "customers have adapted". Well they certainly have Mr 'W' for they have made their own bars, their own shelters,and their own parties. They have realised that you don't necessarily need a pub or club to enjoy having a drink anymore-and they will take some wooing back when this idiotic ban is amended. Some probably won't return-why should they?
Finally I must mention the ludicrous "statistics" appearing in apparent celebration of the 2 year anniversary of the saddest, most despicable law ever imposed by any government in this country. 80% agree with the ban trumpets one local newspaper, obviously unaware that 20%+ of the local pubs have gone in their area. Estimated that 40,000 lives have been saved bellows another 'up HMG's arse' rag! Now how have they come up with that unbelievable figure (mind you, most of their figures are unbelievable to start with!). It cannot be proven that one life has been saved just as it cannot be proven that SHS kills you but this government backed media frenzy cannot help themselves other than to glorify in substantial, unsubstantiated figures. But then they do have to do that don't they or the smokeban flop (sorry successful experiment) will be seen for what it truly is-an economic 'Titanic' threatening peoples livelyhoods every day of the week. Let's see, we are past the 4,000 business closure figure already-and it is a success(?)
If this continues-and it surely will until common sense prevails-then something called a pub will be a novelty item, occasionally spotted on long car journeys: "oh look kids, I used to go in one of those-many years ago-used to be good fun too!"
I suppose if we all stay at home and drink we'll all get a bit fatter and then there will be fines for not adhering to the newly invented 'BMI' regime (Sir Liam please take note here!), supermarkets will get even richer, kebab shops will be banned, a never ending lawsuit between McDonalds and the government will fill the daily papers and the only social contact with those outside our house will be when the men in black zip us into the bag ready for the morgue.
Isn't it marvellous when you think of just how a government can be so completely ignorant when it comes to caring for its people! mind you we still have Mr Williams of CAMRA caring-OMG!