Behind closed doors
Saturday, September 15, 2007 
I don't know about you, but I like to spend Saturday mornings drinking coffee, reading the newspapers, listening to Jonathan Ross, catching up on other blogs ... Iain Dale's Diary is consistently good, not just for the political content, but also as a portal to blogs I would never otherwise have heard of.
This morning, for example, I discovered Liberty's Requiem. On Thursday, in a post entitled 'What the jobsworths don't know', blogger DuSanne wrote:
It was a pleasant night in the Village yesterday. It was rounded of in fine style in a local pub that is a bit off my usual well-beaten path and I shall not name it, or even pseudoname it for reasons that will soon become apparent.
Not only was the drink sensibly priced by local standards, but once the crowd had dwindled to a half a dozen and three staff, the doors were locked and curtains closed. Not because it had reached the end of it's licensed hours, but it was about to become 'no longer a public space'. Ashtrays appeared and everyone, including the staff lit up.
I'm not entirely sure if the manager's interpretation of the law was correct, but nobody was going to complain and it was a strange delight to enjoy a cigarette in the time-honoured manner, knowing that what you were doing would drive some small minded jobsworth at the local council offices in to a fit of apoplexy if they knew.
Warmly recommended. See HERE.
Reader Comments (5)
This landlord's interpretation of the smoking ban laws is probably not correct or in keeping with the spirit of the law, but who cares - I don't. The only "spirit" that the ASHites of this world adhere to is strict, puritanical prohibition.
Landlords up and down the country will probably take the same tack when the cold weather bites and their profits start to dwindle (which is already happening).
I am an adult, I can take decisions, I am not a robot.........lead me to the late lock-in public house. Stuff the smoking police and stuff New Labour's nanny state.
I remember when pubs locked their doors at closing time and allowed regulars to carry on drinking, so this appears no different. It is probably now illegal, under this NANNY state, but who REALLY cares what goes on behind locked doors? Only Nanny and those who don't like seeing others enjoying themselves.
Congratulations to that landlord!!
We can also report the exact practices here in Somerset.
Keep at look out online for our next Protest March, being Bristol on Saturday 20th October.
Please tell me the locations of these secret lock-ins! (I know you can't, lol). Oh, and keep safe, won't you? Make sure that you know everyone in the place personally, and that none of them are an undercover spy (I use the term deliberately). I am sick and tired of being told what to do, and also many smokers' fatalistic acceptance of it all. I never used to be a rebellious or aggressive person, but now I say to everyone who looks down their noses at smokers to b***** off and leave us alone! I've been to a pub 3 times since the ban, and hated every minute of it, whereas before I'd go at least once or twice a week.
Well done mate in my day it was also called a lock in but you did not pay you had a chit for your drink and you payed the next time you went in.