Blast from the past
Monday, August 16, 2010 On Friday my son was playing in a cricket match at Dersingham, Norfolk, a short distance from the Queen's estate at Sandringham. The weather wasn't great (the match was eventually called off without a ball being bowled) so I took refuge in The Feathers (above), an old-fashioned family-run hotel next to to the cricket ground.
There were three bars, including one in a converted stable block, but I couldn't help noticing a fourth room, overlooking (I think) the garden, because it bore the sign 'No Smoking Area'.
It beggars belief that the law doesn't allow one bar, or the former 'No Smoking Area', to be designated as an indoor smoking room because it would still leave 90 per cent of the building, including restaurant and reception, smoke free, but that's Britain for you.
Today I'm off to Market Deeping in Lincolnshire where my son has another cricket match. If there's anything to report I'll let you know.
Reader Comments (4)
With a no outside smoking area its no wonder business is so bad for hotels and pubs of this ilk. And I dont think Dave or Jim Royal would go to this 'Feathers' either.
Perhaps I didn't make it clear. As far as I am aware customers are welcome to smoke outside The Feathers. No, the reason I drew attention to the 'No Smoking Area' sign is because it was inside (not outside) the building and was a reminder of the days when you could smoke inside in all public areas with the exception of that one room. As it happens the service was very good and I would pop in for a pint again if I am in the area.
This smoking ban is, really, just a vehicle for the main aim, that of reducing smoking. That's the kernel of all this and we're already getting fairy tale rates from the usual suspects whilst the likes of Imp. Tob. are laughing up their sleeves. It'll take about 2 more years for the clowns in power to realise that after massive pub closures, alienation of a large part of the population and the degrading of so called medical 'science', they've achieved nothing other than increased smoking rates. They will have saved the dear old NHS sweet Fanny Adams! Not that there was much to save, anyway.
On top of this, the bottom up exercise from Joe Public is already cheapening it. - I've seen it, believe me, I've seen it. Cutbacks will mean difficulty in enforcing it and the reliance on the Public to 'morally' police it will be in the bin as they never, mostly, cared, anyway. The antis are also running out of ideas to keep the pot bubbling, without which people lose interest.
We do adapt so easily to Puritanism in this country but history teaches us that its also doomed to failure. Until such time, and for the above reasons that room in the Feathers will stay 'no smoking' however stupid it is.
Frank -
Yes - forget about the Economic argument (there isn't one), or the Health argument (15 years ago, it was said that sporting injuries cost more), or the Scientific argument (highly controverted, at best).
It's essentially a MORAL issue (dressed up as any or all of the above) for the modern Puritans - like Bear-Pits and the Theatre.
A moral issue that is, given voice in an age in which it is not quite seemly to be SEEN to be moralising.
Hence the substitution of the ghastly weasel-word 'Inappropriate' - when 'Improper' is clearly what is REALLY meant (but must never be said - lest one appear 'judgemental').
Yep - they've got their knickers in a twist, and our freedoms in a noose.
Sadly, it seems as if Our Dave is NOT, after all, going to be OUR
Charles II.
We can send the maypoles back to the hire shop.
For now.