Forum Topic

Death of the Pub

The pub, a great British tradition, is all but finished. Masks must now be worn upon entering, leaving and frequenting the lavatory, with table service being compulsory. Bar staff must wear masks too. Patrons caught by the covid police with a slipped mask, or pinching a menu from the bar, will face doubling fines, starting at £200.00, so they could easily be £600.00 down within a few minutes if they’re not careful, which may tempt them to leave before the mandatory closing time of 10pm to have a few drinks with their friends at home, for which they could face a further £10,000.00 fine if the covid police tail them home; and if the pub is found to have not signed them in on arrival, the pub will be hit with a big fine too. Pubs will not survive the new draconian laws, and they’re not meant to. As with all wars, enemy communication centres are the first targets. 77th Brigade have already been attacking social media sites to combat truth-telling, and the pub was an early target too – shut down for months initially, but many survived, so now a more strangling effect is being used to destroy, once and for all, the pub – the heart of British culture.There are more people dying from the flu than ‘covid’, and death rates from all causes in the UK have been below average in recent months. There is no pandemic, so the draconian rules are not about saving lives, but ruining lives. With much of the population about to face financial hardship, if not already, the attack on pubs forms part of the psychological war on the population. The strangling of society, both financially and psychologically, will continue until Nanny can see that the population, devoid of individuality and freedoms, has submitted to her, is totally dependent on her, and is her property. Wake up you fools.

Michael Brown ● 2229d38 Comments

So, what exactly is their aim? That we should all die of this non virus, or just sit at home and work, if that is possible. I always thought the top chaps rather liked going off to the pub in the country for a Sunday lunch after walking the retrievers. People like the Fullers family probably vote Tory, do they get a say in this? Their money is at risk as much as the barmaid’s.

Vivienne Cox ● 2229d

To equate the Fullers family (worth 250 million plus) with a barmaid ,net worth ,minus a few hundred quid perhaps a few thousands, no house ,no assets, is a bit daft.I'm sure the Fullers family can weather the storm.

Ben Gemmingen ● 2229d

And yes Michael,I do mourn the impending demise of the pub.

Ben Gemmingen ● 2229d

You are a prize tool. I can actually imagine you as the best pub bore. Tell me were you drink so I can come listen to you.

Basil Finnis ● 2229d

Three conspiracy theorists walk into a barYou can't tell me that's a coincidence...

James Smith-Jones ● 2229d

So the fact that booze is so much cheaper in a supermarket compared to a pub has suddenly disappeared as a reason for the decline in pubs.  Apparently we're now a land of secret drinkers.  Or that their land is very valuable to developers?  So where can we meet to conspire?  Outside a coffee shop?

Philippa Bond ● 2229d

I sincerely hope you are wrong Michael - I grew up and spent many happy hours in  country pubs all over the country but specially in Kent and East Sussex and then around here too.  They are essentially British and very often the backbone and hub of many a community.  Truly hope they won't be crushed to death by the misery, anxiety, of nation enthralled by a virus.

Jennifer Selig ● 2229d

Alcohol has caused many a death, family breakdown, poverty, stress, mental problems and health issues. Now the pubs are assisting in the spread of Covid. They should be closed until a vaccine is found.

Steve Taylor ● 2229d

In (humorous) reply to SteveMy friends, I had not intended to discuss this controversial subject at this particular time. However, I want you to know that I do not shun controversy. On the contrary, I will take a stand on any issue at any time, regardless of how fraught with controversy it might be. You have asked me how I feel about whiskey. All right, here is how I feel about whiskey:If when you say whiskey you mean the devil's brew, the poison scourge, the bloody monster, that defiles innocence, dethrones reason, destroys the home, creates misery and poverty, yea, literally takes the bread from the mouths of little children; if you mean the evil drink that topples the Christian man and woman from the pinnacle of righteous, gracious living into the bottomless pit of degradation, and despair, and shame and helplessness, and hopelessness, then certainly I am against it.But, if when you say whiskey you mean the oil of conversation, the philosophic wine, the ale that is consumed when good fellows get together, that puts a song in their hearts and laughter on their lips, and the warm glow of contentment in their eyes; if you mean Christmas cheer; if you mean the stimulating drink that puts the spring in the old gentleman's step on a frosty, crispy morning; if you mean the drink which enables a man to magnify his joy, and his happiness, and to forget, if only for a little while, life's great tragedies, and heartaches, and sorrows; if you mean that drink, the sale of which pours into our treasuries untold millions of dollars, which are used to provide tender care for our little crippled children, our blind, our deaf, our dumb, our pitiful aged and infirm; to build highways and hospitals and schools, then certainly I am for it.This is my stand. I will not retreat from it. I will not compromise.

Andrew Jones ● 2229d

Cut and pasted from wikipedia.

Viv Griffiths ● 2229d

Personally I prefer whisky to whiskey, and chwisgi to both. ;-)

Richard Greenhough ● 2229d

Poor, silly Steve.

Richard Greenhough ● 2229d

And now little Dicky Gintroll is trying to pretend he prefers whisky to gin in order to gain adult approval from Mr Jones. Buzz off little Dicky Troll. This is an adult thread

Steve Taylor ● 2229d

Indeed it was. Hopefully no one thought I was trying to pass it off as my own work.

Andrew Jones ● 2229d

It's hard to see how any pub can be profitable when the number of staff to customer ratio has more than doubled since the spring.How insisting you are served at the table is going to help I can't understand. When you buy beer at the bar only one person touches the glass - when its brought to your table at least two people are involved doubling your chance of a virus infected person passing it on to you.Michael's suspicions as to the drive for these new measures is not one I share but the result will probably be the same whether it's conspiracy or cock-up.

Will Watson ● 2229d

"This is an adult thread"Any thread that starts off as an adult discussion is immediately brought down to juvenile level when Silly Steve joins in. "In the back room of the barWe made a great couple me and himCause I drink whisky and he only ever drinks ginWell that's the way it is with him"

Richard Greenhough ● 2229d

"It's hard to see how any pub can be profitable when the number of staff to customer ratio has more than doubled since the spring."Indeed. Even Boris's Brexit mate, boss of Wetherspoons,  was looking worried last night.

Steve Taylor ● 2229d

Being as theyve been taking everyone's details on entering a pub. Have they actually said that data shows that the new rise in infections are significantly down to people in pubs.

Stephen Gould ● 2229d

How does taking your details when you enter a pub ensure that you don't have Covid?

Steve Taylor ● 2229d

Bit of a silly reply to a legit question? I'll put it another way. They take your details on entering the pub so that if someone tests positive later, they can track and trace. I just wondered if the new restrictions on pubs were based on that actual data. I hope theyre not just assuming. Anyone know?

Stephen Gould ● 2229d

It's "Waken up!", not "Wake up!"(If his idiocy doesn't get you, his illiteracy will)

Richard Cathcart ● 2229d

You, Sir, are a weapons-grade moron

Ian Philips ● 2229d

‘Waken up?’  I don’t think so.  You might just get away with ‘Waken!’, though it sounds a bit archaic.  The imperative form of the very common phrasal verb ‘to wake up’ is indeed ‘Wake up!’

Alastair Banton ● 2229d

“ Bit of a silly reply to a legit question?”I too was asking a question - hence the question mark.  However, I would now question your explanation that the pub would contact you later if someone tested positive. How would the pub know if someone tested positive later?  And if they did find out, would they risk broadcasting the fact and risk losing customers. The fact is that you can’t trust anyone to do the right thing. Hence the answer is to close all pubs until a vaccine is found. Pubs are one of easiest places for the virus to spread.

Steve Taylor ● 2229d

Pubs need to be closed until a vaccine is found. Far too many pisscats out there spreading the virus.

Steve Taylor ● 2228d

Which set of experts have you been listening to?https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/sep/22/scientists-disagree-over-targeted-versus-nationwide-measures-to-tackle-covid

Russell Pearson ● 2228d

It seems that Silly Steve has got tired of indiscriminately calling his fellow citizens "morons" and has now decided that those who like a quiet drink and a chat in a pub while observing social distancing are to be referred to as "pisscats". Although Ian Philips' comment was presumably addressed to the OP, the fact that it appears directly under a post from Silly Steve also seems appropriate.

Richard Greenhough ● 2228d

"Which set of experts have you been listening to?"None. There aren't any. The so called experts are still on a learning curve. They change their minds every day.

Steve Taylor ● 2228d

A couple of months ago, Johnson said that restrictions should be able to be eased by Xmas. A couple of weeks later, he changed this to ‘this time next year’; so he’d written off a whole year; but he doesn’t know the virus situation over any period, meaning that he can’t know what is best for the country at any given future point in time, so he can only be following an agenda.A couple of days ago, Johnson introduced further restrictions, which he said may last 6 months; and Raab said that if we don’t obey the restrictions, further restrictions may need to be introduced. Raab, like Johnson, doesn’t know what the virus situation may be at any future point in time, and neither does he make reference to the virus – only our behaviour in relation to the instructions given and punishment for disobedience. This is not a government that is working with the nation to get the country back on its feet, but a government following an agenda, and they practically tell us this at every announcement, as they did from the very start – prepare for the ‘new normal’. Meanwhile, life is very much normal in Sweden – everyone going about their business as normal, no masks etc. You’d think our government might ask the Swedes what their secret is, but no, our government continues to destroy the nation in every imaginable way, along with increasing restrictions, increased fines for disobedience, and other threats if we don’t obey, and plans to bring in the military! None of this has anything to do with the curbing of a virus and returning to any kind of normality, but the following of an agenda.Wake up you fools.

Michael Brown ● 2227d

MB > "You’d think our government might ask the Swedes what their secret is, but no..."But yes:https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/tegnell-downing-street-briefinghttps://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8767427/Number-10-briefed-Swedens-controversial-anti-lockdown-epidemiologist-Anders-Tegnell.html

John Whitworth ● 2227d

Johnson simply hasn't gone far enough. Pubs should be closed until a vaccine is found. It is quite unnecessary to gather and drink alcohol.

Steve Taylor ● 2227d

"but he doesn’t know the virus situation over any period, meaning that he can’t know what is best for the country at any given future point in time, so he can only be following an agenda."Your reasoning that an agenda is being followed doesn't make sense to me. Of course Boris can't know what is best for the country at any given future point in time - no one can know, there will always be things that can be done better, and often you will only realise that in hindsight. It doesn't follow that there is a pre-determined agenda. Doesn't mean there isn't either of course.On the face of it, life is very much more normal in Sweden ... this is what the Independent wrote yesterday"Unlike other countries who have implemented strict lockdowns, Sweden’s strategy to combat coronavirus has emphasised personal responsibility instead. This model drew fierce criticism as deaths shot up during the spring, but has also been lauded by WHO officials as a sustainable model."Maybe the Swedes have more of an idea of personal responsibility than us Brits!

Andrew Jones ● 2227d

"Maybe the Swedes have more of an idea of personal responsibility than us Brits!"Absolutely!

Steve Taylor ● 2227d

Ooops, the word so was meant to be in bold text, not all the words after so!

Andrew Jones ● 2227d

From the very beginning - prepare for the 'new normal'. That's all you need to know.

Michael Brown ● 2227d

Another typical silly comment from Silly Steve. Still, at least for once he refrains from insulting his fellow citizens.

Richard Greenhough ● 2227d

Whilst some may not like what Taylor says about the pub – the view he expresses is shared by the ruling elite. The so-called pandemic is, partly, about permanently changing people’s behaviour, and that’s why restrictions will go on and on, the idea being that we will completely forget how things were until the ‘new normal’ feels normal; and long drunken nights in pubs and clubs do not form part of the new normal/normal.

Michael Brown ● 2227d

Brown is quite right. Get used to the new norm.  Get over the past. It will never be the same again in your lifetime.

Steve Taylor ● 2227d