Campaign To Save Britain's Pubs Is Launched

[super jumbe]

A fightback against the increasing number of British pub closures is under way.

Camra, the Campaign for Real Ale , has launched a new initiative called Community Pubs Month.

The aim is to re-establish the pub at the centre of community life and persuade landlords around the country to look at different ways to attract new customers.

Spokesman Martyn Herbert told Sky News: "The days where you just open the doors and people would walk in for a drink or a meal have gone really.

"People need to be drawn to the pub, so you have to be very imaginative."

Camra says 4,500 British pubs have had to close their doors in the past four years.

Attempts have been made to reopen some, but not all with success and currently around 16 pubs a week are failing.

If the trend continues we could see 40,000 local pubs disappear by 2060.

At the Pheasant Inn at Toddington, Gloucestershire, farm animals are on display in the car park.

It forms only one part of the pub's efforts to bring in more families.

LINK:
Campaign To Save Britain's Pubs Is Launched - Yahoo! News UK



To let mate I can not see pubs any were I live all boarded up.
Smoking ban in UK to blame, whatever you do, you cannot persuade people to spend what they haven't got!!!

[super jumbe]

I remember when I was a taxi driver, I used to start work just after 11.00pm when pubs are about to close and I used to work till 12.30pm and I could earn a nice living.

Taxi driver?s job at night is dead if you ask me, most of them now going on dole, because pubs in this country supported most businesses, and I can not see the reverse side of this happening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gmb45]

pubs will never be the same as they was since they stopped smoking in them, biggest majority of punters where smokers, one emormous ~~~~ up by them fuds, god a love to hate mps

[bobwill]

While supermarkets use alcohol as a lost leader to get shoppers in and can sell drink sometimes as low as 50% what tried landlords in pubs can bye it for, I dont think things will change
The supermarkets with there pricing have killed off most small shops , small petrol retailers ,cd and games sellers and now pubs and will not stop untill you can only shop with them then they will put there prices up .
The only thing that keep pubs open is food

[GastonJ]

I have to agree with GMB on the point about smoking, going to the pub used to be a relaxing place - although it would have been better to have designated smoking rooms rather than everyone choke in the same rooms.

On top of that I would imagine that a fair number of pubs will be closing because the breweries that own them want to save money and keep their profits up. It's all about the bottom line for them.

[Snowy79]

Pubs have been dying for years due to being owned predominately by brewers who pretty much price fixed and said what beers could be sold. Added to this, people are happier to spend their surplus money having an extortionate coffee from Starbucks etc. They can chill out in a coffee shop. Pop into the supermarket on the way home for a cheap carry out then watch any movie on demand without having to put up with idiots that want a fight after 2 shandies.

Society has changed from the idea of the working man slaving away all day in a factory and having a few beers after work with the lads before going home for tea with the wife and watching a choice of two programs if you're lucky. A pub was a break from the boredom. Now there's gyms, all weather sports pitches, more outdoor activities and the internet. The latest movies on demand. So there'e less of a draw by the pub. Even women now spend most of their spare time just walking around shops. They socialise with their mates this way and use the coffee houses more than the pubs. Plus the countries skint. Why pay more for alcohol than the equivelent in petrol ?

[Wolfpack]

Today people drink more wine. I'm sure the pubs near the football stadiums do well. Where i live the local bars are all but dead. People are afraid to go out and have a few fearing a DWI.

[scottymo76]

Today people drink more wine. I'm sure the pubs near the football stadiums do well. Where i live the local bars are all but dead. People are afraid to go out and have a few fearing a DWI.

Dunno abt that mate.

I know a guy who owned a pub near Ibrox and in a non-footballing day he made ?300.

Barely paid the wages.

[super jumbe]

I doubted we will go back to the good old days mate, beer on Sunday follow with lunch and a good company with lads 40 years ago and more booz in the evening.

There used to be smoke rooms for smokers live dance, etc.

Our Govt rules have made matter worse and I hope some off the rules will favour the landlords.

[johnboy1974]

I remember when I was a taxi driver, I used to start work just after 11.00pm when pubs are about to close and I used to work till 12.30pm and I could earn a nice living.

Taxi driver?s job at night is dead if you ask me, most of them now going on dole, because pubs in this country supported most businesses, and I can not see the reverse side of this happening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jumbe you are spot on mate- The nightshift taxi driver will only get a turn on Friday and Saturday nights. The city centres are dead during the week. Personally I think the pub trade is ~~~~ed and it's all down to the cost of living. People are drinking at home more and more as its just too damned expensive to eat and drink out. Certainly for me I only go into Glasgow about 3 times a year now with the missus whereas it was at least once per month a few years ago. This country is become one of the worlds most expensive countries to live in and I don't think it will ever get better especially with the high cost of fuel duty which is driving everything up constantly.

[badapple]

The only way to save the pubs is to lift the smoking ban & lower the beer prices.
Drinking & smoking goes hand in hand.

We have seen pubs full to the brim on weekends & as soon as the smoking ban came into force, the pubs have slowly become empty.

We now see pubs, where there are more staff than punters!
We have a quite a large pub near my office & last friday there were 7 staff working & they only had 6 drinkers.
They also serve food but nobody to sell it to.

I spoke to the owner the other day & he said he cannot afford to keep the pub open any longer & idmits his day are numbered.

Surely the "we know best" peeps could have come up with a better idea than just a total blanket ban!

And what about the knock on effect, how many other businesses have been affected by the smoking ban.

[FredFudge]

I work in the licence wholesale trade. We've obviously noticed the alarming rate at which pubs are closing. recently it was suggested that as many as 16 per week are closing.
This is probably why:

What makes up the price of a pint?

Costs (eg materials, transport, retailer profit): 60.1%
Duty: 17.6%
VAT: 16.7%
Other taxes (eg employment tax): 5.3%
Brewer profit: 0.4%

Source: British Beer and Pub Association

[hypersonic]

Pub Closures

Whilst the price of a pint and the smoking ban is partly responsible for pub closures, don't leave Sky out of thread. Even the some of the smallest pubs could pay around a ?1000 a month for Sky Sports and basically "footie" This was for around 6 to 8 hours a week of what the non regular customers wanted to watch and the regulars did not. This put around 70 pence on the price of every pint and 50 pence on a spirit regardless of the time of the week. Last time I was in an Engish pub a 25 mil measure of spirits was around ?1.80 to ?2. That is equvalent to ?80 return on a litre bottle at 40 shots to the bottle. Add to that the cost of mixers and soft drinks then you have your answer.
Result:- Pubcos, taxes, Sky and the pubs have priced themselves out of business. ~ SIMPLES