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Licensing act was huge mistake
Friday 5th February 2010, 7:38AM GMT.
Letter: On September 13, 2004, Tessa Jowell and new Labour had a good idea, why not get rid of those tiresome old licensing laws that were introduced to stop workers being unfit for work during the war?
They argued that the restrictions were probably responsible for the tide of anti-social behaviour that occurred in our towns and cities every night at closing time, with drunken yobs fighting each other, urinating in doorways and messing up the streets with discarded take-away food.
The drinking laws in question allowed a person to drink from 11am to 11pm Monday to Saturday, and from 12 noon to 10.30pm on a Sunday.
How quaint, thought new Labour, and ripped up the old restrictions and allowed flexible drinking hours controlled by councils.
That was six years ago – note the vast improvements, under the old system the fighting, urinating and general mayhem would have been over by between 2am and 3am and everybody home in bed.
Not today. Today the fighting, urinating and vomiting continues apace but now the girls join in and it lasts throughout the night.
Another good idea was introduced in August 2007.
The ban on smoking in public places resulting in the front of every pub being ankle deep in fag ends and the end of the British pub as we knew it.
The police do not have the resources to deal with this endless serial drinking and its consequences and our towns centres have become no-go areas for the sober and the sensible.
Bob Wydell
Oswestry
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Oswestry doesn’t even have all night clubs, so saying that it carries on all night seems absurd. well done.
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The relaxation of the licensing laws was a good idea in theory. However, who can have expected our younger generations to be so childish in their approach to drinking alcohol?
As for the smoking scenario outside every pub in the country, I am sick of it. There’s nothing more intimidating than a load of thuggish-looking men hanging around outside a doorway like bouncers outside a seedy Soho brothel. I hope that smoking in public and whilst driving a vehicle is banned soonest.
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Oswestry isn’t as bad as Mr Wydell is suggesting, if anything it seems alot calmer in the early hours of the weekend. Prior to the changes the Boars Head would have you out by 01:00 and Gibsons Nightclub by 02:00, this resulted in huge gatherings in Willow Street, its not the case any more as people trickle away at different times.
As for the Smoking Ban, I was very pleased when this came into force. I was fed up of people smoking with the smoke been in my face in every pub, the worst bit was the way your cloths would sink if the smoke the next day. I would gather these smokers go outside the pub and keep the smoke away from me so if that means hanging outside the door then so bit it.
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Where are these mythical 24hr drinking venues? I’m a borderline alcoholic and I welcomed the new opening hours with open arms. “Yes” I thought “at last I can really show my liver who’s in charge”. But alas no, 24hr drinking is still a dream, a beautiful vision of a future that could be.
I don’t know about you, but I still get kicked out of the pub at 11:30pm.
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Stop moaning and get on with your life, people forget that it was just as bad decades ago, what ever authorities do you will never stop it….
lets all go to magaluf and get shiissed!
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why cant we look to other countries for helpful ideas? Surely this isnt a problem in all European countries so we’re obviously doing something wrong in how we control our streets?
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Quite. Theres nothing worse than have to negotiate around a gang of inebriated glowering resentful brutes, fag welded to lips in an effort to destroy their health as fast as possible, mobiles glued to ears in a vain effort to pretend that they have a life. While the men relax inside at the pool table.
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Does Bob Wydell know where the Shropshire Star buried the bodies ? Is this why he’s had so many letters published ? I mean it’s not like he’s not politically affiliated is it ?
Ah Google, is there nothing you can’t do !
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Perhaps pubs could sell pipes and some decent rough shag. A group of men smoking pipes outside a pub would be far less intimidating and put an end to the piles of dogends currently despoiling our streets.
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I am old enough to remember people of all ages having a good time without resorting to bad behaviour of any kind.
The problem is that generally people have no respect for others and lack role models to teach them how to behave. Who now looks to politicians or a political party to guide them? This current goverment issues new laws and rules by the bucketloads but apart from being a source of employment to implement these new directives they have no beneficial effect. Fines and ASBO’s are ignored and the police tend to issue warnings.
To reverse the tide we need all those in charge of our ountry to implement the laws of the land in a firmer manner.Then ,maybe,we will get a better lifestyle provided the do-gooders allow commonsense to rule.
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Don’t be daft! – as if the government is going ban smoking in public – think how much revenue they’d lose when even more people cut down or give up smoking – the government doesn’t want to eradicate smoking – if they did the taxes of all you non smokers would have to go up as well to make up the shortfall!
Ban happy hours and drinks promotions and it will go a long way to eradicating some of the drunken anti social behaviour as the need to get bladdered in as short time as possible is removed
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First letter I’ve seen from this contributor that doesn’t blame the EU, or Europe.
Britain has always been a nation of heavy drinkers. It’s in our blood. Hogarth produced a print Gin Lane (circa 1750) seen by many as being against the evils of drink. In fact it was intended to be viewed alongside his other sketch “Beer Street” promoting beer and seeking to have gin banned or restricted.
So don’t let anyone stop our cultiral heritage, getting drunk, shouting, vomiting in the street etc. It’s what being British is all about.
Shame on Mr Wydell for trying to ban our heritage.
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For once I agree with Suellan here, I am waiting to see where the Government is going to get the money to fund the NHS from considering so many have packed in their ciggies.
This of course means that not only will the Government have less money to allocate…but also that the ex smokers will live longer, ergo needing more funding from the already overstretched NHS to make them well and keep them healthy.
A smart move methinks? Not!
As for pubs and the problems there, simple answer…buy your drink from your local supermarket (at a far cheaper price) drink in the warmth and safety of your own home where you can smoke and drink at the same time and not bother other people. This would not only make the streets safer and quieter, but the alkies would die sooner too… A win win situation if you ask me.
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Bob mentions in his letter that the ‘old’ licensing laws were introduced in the war. What he doesn’t mention is that they were introduced in the First World War.
We all know from his previous correspondence that Bob likes to live in a largely imaginary version of the past, but isn’t it time, after 100 years or so, to move on?
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Is it not illegal to serve someone that is drunk. Yes it is within our social being to have a drink and make merry…merry..not drunk. Perhaps licensees need to adhere to the law
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I am blessed that I now live in Spain where drinking is NOT a problem……….. until the Brits turn up.
I am ashamed and embarrassed by the antics my so called fellow countrymen and WOMEN get upto when they have a drink.
I drink myself but I tend not to use the seafront bars in the high season because of this behaviour.
Believe me it is only the Brits that act this way and I cannot explain why.
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quite hilarious, is how anti-Government moaners were keen on saying restrictive licensing laws were part of the “nanny state”, now anti-Government moaners are criticising them for giving people the opportunity to act like responsible adults. Damned if they do, damned if they don’t.
Bit disapointed that Bob couldn’t manage to tailor his argument to blame Brussels like he does for every other ill in his life.
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I was in the wetherspoons last night and got rather hammered, i smoked outside dropped my fag butt and spat on the floor, it was great because i was also able to urinate down a side alley adjacent to montgomerys tower and no one stopped me. The drink was cheap and cheerful and i shall be going back there and getting hammered again…… oh yes it wasn’t for wetherspoons where would we be? Quality!
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has anyone given a thought about the lack of police presence in the likes of small towns in the Uk.
nightclubs and pubs that stay open late are governed by the amount of people in the premises to the doormen needed to control any trouble etc.
If there was enough police presence to control what goes on when people are on the streets there wouldn’t be any problem.
At the end of the day it is the police who are responsible for making sure that the idiots are under control.
it’s no good blaming the pubs etc. when lots of people are buying their cheap booze from the supermarkets and getting tanked up early before they come out and then the police blaming it on the pubs and the like because they are easy targets.
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i dont agree – the pub here are all only open til 11 and there is no bother, i think its nice one or two can stay open on odd occasions should they wish and this shows the act was a big success
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English Exile said:
” am blessed that I now live in Spain where drinking is NOT a problem……….. until the Brits turn up.
I am ashamed and embarrassed by the antics my so called fellow countrymen and WOMEN get upto when they have a drink.”
I quite agree, which is why my wife and I holiday where we know there will be the minimum fellow British “tourists” i.e. lesser known parts of Italy and Greece.
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Bob Wydell’s letter omits a very important thing-Happy Hours in pubs and clubs.Happy Hours are the major contibution to people’s drunken behaviour not so called 24hr drinking laws.Happy Hours existed before new licensing laws.
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