[tommytwotone]

So, read this today, what does everyone think about the whole round the clock boozing thing?

If it's going to turn Sadlergate in Derby, which is already pretty scary on a Friday night at 11.30pm, into Falaraki or San Antonio then I'm getting worried. I can't imagine what it would mean for small, perochial market towns up and down the country where I gather the problem is already pretty bad.

That said, there are enough decent boozers around that current do clandestine do lock-ins, that would be legitimised (is that a word?) which I think is good.

Plus I think it'd be good for places like Riley's, where I always think it's a farce being made to neck your last pint cos it's 11.20pm when the only people around are lots of middle aged guys playing snooker.

[dave]

I would hope that it just means the nobhead who get pissed then get kicked out into the street to fight instead will just keep on drinking until they are unconcious and unable to cause trouble.

I think theres a lot of alarmist twaddle going aroung about this. I mean its not as if having the pubs shut at 11 is really stopping people getting stupidly drunk at the moment is it? what is letting people get badly drunk is a combination of it now being acceptable for grown men to drink alcopops, bottles, spirits etc (once upon a time asking for a vodka and irnbru mix in a bottle would have thrown serious doubt onto your manlyness, had you marked up as the only gay in the village) and that all those tossy chain-bars offering 90 bottles of becks for a quid that make it all worse.

However i think the reasons behind people constantly going out and getting pissed and violent are far more complex and far-reaching than simply how long the pubs stay open - but as we know most of these reasons are too complicated for the average sun or daily mail reader....

P.S. whats with this bollocks of the phrase "binge drinking"? if they are doing it regularly and frequently its not a binge is it, its just drinking a fuck load.

[tommytwotone]

think one of the problems is culture - I think this country has a culture (which I'm as bad for as anyone else BTW) of:

something good happened to you?
Get lashed to celebrate

something bad happened to you?
Get lashed to make yourself feel better

Want to socialise with your mates?
Go out and get lashed

Single and want to meet someone?
Go out and get lashed

etc etc etc

Plus the fact that in this country "I was drunk" is a socially acceptable excuse for any behaviour. Is this the case in other countries?

I seriously doubt that in small towns round me (like for example Heanor, Ilkeston, Ripley and many others) that a european-style "cafe culture" would be the result of open-ended licensing hours. Maybe in London, Manchester, Birmingham?

If I'm right (and a may well not be) the local councils will have the final say on who gets to open when, so I can see some situations where not much changes.

[Bonjoy]

I seriously doubt that in small towns round me (like for example Heanor, Ilkeston, Ripley and many others) that a european-style "cafe culture" would be the result of open-ended licensing hours. Maybe in London, Manchester, Birmingham?

 You forgot to mention Alfreton :roll:


 I totally agree re the drinking culture thing. I used to drink like a fish every night of the week, but have got over this and now find the whole thing a bit annoying sometimes. Every time I meet up with the family or for that matter virtually any social scenerio outside climbing, everyone drinks loads and you are expected to go along.  Say you only fancy a couple and peeps are like "what's up with him, miserable bastard, party pooper, killjoy etc". It's as if by not drinking you are being a traitor or letting the side down. FFS I just don't want to ruin my precious weekend feeling like shit for the sake of feeling a bit boozy for the x-thousanth time ok Mr! Rant over.

[dave]

I think another factor these days is a lot of people  are so lazy that they don't have anyting outsdie of work except drinking. People don't go down their local to catch up with mates, chew over the issues of the day, talk about climbing/music/their hobbies etc, play pool or darts. instead drinking is their only recreation activity, so they just go for it every time they go out - its lke the equivalent of you or I being like a dog with six cocks on the first day of a font trip, only every night of the week.

[a dense loner]

the people who get lashed n fight will still do the same, just they'll be a bit more lashed. the clubs will continue givin the barmaid/man a £5 an hour while rakin in £3 a bottle. i personally will stay, like dave say's, in one of the clandestine pubs that serve's after time anyway n go uptown once in a while n say what a good idea it is. i def think it will keep more people in their local for longer, which to me is a good thing, cos then people won't be bothered makin a trek anywhere at a quarter to 1

[tommytwotone]

...its lke the equivalent of you or I being like a dog with six cocks on the first day of a font trip, only every night of the week.

   congrats Dave, you came this close to making me choke on my lunch...

Agree with your point on the social element of drinking - the sheer fact that the music in most town places are so loud that you can't chat anyway (and here's a great place to use this smilie again:  :oldgit:) means that effectively all you're doing is standing up, tipping ale down yourself cos there's no way of breaking up the drinking. It's almost drinking for it's own sake.

And I think that's where difference is - in my social circle we drink in fairly quiet backstreet boozers (ironically most of whom do lock ins, so we're out way later than most), and probably drink as much on a weekend as your average Yates' customer. Thing is, we actually have conversations, play pool - the drinking is secondary to the social interaction.

Think another problem is the almost socially-expected (and therefore socially acceptable) behaviour that if you go out in town, drink 10 pints of Stella Act-a-twat then you simply must walk down the street shouting "OY-OY!!" at top of voice, very probably getting into a fight as well.

[Rico]

Speaking as someone from out in the sticks it won't make any difference here. The pubs only tend to shut when everyone feels like going home.

I think the whole problem's exaggerated anyway, bearing in mind how many people actually go out of a weekend in comparison to how many of them are twats.

And as suprisingly educational as that thread about real ales was, i don't think banning alcopops and becoming a nation of bitter drinkers is the way forward. I'm no alcopop fanatic but if drinking Tetley's makes you a real man then pass me a dress and call me Susan.

[Bonjoy]

Tetley's!? Are you mad sir?   Obviously the real ales thread wasn't educational enough!  :roll:

[webbo]

I'm no alcopop fanatic but if drinking Tetley's makes you a real man then pass me a dress and call me Susan.

tetley's bitter has that effect on me too. :dancing:

[Rico]

Tetley's!? Are you mad sir?  Obviously the real ales thread wasn't educational enough!

Sorry boss, i'll have another read and try to work out what i should be drinking.  

Lager, probably. I was almost tempted to order a pint of bitter once, but the feeling passed, emphatically so after i came across a guest bitter called 'Santa's Cum'.

I don't like head, so i stuck with lager.

[tommytwotone]

Tetley's!? Are you mad sir?  Obviously the real ales thread wasn't educational enough!

Sorry boss, i'll have another read and try to work out what i should be drinking.  

Lager, probably. I was almost tempted to order a pint of bitter once, but the feeling passed, emphatically so after i came across a guest bitter called 'Santa's Cum'.

I don't like head, so i stuck with lager.

not entirely dissimilar to my experience in Cambridge once...wasn't until the words "can i have two pints of Old Seaman" passed my lips I realised what I was saying  :roll: