Death of our locals?
Walking into my local hostelry, meeting Friends and acquaintances, in the age old ritual of having a few beers with the lads, a couple of jars at the end of the working week. Sitting down in company with the tipple of your choice, be it a pint of bitter or mild, lager or Guinness, your packet of fags close at hand, aah the sheer extravagance of it all.
The old timers sat in the corner, us middle aged buggers nearby, and around us the youngsters, nipping into the local for a few bevvies before hitting the town. The old timers reminiscing about what once was, the middle aged trying to put the world to rights, the youngsters joking and reminding us of how we once were.
Yes there really are pubs still like that in England, I know I visit one, I'm what you call a regular, not specially well known, but a face that people have got to know, and nod at in passing. As I nod and say hello to others that I recognise. Its not a pub full of loud music, its not a pub with a terrific turn over, it just about holds its own and makes a small profit.
All this is going to be gone soon, there's no room for we normal folks, be it the old timers, us middle aged even the youngsters are on their way out, we all are!
How many local pubs are going to lose custom and go to the wall all over a packet of fags?
You see when smoking became frowned upon, and the non smokers started complaining about the smell, and lets be honest its usually the ex smokers that are worst for that, we gave them no smoking areas, tried to keep the smoke away from them, gave them there own space. Did we whinge and moan, nah ever eager to please, we made room! If the Pub was large enough they got their own rooms, but they never stayed in them, they wanted to be where the smokers were, where you can have a laugh, take the piss, act the goat.
Fair enough if the pub served food, then yeah make it non smoking, but a local, that exists not for the smokers but because of them. If that pub doesn't serve food, it should have the right to be a smoking pub, or even a non smoking pub.
The old timers sat in the corner, us middle aged buggers nearby, and around us the youngsters, nipping into the local for a few bevvies before hitting the town. The old timers reminiscing about what once was, the middle aged trying to put the world to rights, the youngsters joking and reminding us of how we once were.
Yes there really are pubs still like that in England, I know I visit one, I'm what you call a regular, not specially well known, but a face that people have got to know, and nod at in passing. As I nod and say hello to others that I recognise. Its not a pub full of loud music, its not a pub with a terrific turn over, it just about holds its own and makes a small profit.
All this is going to be gone soon, there's no room for we normal folks, be it the old timers, us middle aged even the youngsters are on their way out, we all are!
How many local pubs are going to lose custom and go to the wall all over a packet of fags?
You see when smoking became frowned upon, and the non smokers started complaining about the smell, and lets be honest its usually the ex smokers that are worst for that, we gave them no smoking areas, tried to keep the smoke away from them, gave them there own space. Did we whinge and moan, nah ever eager to please, we made room! If the Pub was large enough they got their own rooms, but they never stayed in them, they wanted to be where the smokers were, where you can have a laugh, take the piss, act the goat.
Fair enough if the pub served food, then yeah make it non smoking, but a local, that exists not for the smokers but because of them. If that pub doesn't serve food, it should have the right to be a smoking pub, or even a non smoking pub.
But its not going to work, for all that the non smokers state, that they will start going to the pub once its free off all the smoke. They won't, after a few weeks, the pubs will lose its soul, the camaraderie, the laughter, the jokes and then the pub will die, and with it another part of the community will be gone. Another nail in the coffin of the, if not English, then surely the Lancashire way of life, a way thats endured so many trials, so many hardships, fought for so much and expected nothing in return, only to be left in piece.
But this isn't really about smoking, its about control, its about doing as we say and not as we do! I can accept that smoking is bad for you, but its good for non smokers, its got to be, you see, us smokers we die younger than non smokers. So we get to spend less of any pension the state sees fit to give us, which means more brass in the pot for you long lived clever arses that never started smoking. We pay more tax than you non smokers n'all, 4 quid n some change in tax, on a packet of fags that cost 40 pence to make. Aah you say, but you cost the NHS, with your smoking related diseases, bollocks says I, we bloody pay fer t'NHS with tax on us fags!
But anyroad lets not argue, lets sit n sup whilst we can, cause its not over yet, you think you non smokers have won some bloody great battle, well I'll tell thee, tha's won nowt! Cause your bloody next, as god is my judge, i'll make thee that promise.
But this isn't really about smoking, its about control, its about doing as we say and not as we do! I can accept that smoking is bad for you, but its good for non smokers, its got to be, you see, us smokers we die younger than non smokers. So we get to spend less of any pension the state sees fit to give us, which means more brass in the pot for you long lived clever arses that never started smoking. We pay more tax than you non smokers n'all, 4 quid n some change in tax, on a packet of fags that cost 40 pence to make. Aah you say, but you cost the NHS, with your smoking related diseases, bollocks says I, we bloody pay fer t'NHS with tax on us fags!
But anyroad lets not argue, lets sit n sup whilst we can, cause its not over yet, you think you non smokers have won some bloody great battle, well I'll tell thee, tha's won nowt! Cause your bloody next, as god is my judge, i'll make thee that promise.
Lets think on folks what yon governments done fer us,
They stole our pensions, to prop up there own,
They live on steak, but throw us yon bone.
they've sold out the queen, next t'll be throne,
Snoopers are comin, to look round yer 'ome.
yer taxes have risen, many more are yet due,
so why sit n tell me, I hav'nt a clue.
I can ruddy see its coming, for I'm non so blind,
stealin from t'poor, there own pockets to line.
But its to be hoped, as God grants me boon,
Comeuppance is due, and non to soon.
In the style of Samuel Laycock.
LFB_UK 2007.
Many apologies for my going off topic as it were, but I am a lancashire lad, and as oft as not I like to slip back into the native lanky twang.
Labels: Pubs, Samuel Laycock., Smoking
Posted by LFB_UK *The Legend* @ 1:02 am
1 Comments:
Not off topic at all. It's on the topic of life.
Anyway. I agree. The non smokers want to have a smoke free atmosphere for their one day a week when the wives let them out visit to the pub and not have to put up with smoking because the wife makes them walk because they are drinking and the local pub allows smokers.
Hope they don't build on them all because otherwise as it cycles around the local will be in name only everyone will be driving and drink driving will go up.
Law of unintended consequences.
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