Thursday, November 24, 2005
New Opening Hours
Today is the day that some pubs no longer have to shut at eleven pm. Obviously a good thing as there's now no need to actually sprint to a pub in order to get there before eleven and then to bolt it in twenty minutes. I think between eleven and twelve most people will also decide that there's no point in continuing a crawl and stay in the same pub until they feel like it. The question is will it make any difference? Looking at the pubs in Cheam, not much. The Railway will stay open until 11 so no change for them. Clarets have gone for midnight midweek, and an extra half hour at weekends. This is the same for the Harrow. The Prince, the Bell and Red Lion are staying at eleven Sunday to Wednesday and up till midnight Thursdays, Friday and Saturdays. Now this seems all sensible to me. It is unlikely many people will actually stay in these pubs till midnight Sunday to Thursdays as people have jobs to do, but it is likely that you may have one around 11 and have no pressure to neck the drink in twenty minutes. As for Friday and Saturdays, will people who are in the Prince or Red Lion just after midnight be legging it down to the Harrow or Clarets to sink a final one just before they close? Me thinks not.
Most town centre pubs in Sutton have gone for a 1am or 2am closing at weekends. This again will not make any difference. People who want to drink at this time previously still did, although they had to in pubs playing loud music like Cafe Mango or Bar Room Bar. Now they have a more civilised option of a quieter pub such as the old Hogshead. This may have an effect on the 'disco' pubs becoming less busy and even maybe nightclubs reducing their admission / drink prices and that can only be positive.
I just cannot see how the change in the laws encourages the so called binge drinker. These people will drink anyway. I feel the new laws, gives people who fancy a later drink a wider choice of their venue and that can only be a good thing.
Interestingly, the latest license locally that isn't a town centre pub is the Old Drill who have gone for a 1.30am closing at weekends, so feel free to mock this article at me as I leg it from Clarets to North Cheam at quarter to one on a Satrday morning!
Most town centre pubs in Sutton have gone for a 1am or 2am closing at weekends. This again will not make any difference. People who want to drink at this time previously still did, although they had to in pubs playing loud music like Cafe Mango or Bar Room Bar. Now they have a more civilised option of a quieter pub such as the old Hogshead. This may have an effect on the 'disco' pubs becoming less busy and even maybe nightclubs reducing their admission / drink prices and that can only be positive.
I just cannot see how the change in the laws encourages the so called binge drinker. These people will drink anyway. I feel the new laws, gives people who fancy a later drink a wider choice of their venue and that can only be a good thing.
Interestingly, the latest license locally that isn't a town centre pub is the Old Drill who have gone for a 1.30am closing at weekends, so feel free to mock this article at me as I leg it from Clarets to North Cheam at quarter to one on a Satrday morning!
# posted by Rich @ 4:30 PM 
