Odd snippets

[caddyman]

As I type this, just before I turn in for the night, the sounds of swing music are echoing up the stairs from the Beastie's Lair ^{© & TM}. He attended a soirée last evening held by a mutual friend, Ms Sandra Lawrence and came away with her CD. Once the shares pick up again, and the fortunes of the Athenaeum Club revive, we must engage her as resident chanteuse.

I am moved to write by the observation made in today's Times that the new licencing laws come into effect in the UK at midnight on Wednesday. Those establishments who have made the necessary applications will thenceforth be legally able to supply alcoholic beverages 24 hours a day. The last remnant of First World War munitions legislation is thus swept away after 90 years. Sadly, neither my liver nor my wallet feel well enough to take advantage, but c'est la vie.

Interestingly, since the new law doesn't come into effect until midnight, pubs will still have to call last orders at eleven on Wednesday night, kick everyone out by 11.20 and close the doors. At midnight they will then be able to reopen and start serving again if they so wish.

Expect a fast food bonanza at McDonald's and the Burger King for 40 minutes late on Wednesday. Buy your shares now. Then dump them again on Thursday.

In other news, the weather forecast for later this week and the weekend, is snow. Perhaps substantial snow. The GASPs¹ group of which I am a founder member, will be making our way to the Norfolk coast on Friday morning for a long weekend's revelry, which could see us snowed in. Hurrah, I say! The additional digestion time will be most welcome.


¹GASPs - Gluttons Against Small Portions. See LJ entries passim

Comments

[ribble.livejournal.com]

I'm gonna be out in town on Wednesdayo to watch a laugh. My mrs' bro is a policeman and thinks it's a good idea. It'll save the police loads of time and effort at 2:30am when too much is going on.

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

Why First World War Munitions law? *intrigued*

The current 11pm closure came in with Gladstone, although I think the times were slightly different in rural areas initially. It was about the same time as they stopped pubs putting salt in your beer to make you drink more.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

I was under the impression that with the exception of a few changes over the past twenty years, most of our pub laws, particularly dealing with opening time were passed during world war 1 to stop munitions workers spending all their time in the pub instead of making shells.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Provisions under the Defence of the Realm Act 1914, I believe. Probably done by Order so that they outlived the Act itself, I expect.

But it wouldn't be the first time that I'm wrong if I am.