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UK Pub opening hours change?
Fred W B - 8/12/05 at 02:09 PM

Out here in the colonies our local papers like to keep up on what's happening in the UK. A little while ago I read a report that pub opening hours were to be lengthened, in an attempt to reduce the closing time effect.

Has it happened? Did it make any difference?

Cheers

Fred WB

chrisf - 8/12/05 at 02:17 PM

Yeah, I'm curious too. There was a whole page in the Sunday Dallas (Texas) paper on the subject. I had no idea there were actual operating times. For some reason, I figured it was like Las Vegas or New Orleans where pubs are 24 hours a day. Here in Texas, they close at 2 AM

--Chris

skydivepaul - 8/12/05 at 02:19 PM

no change for my local, they still ring the bell at 11:00.
I think each pub has to apply for an extended licence but i dont know of any near me that have done it

donut - 8/12/05 at 02:31 PM

I think most of the places this will apply to are clubs and in town pubs where the trouble usually is.

zxrlocost - 8/12/05 at 02:37 PM

all pubs clubs by me open longer,,

if 6hrs isnt long enough out for someone from 8 till 2 they now need to stop out till 4!

feel sorry for my g'friends dad taxi driver on the weekend now has to work till about 5 to bring in the same money

zxrlocost - 8/12/05 at 02:37 PM

I mean 5 in the morning by the way

stevebubs - 8/12/05 at 02:45 PM

Here in rainy Reading,

Most bars are now open to 3am Fri / Sat
A smaller number are open to 4am.
Once of the clubs now shuts at 6am

these used to be 11pm with a few staying open to 1am

My local? Well it was midnight before, and still is...

stevebubs - 8/12/05 at 02:49 PM

quote:
Originally posted by zxrlocost
all pubs clubs by me open longer,,

if 6hrs isnt long enough out for someone from 8 till 2 they now need to stop out till 4!

feel sorry for my g'friends dad taxi driver on the weekend now has to work till about 5 to bring in the same money


Round here (Reading), a lot of people I know work in London and by the time they've got home, changed and (if they're lucky) had a bite to ear then they *may* get into town for 9.30....so an 11pm curfew was a downer on the evening which they normally made up for by trying to drink as much as they can in that short period.

I was out last Friday and I think it was around 1.30am that I decided to go home. Much less sign of people falling down drunk in the streets, and the queue for Taxis was ok (not short but not right down the street like it used to be at that time before)

DorsetStrider - 8/12/05 at 03:20 PM

Here in bouremouth quite a few places have got the new extended lisense. However most that have it are not actually using it except for special occasions. as a result most places are still closing between 11 and 12. A few clubs are staying open till around 4am......

The only thing I would say is that after two weeks? The fabric of society has not yet shown any signs of breaking down, there is no evidence of gangs of rampaging drunks wandering the streets (at least no more than before) so it would seem that the profocies of the end of civilization made by many are not in fact coming true......I'm sooooo surprised, can you tell?

smart51 - 8/12/05 at 03:53 PM

Just wait until the Christmas season starts!

Most places will only for an extra hour or so, some only at the weekend, some not at all. It used to be that people wanting to drink after 11 would go on to a night club. Now, people will stay in the pub rather than going on, unless they want to stay out until daylight.

There has been no news showing any effect of the longer opening hours. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Peteff - 8/12/05 at 04:01 PM

They have to apply for the extended license and pay for it as well so a lot of small local pubs won't bother if it's only going to get a couple of stragglers who used to stop after time anyway

stevebubs - 8/12/05 at 04:35 PM

quote:
Originally posted by smart51
Just wait until the Christmas season starts!

There has been no news showing any effect of the longer opening hours. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.


Probably because there is less sign of falling down drunks as people space out their drinking rather than down 6 pints quickly "coz it's only an hour till closing"

"People not acting pratts" doesn't make for a good sensational news story our modern media seem so fond of

I think most bars will probably have a 3/4am license but will close when it gets quiet - a sensible approach IMHO.

[Edited on 8/12/05 by stevebubs]

jono_misfit - 8/12/05 at 05:28 PM

If you want to, you can drink 24/7 in edinburgh. (i think theres 1 or 2 pubs in leith have a 24 hr license).

Most big pubs/clubs used to shut at 3 and still do.

Durign the festival lots of pubs are open till 5-6 am, and re-open at 11am.

I dont think its made much difference north o the border

quattromike - 8/12/05 at 05:42 PM

quote:
I dont think its made much difference north o the border


actually I don't think it's happened north o the border!
scotland and englandshire have different laws so it's all as normal for us I'm affraid.

Not that it would make much difference coz everyone has to get home to stuff the haggis an such like

Mike

Messenjah - 8/12/05 at 06:46 PM

it felt weird being in the pub at half 12 last night then again i always feel a bit werid drinking in the pub with me only being 16 lol

liam.mccaffrey - 8/12/05 at 07:23 PM

16 in a pub is normal though we do seem to have an culture of young drinking around here. it was the same 10 years ago when i first went into pubs.

there have been a number of late opening applications made locally some sucessful, some not most were for an extra hour or 2 none 24hrs though

[Edited on 8/12/05 by liam.mccaffrey]

steve_gus - 8/12/05 at 07:49 PM

30 years ago i used to underage drink at 16. nothing new. difference was we didnt go out to get out of our heads. we reserved that for visiting one of our own houses, where you could get a couple 2 pint bottles of cider each from the off licence (liquor store).

I have allowed my 16 y/o a bottle or two of beer at home for the last year or so as I think it leads to better habits, ratherthan binging when he is 18 and a second old.

atb

steve

Messenjah - 8/12/05 at 08:18 PM

yeah we reserve getting Drunk for the rugby club parties or house parties