Missed this brilliant obituary for the English pub in The Economist:
The 2007 smoking ban drove regulars onto chilly backless benches in hastily improvised beer gardens, or into the street, or simply home (1,409 pubs closed in 2007; 1,973, post-ban, in 2008). Around 24,000 pubs, roughly 40% of the total, are tied to giant “pubcos”, hooked to one particular brewer, and must buy their beer from them at premium prices. Pubs, selling pints for £3.50 ($4.50) must compete with sixpacks of beer in the supermarket, or cheap plonk at £3.50 a bottle; they must also pay a swingeing government duty on beer, now ten times as high as Germany’s.
There's more - read and mourn. Or better still start the resurrection - get out and visit your local, have a pint and a chat. And tell the new puritans to lay off with their nonsense about drinking, smoking and other fine pleasures.
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