What makes a pub a pub?

[Lord Bracknell]

I remember when the landlady of the Lewes Arms installed a new carpet in the pub in the early seventies.

People were fairly happy with it. She, however, objected to people standing on it.

If it hadn't have been for the excellent Beard's Best Bitter, I reckon there would have been a mass boycott of the premises.

 

[British Bulldog]

Cheap real ale.

Served by buxom wenches!

 

[dougdeep]

Harveys at £1.95 a pint.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Has a sign above the door with the name of the licence holder usually gives it away.

Your wit is not true since the new licensing laws the license holder is not obliged to have his name displayed above the door. He is in fact known as "the Designated Premises Supervisor" and has to have a Personnal License and the premises a Premises License.

So there!

 

[Cian]

Your wit is not true since the new licensing laws the license holder is not obliged to have his name displayed above the door. He is in fact known as "the Designated Premises Supervisor" and has to have a Personnal License and the premises a Premises License.

So there!

Well, then the "licenced to serve beers and spirits" sign. Or has that been removed too?

 

[Yorkie]

I remember when the landlady of the Lewes Arms installed a new carpet in the pub in the early seventies.

People were fairly happy with it. She, however, objected to people standing on it.

If it hadn't have been for the excellent Beard's Best Bitter, I reckon there would have been a mass boycott of the premises.

How did she think people were actually going to get to the bar? Did she leave a trail of beer mats like stepping stones?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

How did she think people were actually going to get to the bar? Did she leave a trail of beer mats like stepping stones?

What went on inside the head of Maggie Owen was a mystery to everyone. She certainly didn't seem to want to be running a pub.

 

[BensGrandad]

Well, then the "licenced to serve beers and spirits" sign. Or has that been removed too?

Yes it is not now obligatory but the actual premises licence showing opening hours should be displayed.

A lot of pubs now attach them to a door going to the kitchen behind the bar so that they are on display but nobody other than the people behind the bar can read them.

 

[BensGrandad]

Your wit is not true since the new licensing laws the license holder is not obliged to have his name displayed above the door. He is in fact known as "the Designated Premises Supervisor" and has to have a Personnal License and the premises a Premises License.

So there!

I dont think that you are exactly right. The person holding the personal licence is still the license holder but he/she can appoint a designated Premises Supervisor to act in his/her stead if he/she is absent. Thats how I interpreted the laws when I took my license and did the course last year.

I have been a licensee for over 38 years but because I didnt hold a licence on the cut off date 1st April 2003 I had to pay £200 to take the course and obtain a licence. I was very lucky I obtained a 100% pass mark but I read about a lady in Littlehampton who has been a licensee for the same time and she failed. I believe her 16 year old grandson now holds the licence.

 

[Grendel]

I dont think that you are exactly right. The person holding the personal licence is still the license holder but he/she can appoint a designated Premises Supervisor to act in his/her stead if he/she is absent. Thats how I interpreted the laws when I took my license and did the course last year.

A DPS has to hold a personal license themselves, you can't appoint anyone you fancy as a DPS.

 

[Rangdo]

To be a REAL pub it must be family UN-friendly. Absolutely no bloody kids running about the place deafening me with their glass-shattering screaming and bumping into me causing me to spill my valuable pint.

And no wasting valuable drinking space with stupid adventure playgrounds used to imprison the brats in a vain attempt to keep them from pissing all the other punters off.

If you're not old enough to purchase the products you ain't coming in.

And old blokes smoking pipes. You gotta have old blokes in flat caps smoking pipes.

 

[Grendel]

To be a REAL pub it must be family UN-friendly. Absolutely no bloody kids running about the place deafening me with their glass-shattering screaming and bumping into me causing me to spill my valuable pint.

And no wasting valuable drinking space with stupid adventure playgrounds used to imprison the brats in a vain attempt to keep them from pissing all the other punters off.

If you're not old enough to purchase the products you ain't coming in.

Well said

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Twice in the past week I've walked out of pubs in Central London having stood three deep at a bar engulfed by ponces in suits ordering a tabsworth of drinks for dozens of work colleagues.

When it comes down to it, the definition of what makes a pub a pub is an establishment which will serve you a pint of beer more or less when you arrive at the bar.

Which is why The Sportsman on match-days fails the definition of 'a pub'

 

[Gully]

If there is music it should be live, not through a PA system that is so loud that you can't hold a conversation without shouting, if people want music that loud they should go to a night club.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

I dont think that you are exactly right. The person holding the personal licence is still the license holder but he/she can appoint a designated Premises Supervisor to act in his/her stead if he/she is absent. Thats how I interpreted the laws when I took my license and did the course last year.




Not quite right afraid (very near though)

The name on the premises licence i.e. the person making the application does not have to be a personnal license holder. The DPS has to be a personal license holder and the premises license appliee has to consent to allowing the person to be said DPS.

The personnal license holder has to consent to being the DPS. More than one person can be named on the license but only one DPS. The DPS under law does not have to present or indeed work at the premises but when challenged has to demostrate his/her ability to supervise the premises (by training staff etc).

I should now come clean and inform you that I run a licensing firm, offering advice and completing all types of liquer licensing. Believe it or not that advice has also been sought by Licensing Authorities. Lewes, Cambridge, Luton to name a few. If they haven't a full grasp where does that leave the rest.

burberrylicensing.co.uk

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Twice in the past week I've walked out of pubs in Central London having stood three deep at a bar engulfed by ponces in suits ordering a tabsworth of drinks for dozens of work colleagues.

When it comes down to it, the definition of what makes a pub a pub is an establishment which will serve you a pint of beer more or less when you arrive at the bar.

Which is why The Sportsman on match-days fails the definition of 'a pub'

Spot on. There is nothing joyful about waiting at the bar, staff who are rushed off their feet and people cutting in and getting served before you.

I lived in a pub in Devon...

A proper pub with friendly staff who have time to chat to you and fill you in on the gossip of the village. Maximum waiting time of about 1 minute at the bar. Friendly locals, a village idiot, an attractive young waitress with a holiday job, a joker with awful jokes (finishing every single one by miming the drum/symbol ensemble) a retired vicar with a penchant for sherry and motorbikes. Ahhhh. Bliss.

 

[BensGrandad]

I dont think that you are exactly right. The person holding the personal licence is still the license holder but he/she can appoint a designated Premises Supervisor to act in his/her stead if he/she is absent. Thats how I interpreted the laws when I took my license and did the course last year.




Not quite right afraid (very near though)

The name on the premises licence i.e. the person making the application does not have to be a personnal license holder. The DPS has to be a personal license holder and the premises license appliee has to consent to allowing the person to be said DPS.

The personnal license holder has to consent to being the DPS. More than one person can be named on the license but only one DPS. The DPS under law does not have to present or indeed work at the premises but when challenged has to demostrate his/her ability to supervise the premises (by training staff etc).

I should now come clean and inform you that I run a licensing firm, offering advice and completing all types of liquer licensing. Believe it or not that advice has also been sought by Licensing Authorities. Lewes, Cambridge, Luton to name a few. If they haven't a full grasp where does that leave the rest.

burberrylicensing.co.uk

~
I bow to your greater knowledge. As I have said I only did the course and obtained the licence to enable my wife and I to do relief work as and when, although it is very quiet at the moment, so much so that I am considering going against all my principals and advertising in the MA or Publican.

I read the law in the context that as a personal licence holder I could designate somebody in my stead and they didnt have to hold a personal licence but I was fully responsible for their actions.

The fact that councils come to you for advice does not suprise at all.

You may be aware that the position regarding the No Smoking Ban is still a little confusing regarding Gazebos.

I am certain that when the white paper came out the government said that they were not going to fall into the same trap as Ireland where shelters were erected to circumvent the law and that they were going to ban smoking anywhere that is included in the pubs premises licence. am I correct.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

~
I bow to your greater knowledge. As I have said I only did the course and obtained the licence to enable my wife and I to do relief work as and when, although it is very quiet at the moment, so much so that I am considering going against all my principals and advertising in the MA or Publican.

I read the law in the context that as a personal licence holder I could designate somebody in my stead and they didnt have to hold a personal licence but I was fully responsible for their actions.

The fact that councils come to you for advice does not suprise at all.

You may be aware that the position regarding the No Smoking Ban is still a little confusing regarding Gazebos.

I am certain that when the white paper came out the government said that they were not going to fall into the same trap as Ireland where shelters were erected to circumvent the law and that they were going to ban smoking anywhere that is included in the pubs premises licence. am I correct.

Somewhat a smokescreen

The smoking law will will make it unlawful to smoke in a confined public place. The definition confined should be taken as enclosed i.e by structure. This does raise the question that certain structures being put up landlords and alike in fact constitute a confined area. Therefore they indeed are governed by the law. The safest bet is for a parasol type structure. Having no sides it would take a lot for the authorities to deem it enclosed. The government did promise to give guidance on what structures would be acceptable, they falied to do so.

Finally and this is really important to pubs/bars etc. if a new structure and a large parasol maybe included if permanent, will need planning and also most relevent a change to the premises license. When applying for the license the application had to include all drinking areas including the garden and a scaled plan submitted. A new structure in the garden changes this plan and therefore a new application(variation) would be required, just the same as a new extention to the pub itself.

Hope that goes someway to clarfying it.

 

[BensGrandad]

Somewhat a smokescreen

. The government did promise to give guidance on what structures would be acceptable, they falied to do so.

.

Through reading the MA and Publican it appears that all questions that have been asked of the government the stock answer is 'It is all in the law read it'. Not very helpful. It is this change of premises licence conditions that is going to f..k most publicans and companies. How many will think to apply for it prior to July 1st.

 

[Questions]

I think all pubs need a friendly welcoming landlady and a grumpy rude landlord. That is the perfect balance.

The Globe in Worthing is perfect in that sense and I know of people who come from miles away to be insulted by the landlord there.

Does fair nosh though.