Chris Maclean: Inspirational infringements

We ought to learn from our history. We haven't heeded any of it and it is a shame. Great names. Great events. Great achievements. They gather dust somewhere ignored by people who want it all here and now.

This week I found myself in a delightful little pub; a classic little place with a couple of rooms available for workmen, a freezer-to-microwave menu and a wonderful assortment of customers to make the place interesting. And seated, discreetly, by the fireside sat the landlord having a cigarette. He blew the smoke up the chimney and few would realise what he was up to. We nodded acknowledgement to each other and that was that. And so it should be.

I was also aware of a few pubs showing the Ricky Hatton fight last week at five in the morning. Invited guests only. Law breaking it most probably was ~ but utterly the right thing to do. I didn't want to do it but I'm glad it was done.

We have a long tradition of law-breaking that we appear to have rubbed out from our history. Robin Hood stole from the rich and gave to the poor. What a hero! There are plenty of others. I also looked up Kipling's poem The Smuggler's Song​ which writes of "Brandy for the parson, baccy for the clerk". A wonderful vision of smuggling which involved, directly and indirectly, lawbreaking by most of the community. It was quite common at one time, particularly around here. But it begs a question - at which point does this law breaking move from an act of wicked wrongdoing to an act of popular rebellion? I don't know. But there is a long tradition of such breaches of the law.

I can certainly remember pub 'lock-ins' in the afternoons ~ a privilege to be invited to. (I've never been a fan of the late-night sessions). And I can think of other gentle bending of the rules which can sometimes be inspirational.

As trade becomes more and more difficult, in the face of tougher legislation and competing interests, it is interesting to see how licensees can creatively respond to the problems. Some will judge the benefits to outweigh the risks, at least in the short run. They will push their luck. I wish them well. My wish would be that the authorities responsible for administering the enforcement used some discretion.

The chap having a discreet fag in a quiet pub, the showing of an important fight early in the morning at no threat or loss to anyone else and a host of other minor infringements ought not be treated like a criminal act of life-threatening proportions. I am asking that the authorities distinguish between the trivial and the serious. Surely even they can see the difference?

Probably not. But good luck to the mavericks!