The real age drinking starts

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28/01/2010

12:25:31

Our nation's pubs are the instruments of 'imperial hypocrisy', argues the JD Wetherspoon founder.
You have my utterly deniable blessing, says the head of MI5 to George Smiley, as he refuses public support for his mission in a John le Carré spy epic.
He adds apologetically, "Sorry you've become an instrument of the imperial hypocrisy."
Yet the imperial government hypocrisy in its attitudes and policies to pubs and drinking dwarfs anything le Carré dreamt up.
For example, in a conversation with Hazel Blears MP, one of a blur of different ministers responsible for licensing in the past decade, I asked her at what age she first drank in pubs. She replied, proudly I thought, "fourteen".
Similarly at a "round table" on binge drinking at the Guardian newspaper last year, all the participants agreed that they started using pubs before 18, at an average age of about 15, with the "winner" being the Government minister at 13, beating Mrs Blears by a narrow margin.
Furthermore, the impe

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22 replies - Last reply by Roland Taylor, 08/02/2010 13:55:28

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J Mark Dodds

31/01/2010

14:26:19

The real age drinking starts

John, it was a really long time ago and unfortunately I forgot his name before the end of the evening so no much mileage in it. However, as an example of the gulf of understanding between the reality and what some MPs, mandarins, medical fraternity and Ministers seem to believe actually goes on in pubs it served as a warning. One of my main gripes with BBPA is that this sort of misunderstanding of the pub trade should have been put to rest decades ago but that's not what their agenda is about. The whisky lobby seems far more focused and effective than the pro beer camp which - as everyone keeps pointing out, is represented by many small outfits with subtly separate views.

Divided and almost conquered.

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Roland Taylor

08/02/2010

13:55:28

RE: The real age drinking starts

I am new to this forum . what have to say does not fit into space allowed so please new thread that i hope to start in few moments headed "the hypocrisy of Mr Martin and Wetherspoons"

When my !5 year old son was refused entry at 9.30 pm during half term holiday after a football match, i wrote to Mr Martin and complained that his policy encouraged binge drinking by making pubs to be some sort of holy grail. For my efforts I received what i call a non reply in bland terms. Same happened when son was 16 recently.

Mr Martin does not practice what he preaches but see my thread for more detail

anyone wanting to be copied in on all relevant correspondence is welcome