Chris Maclean: Hope in a new generation

One of the pleasant diversions I have each month is the chance to teach basic cellar management to new licensees. It's a nice role and one I believe I'm reasonably good at.

This week's course was particularly memorable for the significant number of new, young, enthusiastic people who are entering our trade. It was downright refreshing. For these people came without the luggage of the smoking ban, the Licensing Act and the associated garbage tied to it. They know nothing else. Their futures are shaped by their imagination and they are therefore less dependant on what was. It was exciting to listen to them. To share their visions and try to help them achieve them. I left feeling invigorated by the experience and wish them all the very best in their futures.

But I couldn't help wonder how long it would be before some of them would attain that twisted bitterness expressed by many licensees and so often demonstrated among these pages. We've seen many changes in the trade in the past few decades and many of us feel that some of them have been damaging. For my part I've not been particularly happy since they allowed all-day drinking ~ especially on a Sunday. (Well, I have been happy, but you know what I mean.) The relentless juggernaut of changes has brow-beaten many licensees. There is much talk of how pub closures are accelerating and how licensees are faced with the choice of getting out or being thrown out.

And our faith in the political process hasn't been improved recently. They choose to pursue their agenda with scant regard to the consequences. I have to add that I'm not over-impressed by our elected representatives adding their children to the gravy train. It seems everywhere you look the actions of these people go unchallenged while we quietly shoulder the burden, gather the taxes and take the punishment. Tonight I've read that Cheshire Council have paid £60,000 to rehouse four great-crested newts. We paid for that.

People mutter how unreasonable it all is. How they will make a mark. Most of it is empty rhetoric. A few are hailed as martyrs but their hopes are doomed.

But quietly the next generation are taking their places. They may be naïve. They may not know what we know. They may not last the distance. But they are doing it without the luggage and they are doing it because they want to. I hope they all do well. For our sakes.