European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 30, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Adnams employee a a Carter in the hop store where Fie Grain h Fript in i use. Tony Webb adnams head Brewer ill a Hall pint of hit product. Beat the clock pub licensing Laws can leave a Drinker High and dry by Wanieta Iacono United press International Lait orders Bellows the portly bartender in a Central London pub Al precisely 2 50 pm. There s an instant Jam at the bar. Drinkers nursing full pints order another or maybe two. Men with determined laces Rush in As if summoned by an internal alarm. Time now ladies and gents please Llic bartender booms at 3 . In unison arms Rise. Swallowing becomes . A Mon you lot in the Corner you re always the same inc Barman yells to four businessmen who la 3 08, still have four pints of Beer before them. The clock shows 3 10. Miraculously everyone s finished. All the glasses Are Back on the bar and empty the customers stagger out and for everywhere South of the scottish Border Britain goes dry for the afternoon. It s archaic outmoded and stupid said Mike Miller of Philadelphia pa., in one of the Milder and More printable reactions to Britain strict licensing  these Laws close All pubs in England and Wales Scotland is More Liberal All afternoon every afternoon and by 11 . Every night. A pub can open Only 9 hours a Day Svi hours in London monday through saturday and Only 5 hours on sundays opening and cutting times vary somewhat but essentially pubs can open Only at lunchtime and in the evening until 11 . I be looked into More hard and embittered laces at closing time than i care to remember said Alan Lubin owner of a pub and restaurant in London s West end. The Public wants to know what right you be got to take away from them a drink they be Tai bought and 1 have to agree. But it s the  the Law widely criticized by British and foreigners alike dates Back to world War 1. In 1915, the defence of the realm act was introduced la restrict the nation s in hour drinking Day so that production of munitions would not be impaired. At the Lime the government promised that Normal service would be resumed at the War s end. The Promise was never kept. Most bartenders say the British Are resigned to the drinking hours programmed to the hours when they re allowed to consume alcohol la i the tourists who find it incomprehensible you. Eel so sorry or tourists that you see trying to push open the doors of pubs in the afternoons thinking they re stuck said a woman from Nashville tcnn., who lives outside London. You feel like you have to buy a drink when you hear that Tosi orders Call said an australian resident of London. It  psychological thing. Then once you be bought it you feel like you have to drink it. If there was no time limit you might not have even bought i. You see blokes coming out of pubs burping having knocked Back a pint in three minutes. It s not very  i m particularly concerned because one of the things that most foreign visitors complain about is our licensing Laws said member of parliament Roger Gale who seeks to introduce a Bill next May to relax the Law. There is mounting parliamentary pressure on the government to do just that. Officially the  is wailing until february Lor a formal Survey to be published on the effects of the Chan pc in Scolla Nii which began in 1977. Alcohol consumption has Doublet in or lain since the 1950s and there is concern Over a Rise in drink related health and social problems. But those in favor of  argue that the figures have nothing to do with How Long pubs arc open they Arue that the shortened hours make people consume More boo of Over a Shorter period of time. Preliminary results of the scottish Experiment show More generous drinking hours have nol led to an in rim in drunkenness or crime. Minority groups have blocked a revision of the Law. The government laces stiff opposition from a Small Bui vociferous Temperance lobby in the House of commons. There has also been opposition rom unions who maintain their member would have to work longer hours.  d rather see people drinking in a pub in a controlled and Friendly environment rather than wandering Down the stroll drunk with a Billle of scotch tucked in their Back pocket said Gale. It is up to the landlord to run his pub he said. We re talking about adult drinking. We should treat the British Public and tourists As  Gui Schwa Star a Wolfl proprietor of the smallest British pub , Frisby in Bury 5r. Edmunds. January 30,1986 stripes Magazine