Tube drinkers won’t go without a fight

Drinkers in London are planning to turn the Circle Line into a giant booze party in defiance of new Mayor Boris Johnson’s plans to make the tube booze free.
The Evening Standard reports that several thousand people have pledged to celebrate “our freedom to drink” via facebook.
SD notes that a ban has long been enforced on the [...]

Rehab is for quitters

A rebel strike against puritanism has been made by the Bacchanalia off-licence in Victoria Road, Cambridge. Gasps of horror from people with no sense of humour have been heard after the shop proudly put up a billboard proclaiming that rehab is for quitters.
Read the full (if totally one-sided) story here.
The SD applauds owner Paul Bowes [...]

Worse than Eurovision

A major survey into alcohol and the NHS is to be conducted by Ranzetta Consulting – could they be the same group that runs this nefarious website on the evils of drink?
The SD can’t help wondering whether – like Eurovision – the results are in the bag.

In honour of the chap above, a handy guide to [...]

Fair pint campaign to launch in London

The Fair Pint Campaign against the greed of the pubcos and the anti-pub legislation of this Government launches at 9.30am on Tuesday 13 May at the House of Commons.
Press and MP’s in abundance, all welcome.
If you’re in the big smoke on the day, get down there and join the chorus of boos against these enemies of the [...]

Plod wants your pints

The Chief Constable of Merseyside, Bernard Hogan-Howe, says that the rise in violent gun crime in Britain is down to…you guessed it, alcohol.
Howe wants a ban on new off-licences opening, and a return of powers to veto pubs and off-licences – powers his Force lost when the High Court ruled them to be illegal in [...]

Baron’s beers selling fast

The Baron’s Bar beer festival is proving a runaway success.
The plan is to have four separatly themed weeks, but beer has been selling so fast that boss man George Sourbutts had to start the second week early and draft in extra beers from nearby breweries.
Last night was for Camra members, with pints of the good [...]

Drinkers have voted

Alistair Darling’s cynical strike against Britain’s drinkers in the budget has reaped the first taste of the beer backlash.
Labour suffered its worst local election defeat in 40 years last night with most poll-swingers admitting the new booze tax forced their hand.
Meanwhile, toff king Boris Johnson’s late real ale rally seems to have swung the London mayor’s [...]

Glass War

A campaign to break up the power of the pubcos has been launched.
It’s the usual motley collection of Lib Dem MPs with the twist that there’s a “wealthy benefactor” backing the whole thing, which makes it suspect to say the least.
I’d prefer more of a direct action campaign, throwing eggs at pubco bosses, storming AGMs,  rousing rabble [...]