Beer at the ready: how the British Public House is fighting back

The great British pub, once a favourite pastime for the men and women of our country, is now a dying breed clinging on for survival.

A British Beer & Pub Association report claims that up to 52 pubs are closing every week every week, nearly seven a day. Since 2008, 4,500 pubs have closed in Britain. In 2009 alone, there were over 24,000 job losses in the beer industry alone, with the figure rising each year since.

It is worrying news for the industry, which has seen fierce competition from cheap deals at supermarkets, and rising alcohol levies introduced by the government.

However, the pubs are fighting back. A new campaign by CAMRA – Campaign for Real Ale – has seen 5,500 pubs across the UK unite to defy the gloom and entice new customers through a new national event.

The first ever ‘Community Pubs Month’, being held this April, aims to attract the nation to go to pubs and bars, by putting on special events, activities and celebrations, helping to reinstate the former golden years of the pub in Britain.

The public house in Britain has been around for many generations. The tavern can be linked back to the early Roman times, whereas the 14th century saw the formation of the ‘pub’ as we now know it today. According to pubs.com, “for centuries it has been a place where friends meet, colleagues 'talk shop' and business people negotiate deals; a place where people gather to celebrate, play games, or to seek quiet relaxation.”

But times have changed. Dogged by dwindling punter numbers and a government keen to crack down on binge drinking, the industry has suffered more in the last decade then it has at any other point in its long, colourful history. Although, according to pubs.org.uk, “15 million people still drink in their local each week.”

However, recent statistics released by CAMRA show that 9 in 10 young pub going adults (89%) visit their local pub to meet friends and socialise, whilst 1 in 4 currently married couples (25%) first met their partner down the pub.

Keen to tempt new customers to pubs across the country, CAMRA have launched their new campaign at a time of increased interest in the British public house. With an unusually hot spring and events such as the Olympics and Diamond Jubilee, the public need somewhere to go to enjoy the weather and celebrate with their communities.

In a sense, this is what the new ‘Community Pubs Month’ is all about. Over April, 5,500 pubs across the country will be taking part in the new initiative, hosting various events, from Ann Summers Parties to Pig Racing.

Mike Benner, CAMRA Chief Executive said: “CAMRA’s new campaign is all about reaffirming the vital importance of local pubs, and the essential role they play in many people’s lives.”

“Pubs are the beating hearts of countless communities across the land”, he added. “Without their existence, society would be a lot worse off.”

Campaigners backing the event hope that it will reignite the community view of the pub being the heart of a village or community. Already, pubs have drawn up several ideas across April.

The Leopard in Burton-On-Trent plans to hold an ‘Ann Summers’ party for punters to try on the latest lingerie, whereas The Market in Alton plan to host a charity auction and curry night this month.

The plans are being rolled out quickly in order to attract new customers before the planned increase in alcohol duty in the summer, which is likely to increase the price of the average pint by 15 pence. However, the recent announcement for a minimum alcohol price to be set at 40p a unit may provide some good news for the pub industry, where cheap supermarket prices have dented profits.

The plans by CAMRA are ambitious, and may turn regular punters off from going to their local drinking hole. But they offer a chance for the public house to rekindle its former glory days. Despite recent statistics from the Office of National Statistics ‘National Wellbeing programme’ reported that in 2010, there were 6 million fewer trips across Britain after the high of the ‘staycation’ shown in 2009.

Whether the pub industry will survive another decade or so remains to be seen. It all depends on the mood of the public. With families feeling the pinch across Britain, pubs may be viewed as a cheaper alternative for a good day out. Hopefully the plans will provide some good news for the economy.

CAMRA’s ‘Community Pubs Month’ runs throughout April nationwide. Visit www.camra.org.uk for more details.

Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia

This piece is a version taken from my 1st year portfolio, which I produced on my journalism course at the University of Kent

The New Zealand Diaries: No.13 - A bit of a flutter

There's a time for everything in life. Your first sip of an alcoholic beverage, your first kiss and so on. Life is full of interesting opportunities which we should take advantage of. Live today like there's no tomorrow, that's the saying right?

Which is why, on my recent trip to New Zealand, I decided to try betting for the first time. And wow, what an experience it was.

Now when I say betting, you immediately think going into a betting shop and placing a bet on a football team. But what I actually mean is I had a flutter on a few horses when I attended the Omokau Races.

Oo, fancy I hear you say!? Well, it was rather cool. Situated right in the middle of nowhere, similar to most of the towns and villages in New Zealand, Omokau Races is a fantastic track which attracts horses from across the country to compete.

But the thing that's very different is that it's not horse racing as we would associate horse racing to be. The popular horse racing in New Zealand is actually harness racing, which involves the jockey in a small cart/ harness, being led by the horse. In the UK, we call this trotting.

It's bizarre to see, as if you've wondered back into the Victorian era. But that's the brilliant thing about New Zealand, it sticks to tradition. So following tradition, my family and I set off for the annual Omokau family fun day on a sweltering summers day.

The event was packed, with plenty of activities for everyone. Besides the racing (there were about 12 races throughout the day), there was the opportunity to take part in a ladies fashion show, jump on the bouncy castle and sample locally produced food.

But the racing was the best part. This is where the Kiwi's get into their own, all lining up by the track to cheer on their favourites. To place a bet, it's pretty simple. You can go for a top three finish, a win or you can place a bet on a collection of horses. It's really up to you.

It's best to place a bet with the mindset that you haven't come to win. Start the day with a few dollars, say $50, and don't rush into betting all at once. I had a few bets and they failed, sat out for a while and then placed two more. On the last two, I had won back all my money and broke even (very rarely happens, I'm told!)

It's a day of fun. A chance to place a bet, bask in the hot sun and enjoy a picnic on the lawn with hundreds of Kiwi's all having a good time. For me, this was one of the best days of my trip, for it really was an alternative day out!

Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia

Follow me on Twitter: @kieranwatkins

Read more from The New Zealand Diaries:
No.12 - A day at the Museum

No.11 - Who needs Victoria Falls?

No.10 - There he blows!

No.9 - Baaaaaaarmy!

No.8 - If you go down to Owaka today...you're sure of a big surprise!

No.7 - Golden Nuggets!

No.6 - Christmas down under

No.5 - The steepest street in the world

No.4 - Food, glorious food
No.3 - Brighton Beach, but not as you know it!
No.2 - The Good Life
No.1 - Don't Fly Qantas

IVF: is the treatment selfish, irresponsible and damaging?

I was alarmed at recent statistics released by the government this week that showed a huge rise in the number of single women and lesbian couples receiving fertility treatment, more commonly known as IVF.

According to the new figures by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, in 2010 1,571 women received the treatment, a quadruple rise in the number of mothers when compared to only 350 single women in 2007.

The number of lesbian women also seeking treatment has also doubled, from 178 to 417, compared to a rise of just 18% for heterosexual couples.

Without a doubt, IVF has made a huge difference to the many women who have tried and failed to conceive, with IVF giving women a lifeline in their quest for motherhood. It's expensive, but obviously the benefits are priceless when you're handed your new son or daughter some 9 months later.

But my problem isn't with the treatment, it's with the reasons behind it. With these figures in mind, it suggests that women are deliberately choosing the right to care for their child without any help from a 'father figure.'

For me, this is a completely selfish, damaging and irresponsible thing to even consider, let alone do. We've seen the documentaries on 'Broken Britain', we all know the facts that if a child is raised fatherless, they're likely to suffer in later life.

How would you feel, as a mother who was the sole parent of a child, if your 'baby' ended up a drug addict, with no job prospects, no qualifications and his own family to care for? Well, we've all seen it on Jeremy Kyle haven't we.

So what reasons could you have for wanting to bring up a child without a father? I sympathise with Lesbian couples, at least you're getting two role models for your child, but single mothers making the choice to bring up their child on their own, how can you justify your actions?

The fault, it seems, can be traced to the government. When the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act in 2008 removed the requirement for clinics to take into account the child's need for a father-like figure, it gave women a clear path to have babies on their own without the need for a father figure to be present in the household.

Single mothers now have as much right to a child as couples, and although this may seem fairer, undercover documentaries featured on Panorama have also shown that single couples are benefited by bigger benefit handouts by councils, for example.

Is the government creating a climate which promotes single parenting and condones the traditional family? It's fair to say we are a growing community of independent and ambitious individuals, but risking tradition in favour for a minute number of women to start their own single family seems damaging for all parties involved, particularly the child, who is more than likely to suffer.

With religious groups angry with the recent findings, maybe the government should think again at the disturbing trends in Britain towards a 'fatherless society'.

Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia