For what it is worth here is a copy letterI have sent to Humphrey the Brewer

Live Music in Your Pubs.

I am greatly concerned about the decision to end music in Sam Smiths Pubs. Locally Nellies (White Horse) and Monks Walk in Beverley are affected and for Nellies 30 plus years of folk tradition have ground to a halt.

I appreciate you run a business and the PRS fees have increased greatly but traditional music in the main is exactly that – Traditional. The music is either original to the artist or ancient and no PRS fee is payable. To obtain a music licence under the 2003 legislation requires no extra payment – simply a declaration in the statement of purpose for the pub.   If this is expressed as traditional, jazz or whatever there is no fear from enraged locals thinking it is pop music with its heavy beat.

Most acoustic musicians play on otherwise quiet nights – Mondays, Tuesdays etc and in my experience very often outnumber "regulars" although can sometime attract others just to listen.

The "Sun" in Beverley, a rival house, on Tuesdays has far more musicians than regulars to the point when some nights that there is hardly enough room for musicians and no doubt will be delighted at yet more increase in trade as a consequence of your decision.

I wish your Brewery well and am all in favour of "independents" but I strongly feel that you have flung the baby out with the bathwater here, to the detriment of the pubs and breweries. I do hope you agree and might be persuaded to change your mind.

Yours faithfully






Humphrey Smith MD
Samuel Smiths Brewery
Tadcaster
North Yorkshire
LS24 9SB