I'm not particularly convinced by any of the arguments about the financial benefits of singarounds to pub landlords. Here's an example why. The redoubtable 'Les in Chorlton' organised a fantastic, brilliantly attended singaround at our local pub that had to compete with the much more popular pub telly. The standard of singing was excellent, the singers' choice of traditional songs was impeccable and we even had guest appearances from players of musical planks and small pipes. How cool is that? The following month, it had to relocate to another pub because the football was on and the room where the singaround was due to happen was needed for the overspill telly. Les later trawled round all the pubs in Chorlton looking for an alternative venue, but it's official - traditional music sung at high volume by a motley collection of folkies cannot hope to compete with football on the telly (or even random telly on the telly).

So much for the extra profits singarounds bring to landlords!

I wish I knew what the answer was, but I suspect its not charging landlords to allow people to sing traditional songs when the buggers don't want it in their footballtastic pubs anyway...

Cheers

Nigel