We were out in Shrewsbury last weekend. I phoned the town centre management who told me that the licensing system there had been suspended so we wouldn't be breaking the law if we performed on the street, but that I'd better inform the town council licensing people just so that they were aware of what we were doing. The licensing people told me that as the licensing scheme had been suspended we could do what liked but that we wouldn't be able to make a street collection. When I asked her what that meant she said she didn't know, and that maybe collecting money in a guitar case on the ground wasn't a street collection. She suggested that we did it anyway and 'see what happens'. When I asked her 'see what happens by who', she said she didn't know. When we turned up the place was full of Sally Ann, excruciating fiddlers and blokes with a whistle and dog so we sent our most respectable looking colleague to ask if we could perform in the shopping mall. As that is private property the owners can apparently do whatever they want. Outcome, three hours later, £135.00 for Medecins sans Frontiers. Wouldn't want it to be too easy would we!!