If pubs are disuaded from having live music by the possibility of having to make extensive structural alterations if they apply for a license, many of them will decide on the easy route of installing large screen television and video jukeboxes instead. This will result in much more disturbance and "Yob Culture". Have any members of the government ever tried to find a relatively quiet pub in a town on a Friday or Saturday night ?

The extra bit of trade that the odd Folk or Jazz evening brings in, is often just enough to enable some publicans to keep their more traditional pubs in business. I could name quite a few pubs in my area which have followed the following scenario.

Taken over by new landlords, who've ripped out all the comfortable fittings, painted the place some dark uniform colour, installed large-screen TV / Jukeboxes etc, and tried to attract the young/"sports" trade. The pub then gets a worse and worse crowd, bouncers are needed, police cars always seem to be outside. Eventually the clientele decide to go elsewhere and the pub closes down. It then either stays as an empty eyesore or becomes a fast-food outlet, office, private home or is knocked down and replaced by something else. Not all of the following pubs went through a disreputable phase, but they've all gone.

The Plough, Bromley Common - now wine warehouse
The Sawyers Arms, Bromley Common - now McDonalds
The Crossways, Eltham - now Burger King
King & Queen, Mottingham - demolished
Chinbrook, Grove Park - demolished
Northover, Grove Park - demolished
Garden Gate, Downham - now McDonalds
Castle, Eltham - now KFC
Yorkshire Grey, Eltham - now McDonalds
The King's Arms, Brastead - now offices
The Star, Brasted Chart - now private house
The Royal Oak, Shoreham (Kent) - now private house

How many more pubs will we lose, both as musical venues and as pubs if this legislation goes through - and how many of the remaining pubs will be worth drinking in ?

They're knocking them down, the old pubs . . . . . . . .