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USA- HELP Where is Dr Howells?

01 Mar 02 - 09:23 AM (#660580)
Subject: USA- HELP Where is Dr Howells?
From: The Shambles

News for visitors wishin to play in the Uk

Will give the background to this but those of you in the USA can help with this.

We know out tourism and culture Miniter is touring the USA plugging the UK as a tourist destination. I think he is currently in New York?

We would love you all to visit us but we do not know what sort of a welcome we could provide under our current licensing laws, which Dr Howells is also responsible for.

Could you let us know where he is please? And also try to make sure that your local media and specalist folk magazines are informed of the current situtaion here, and to do what you can to pressure Dr Howells into addressing it?

You have been of great help before on this and anything you can do will be much appreciated by all of us.

01 Mar 02 - 10:45 AM (#660628)
Subject: RE: USA- HELP Where is Dr Howells?
From: The Shambles

The landlord of The Black Dog is in the local paper this week complaining about the terms of his Public Entertainment Licence, making him supply free water to his customers.

The background to this is that West Dorset have just aproved and applied to existing PELs, the LGA approved new standard conditions, that will apply nationally.

This most probably well-intentioned one, I assume to prevent 'E 'high youngsters from dehydrating at night clubs and raves, does not really seem to have much relevance to the many small rural pubs like the Black Dog.

It only applies when the PEL is in operation i.e. when the entertainment is taking place. But if you need the licensee to provide you with a free glass of water, all you have to do is to start singing, as the mere fact of that will then make a public entertainment and the PEL, if the pub has one, will come into operation.

95% of UK licened premises do not have PELs.

HELP!

01 Mar 02 - 11:33 AM (#660664)
Subject: RE: USA- HELP Where is Dr Howells?
From: The Shambles

From the House of Commons debate 27 Feruary 2002

The Minister for Sport (Mr. Richard Caborn): I congratulate the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome (Mr. Heath) on raising these issues tonight. A few weeks ago, he put a question on the matter to the Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting, my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells), who unfortunately cannot be here this evening. He is in the United States, battling for Britain by arguing that it is a good tourist destination for Americans, and by promoting our hospitality and leisure and tourist industries in this golden jubilee year.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not true that all that my hon. Friend wanted to do was get away from "Wurzelgate". I do not know whether the hon. Gentleman had anything to do with the door-stepping of my hon. Friend when he visited the west country on the Friday after the question was asked. My hon. Friend was confronted with the Wurzels, who presumably got a tremendous amount of free publicity out of the incident. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport told me that she had to attend the folk singing awards to smooth troubled waters, as it were.

Mr. Heath: The Minister might like to know that the Western Daily Press ran a headline stating, "Wurzelgate: the row that is rocking the Commons." It is true, therefore, that his hon. Friend has a certain notoriety .

Mr. Caborn: As I said, my hon. Friend was door-stepped.

Jim Knight: I wonder whether my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells) is promoting British folk music while he is in the United States. He would be interested to know that my local paper, the Dorset Echo, has published correspondence from Americans who say how much they look forward to visiting this country to listen to folk music, what nonsense the two-in-a-bar rule is, and that they are now fearful of joining in with such music.

Mr. Caborn: I have no doubt that they will enjoy it, and I shall text my hon. Friend across the pond to ensure that he mentions the matter in his speech to the Americans in the next day or so.-

Anyone know if he has mentioned it yet or where the Minister who thinks '3 Somerser folk singers are Hell', might be?

01 Mar 02 - 02:57 PM (#660777)
Subject: RE: USA- HELP Where is Dr Howells?
From: Gareth

Press cuttings update CLICK 'ERE

Gareth

01 Mar 02 - 03:32 PM (#660802)
Subject: RE: USA- HELP Where is Dr Howells?
From: The Shambles

Minister insults folk music

01 Mar 02 - 08:22 PM (#661025)
Subject: RE: USA- HELP Where is Dr Howells?
From: The Shambles

He is obviously doing the same fine job in plugging our country to America as he has in helping folk music in the UK.

As no one in the US seems to be aware of his presence?

Does no one know where he is?

01 Mar 02 - 08:25 PM (#661029)
Subject: RE: USA- HELP Where is Dr Howells?
From: The Shambles

Photo and details

Have you seen this man?

02 Mar 02 - 01:56 AM (#661190)
Subject: RE: USA- HELP Where is Dr Howells?
From: The Shambles

This from: Marianne Elliott. Who was kind enough to permit me to post this.

Belper Folk Club has recently been 'raided' by the police. We had Sensible Shoes booked who are a three people group. We have been running the club as a membership club, but we have been making people members at the door.

Two people came to the gig and I made them members, they bought tickets and stayed for about a quarter of an hour. Paul, the landlord, had a call from the police a few days later, and he said that they wanted to meet with us, and him.

We met one of the policemen who had come to the club, and he explained that as the pub didn't have an entertainments licence, we could run the club as membership only, but that people had to have registered as members at least 24 hours in advance, and preferably 48 hours.

A singaround session counts as more than two performers, so this applies to the singaround nights as well. Apparently Amber Valley Council are taking the matter very seriously, and we cannot afford to take any risks.

After a lot of discussion we have decided to move the club out of Belper to a new location with a PEL. But there has been a folk club at the Old King's Head for about 30 years (on and off), and it seems such a shame, but we felt that we couldn't carry on where we were.

Marianne Elliott

02 Mar 02 - 08:16 AM (#661244)
Subject: RE: USA- HELP Where is Dr Howells?
From: gnu

Is he scheduled anywhere in Canada ? If he ever nears Moncton, New Brunswick, PM me.

03 Mar 02 - 05:13 AM (#661729)
Subject: RE: USA- HELP Where is Dr Howells?
From: The Shambles

Reminds me of the long-running search for that other 'Fugitive' Doctor - Dr Richard Kimble?

If so, please look for Dr Howells working part-time in garages and washing-up in diners, in any small town, and being befriended by glamourous widows, with small children.

04 Mar 02 - 05:46 AM (#662326)
Subject: RE: USA- HELP Where is Dr Howells?
From: The Shambles

This from Trevor Gilson

(Dr Howell's boss) Tessa Jowell, according to Mr Caborn "had to attend the folk singing awards to smooth troubled waters, as it were".

As listeners to the Radio broadcast will know, she actually said at that time, "Thank-you very much indeed for inviting me to be here with you this evening" and, in direct mimicry of Kim Howell's remark, "I think that there is nothing closer to hell for those who enjoy folk music than having to listen to a politician".

All jolly good fun of course but not much fun for UK licensees who are facing £20,000 fines or a 6 month prison term, whilst this 'silly' is still being strictly enforced.

05 Mar 02 - 01:58 AM (#662987)
Subject: RE: USA- HELP Where is Dr Howells?
From: The Shambles

Has he spontaneously combusted then?

Does no one know where he is?

06 Mar 02 - 01:48 AM (#663466)
Subject: RE: USA- HELP Where is Dr Howells?
From: The Shambles

As this gentleman is in the US, "plugging" folk music, it is somewhat surprising that no Mudcatter has yet heard any of this!

Or is it?