The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #63701 Message #1036617
Posted By: John J
16-Oct-03 - 04:58 AM
Thread Name: PEL stops session in Cheshire
Subject: PEL stops session in Cheshire
I received the following email today, 16th October 2003:
As of last night, there will be no more traditional music sessions at the Bulls Head, Mobberley.
The police visited the pub at 20.45 hrs, and apparently told the staff that the music session there would be illegal in future (from yesterday), as the pub does not hold the requisite licence under the new Bill.
I will freely admit to being one of the doubters that the Bill would be enforced or enforceable. Unfortunately, it is the landlord who would suffer from any action taken at the public house (such as continuing playing there), so one has little action of this nature available at this time.
I suggest that action is taken in written form etc to anyone with any relevance.. local and national government, Arts council, local papers and broadcasters etc. I will certainly be doing as much as I can to promote the removal of such ridiculous constraints on my freedom to play traditional music at welcoming venues. I will be building a list of suitable addresses and will pass it on at a later date.
This is a direct curtailment of your freedom to indulge in a totally harmless, welcome tradition. It will no doubt affect ALL sessions held in pubs (except those that have stages etc where a licence may be held for greater entertainments but where a session would be inappropriate ), and thus means the end of that method of maintaining the English (and other nationalities!) music tradition, so loved by so many.