Any suggestions as to where this wooden spoon can be stuck - perhaps the same place where the Punch and Judy man places his hand?

The DCMS will not come out and tell us that the circus (or anything else) is not coverered by the Act - as they currently wish people to think that it is. Until it is expedient for them to get people to think that it is not - and then they will change and go with this.

I think the truth is that they do not actually know.

My father-in-law was an ex salesman and he opened a garden centre when he retired. He did not know too much detail about the vast amounts of plants he sold. When he was asked for example, if a particular plant would spread - he would ask them if they wanted it to. Whatever his customers said they wanted - he told them that this plant would fit the bill (whether it did or not).

The Licensing Act 2003 is a bit like this - it has certainly been sold to us in this fashion.