Boy, there is no pleasing some people!!

Shambles - since you profess to want only to enter into reasonable discussions with other posters, why don't you start a thread on a subject which other people might want to discuss with you reasonably? Or is the only subject you actually want to talk about the way in which this forum is run?

Another example - Where the possibility of having more than one thread on our forum one similar subjects - is thought to be justificaton for the imposed closure of a long-running thread in which the regular posters were seen to be following all the 'rules'.   

As for a Licensing Act thread being closed, the only one I can think of, is Affected by the Licensing Act 2003. It was closed (with explanation and crosslink posted) for a few days in April or May, 2006, because somebody had started a newer thread with the same title. We do this occasionally when there are two threads on the same subject, to avoid splitting and confusing the discussion. Upon request from Shambles, I reopened the thread. I also combined the newer thread with the older one. Shambles, if this is the thread you are referring to, please be sure not to mislead the nice people. Be sure to tell them that this took place in April or May, that it was closed because there was another thread active on the same subject, and that the thread was reopened at your request within a few days.
Joe Offer

Where it may be irritating for some posters to have to see the titles of two or more threads on similar subjects - it is hardly justification for such obsessive imposed deletions and thread closures. These are only guidelines. Our forum will survive such terrible things as having to see two or more threads on one subject for a few days.

I am not so sure that it will survive some of the examples now set by (some of) our 'moderators' of what they judge to be acceptable posting behaviour or proportionate 'moderation'.