It is propably one of the pubs that would have closed regardless of the ban. Any pub management who rely on 34% of the population to keep them going deserve no better. Why isn't this landlady doing something to get more people in? Both smokers and non-smokers? I don't know her at all but the line it is impossible for the pub to afford new shelters for smoking customers, or even cover costs in running entertainment at the pub, such as hosting a band. is a dead giveaway. They want the custom without putting anything into it themselves.

Keep up the good work, skipy, glad you have relented on your self-imposed ban on not discussing it! :-)

Cheers

Dave