The ORIGINAL complaint in this thread is that the "Shellback Chorus" were not allowed to sing in the STATION BAR. Over the nearly 40 years of singing in pubs, I have heard many excuses from landlords for not letting me sing. "I don't have a music license" being the most common - this was years before the current Public Entertainment License debacle. I have even had the excuse, "It disturbs the dog" more than once - although in one pub, the dog would howl it's head off ehen my old mate Gerry Milne entered the pub until he (Gerry, not the dog) was was allowed to play his concertina.

Because of the fact that historically Public Houses were exactly that - houses which the landlord/owner opened to the public for the sale of alcoholic drinks, the landlord has always had the right to decide on who can drink, and how they must behave in his "house". A publican has the right to bar anyone from his premises - he only has to be careful not to show racial or sexual discrimination - anything else is permissable. He can ban folkies, specific age groups, bikers, gypsies and travellers - even people with beards (must ban bearded ladies as well, though) just as he feels inclined or prejudiced. And I for one have no argument with that.

I know that folk clubs in many areas have had great problems with the new PEL law - it never seems to affect the Pop-Music pubs so much (predudice somewhere ?) and agree that it should not apply to the smaller folk club venues. On the other hand, Linda, Ted and I, have had no more trouble singing/playing in pubs since it was introduced and never has the lack of a PEL been specifically quoted as a reason for refusal.