Dear Mr Knight MP

I have just spoken to the licensee of the New Star. The folk session that has been taking place there every week for over 5 years, without any complaints from anyone and without any visits being made by the officers to ascertain if this, the only musical activity taking place there was a licensable public entertainment, is no more.........

The delicate nature of these spontaneous events and the danger presented to them by being viewed in this clumsy and reckless manner is very clearly demonstrated here locally but is sadly all too common as well nationally.

The licensing manager, following information of the event being supplied to them by my new ward councillor and against my expressed wishes, issued a letter in the week before Christmas stating that any music or dancing taking place at the New Star would have to have a PEL.

As a result at the first opportunity since the Christmas break, which was last night Wednesday 8th January 2003, the licensee proposed to the regular customers, who came to continue the 10 year tradition of making unpaid folk music in Portland pubs without PELs, that they did this as a private event in the skittle alley instead of the bar, until the situation with the council could be clarified.

As a result the customers left, intending to continue their session in Weymouth, in one of the many pubs there which do pay the local authority for a PEL.

Due to the direct action of the councillors and the officers, and despite the honest efforts of many over the past 2 years, including yourself, Portland has lost a perfectly safe, beneficial community cultural activity, to its larger neighbour and in an area that is in dire need of such benefits.

An activity that would have cost the council nothing to encourage, except in some real effort being made to try to understand its true nature and how to leave such badly needed, precious and fragile activities alone.

The New Star session. R.I.P.

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