No wish to use this thread to get on to an obsessional topic of mine but these closures are under the provisions of the Licensing Act 1961. The new bill does away with the two in a bar rule but replaces it with a none in a bar rule unless there is a PEL obtained as part of the new pub licence (at no extra cost but Local Authority conditions can add greatly to this). Also any one in the vicinity (not defined) can object and no doubt on seeing the word music, will imagine loud amplification and will object. This could kill the session but allow the licensee to intall loud pre recorded amplified music. See the Petition threat and the tremendous work by Hamish Birchell of the Musicians Union. So far the government, as usual, is deaf to protests!