The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #56918 Message #892963
Posted By: McGrath of Harlow
18-Feb-03 - 03:53 PM
Thread Name: Howells (now) asks for help PELs
Subject: RE: Howells (now) asks for help PELs
Wel, the grammar is a bit approximate if that's what you mean. But that's pretty traditional too.
I've read the press release now, and there's not much in it to comfort us - even if it's incoporated one way or another in the Act or in binding guidance.
For example when it talks about carol singers in pubs it says they'll not be licensable if they turn up unannounced. Which means that the sort of village carols that take place up in the Sheffield area will need need a licence. And of course thebpeople who organise it will be legally liable if the pubs don'tvhave tyeblicence.
Moreover that indicates that the meaning they give to "spontaneous", if they do use the word in the guidelines, is likely to be restrictive, more or less meaning "doing it on the spur of the moment" or casually, rather than "doing it off your own bat", and not because you are being engaged to do it by the landlord or proprietor.
Notbthta itb would be satisfactory even with a definition that permitted sessions, and allowed us to bring them to people's attention.
As Ian C pointed out, even if we got back what we've got now, we'd still be in a rotten situation. This PEL campaign started up with people hoping for reforms that would make things far better than they are now, and it would still be so easy for that to be achiueved, with a few amendments to the exemptions section. Whatever happens there has to be a continuing drive to get those kind of reforms.
In particular I want changes that would make it possible to have folk venues in a coffee house setting. I like pubs, but I don't like a situation where the only places you can play are in pubs.