tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15581824021120457112012-01-21T08:00:06.087-08:00tips on the advantages of smoking tobaccoakehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comBlogger21661100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-65684208831098093072012-01-21T08:00:00.000-08:002012-01-21T08:00:06.155-08:00

Discount cigarettes are a cheaper another to affection cigarettes of assorted brands. Buyers of abatement cigarettes don't accept to pay taxes. Abatement cigarettes are the cigarettes awash at airports and duty-free shops. There are additionally accoutrement for Native American tribes to advertise cigarettes after accompaniment taxes, as continued as they are affairs the cigarettes on their own

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-46390520640389122012012-01-20T07:59:00.000-08:002012-01-20T07:59:01.081-08:00

In beforehand times, cigarettes were duke formed articles comprised of aboriginal nicotine leaves. This resulted in amaranthine bouts of coughing and burning of tobacco leaves. Modern cigarettes accept appear a continued way. The use of filters, candy tobaccos and bound tobacco fills has fabricated cigarette smoker a affable and altercation chargeless experience. Smoker cigarettes is not

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-86574779111373807752012-01-19T05:58:00.000-08:002012-01-19T05:58:00.092-08:00

One of the best important and advantageous accessories for smokers is the cigarette holder. Cigarette holders are about acclimated by smokers to anticipate smokers' aperture from affecting the cigarette, and to accumulate their easily clean. A cigarette holder is tubular, with a ample end to accept the filtered end of the cigarette. The added end is attenuated and is contoured to be captivated

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-15981107356723869552012-01-18T09:57:00.000-08:002012-01-18T09:57:00.202-08:00

Non-filter cigarettes are the best age-old anatomy of cigarettes. They can be smoked from either end. As the name suggests, they do not accept a filter. They are accessible to inhale, as there is no attrition from a filter. Actual smoke assimilation is abundant college than accustomed cigarettes. These types of cigarettes are almost bargain as compared to accustomed clarify cigarettes. As such,

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-33614164837120218602012-01-18T07:57:00.001-08:002012-01-18T07:57:11.027-08:00

There is a cast new apparatus that anybody who smokes should apperceive about. It's alleged the cyberbanking cigarette, additionally accepted as a smokeless cigarette or e-cigarette, and it is alteration the acknowledged mural for cigarette smokers about the world. The patented Cyberbanking Cigarette offers to finer simulate the acquaintance of smoker an absolute cigarette, after any of the

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-53144696133427624362011-12-23T07:28:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.215-08:00

Last night we had a very enjoyable evening in the Davenport Arms at Woodford to present licensee Yvonne Hallworth with a certificate commemorating 25 consecutive years in the Good Beer Guide. This is a classic pub, bursting with character and, while it has been altered a little over the years, still has a cosy tap-room and snug at the front, all warmed by real fires which, on a fairly mild

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-27359510447568273032011-12-22T11:40:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.351-08:00

Here's a piece of good news to take us into the New Year and something that all smokers should be aware of as local authorities try and use bully-boy tactics to force smokers out of their communities as discrimination against them continues unabated.Freedom2Choose has revealed that councils have no legal powers to stop people smoking in the open air although in Coventry at least, they will be

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-55058986472665263352011-12-21T06:03:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.216-08:00

There have recently been a few postings on beer blogs discussing the issue of when the appreciation of unusual and expensive beers turns from simple enthusiasm to beer snobbery, such as here, here and here.A point that was made was that some of this was tied up with the British class system, and it wasn’t anywhere near so prevalent in other countries. However, I have certainly got the impression

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-74869514635759921362011-12-21T02:37:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.216-08:00

Innis & Gunn’s beers take a little bit of getting used to at first. As they’re brewed in Scotland, and oak-aged, you expect them to have some of the peaty, smoky character of Scotch whisky. But they don’t, and that takes you aback a bit. What I eventually decided they most resembled was a beer equivalent to American Bourbon-style whiskeys, smooth and slightly sweet, with pronounced oak, vanilla

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-77167413007018110052011-12-20T04:35:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.216-08:00

I can’t say I’ve been the greatest fan of Health Secretary Andrew Lansley since his appointment last year – far too much of a Nanny Stater for me (although no worse in that respect than his predecessor). However, he came out with some surprisingly blunt common sense last week on the subject of minimum alcohol pricing:He said that there were “big problems” with the idea, which he said would

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-63385369502665275352011-12-20T03:39:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.216-08:00

It’s interesting that Robinson’s have created a Facebook page here to campaign against High Strength Beer Duty, which for them is the “Old Tom Tax”. Rare to see a major company directly challenging a government policy in this way. However, although I have a page (under my own name, not A. Curmudgeon) I have to say I’ve never really “got” Facebook and would question how effective this is going to

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-8281816070766720882011-12-19T05:12:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.351-08:00

But those who cause the same chaos as the adorable Boxer dogs in this Christmas video might find themselves in the same dilemma - Santa only comes to those who behave, allegedly. I hope the readers of this blog have a great Christmas. Things will be silent around here for a little while - but I will be back

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-42945958023605843622011-12-17T08:28:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.351-08:00

Please be aware that Someone is impersonating me on other blogs and writing comments that are not mine.It is all part of his/her harassment of me for not writing posts that he or she approves.He is also pretending to be others - like Smoking Hot, Zaphod, and Prop as well as Frank Davis and regular contributors on Simon Clark's blog" The dickhead is also making criminal offers to sell tobacco in

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-64093750867243834582011-12-17T08:00:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.216-08:00

It is believed that the annual Hillgate Stagger, performed by the local branch of CAMRA, has been regularly held for longer than any other CAMRA event anywhere. Hillgate – divided into Lower, Middle and Upper – is a long historic street which stretches about three quarters of a mile south from Stockport town centre until it joins the A6 in Heaviley. It was originally the main road through the

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-14343015541427296162011-12-17T03:11:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:03:13.882-08:00

Elmer Keith (March 8, 1899 – February 12, 1984) was an Idaho rancher, firearms enthusiast, and author. Keith was instrumental in the development of the first magnum revolver cartridge, the .357 Magnum, as well as the later .44 Magnum and .41 Magnum cartridges.

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-63235519068778271392011-12-17T03:08:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.352-08:00

And I don't have to put up with it ... or so the police tell me today. Looks like someone's about to get a knock on the door. Yes, you know who you are

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-15779997142582610832011-12-16T05:19:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.352-08:00

There will be silence on this blog today in respect and honour of writer Christopher Hitchens who has died today aged 62His brother Peter hates us because smoking did it but we all make our choice - as Christopher did - and it is OUR choice to make - as Christopher wrote with dignity when diagnosed with cancer. I am very sorry to hear this news and my thoughts are with those who loved him and

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-86655798169148544912011-12-16T04:12:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.217-08:00

I’m not someone who deliberately goes out seeking exotic and unfamiliar beers, and even if I encounter them I tend to forget the names. So I won’t be doing a “best of the year” awards including categories such as Best Black IPA (sub 6.5%). But I thought I might mention a few highlights of the past twelve months.My best pub experience (in an unfamiliar pub) was the Barrels in Hereford, a city not

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-87388857870554905152011-12-16T02:03:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.217-08:00

The “alarming rate” of pub closures and the decline in beer volumes is a wake up call of epic proportions, claims British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) chairman and Molson Coors chief executive Mark Hunter……“Beer volumes have declined by a fifth in five years… while pubs continue to close at an alarming rate.”How very perceptive of him. Perhaps he – or his predecessor – should have thought about

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-60295138999122543622011-12-15T16:56:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.352-08:00

You might have noticed the two new badges on my side bar. Frank Davis shared them and I fly them with pride before I'm not allowed to have an opinion anymore. What with bloggers getting raided by police in the Climategate scandal one has to wonder how much longer we will be able to have our say. Until then, fly the flags too and show some unity. Our Resistance is getting organised.

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-62505355587938691962011-12-15T09:00:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.352-08:00

ASH is at it again in ensuring huge social divisions, violence and trouble become mainstream in their desire to eradicate tobacco and criminalise its consumers. They have come up with a plan to encourage hatred of law abiding residents who smoke. No doubt the idea is make smokers eventually homeless. This is not about health nor is it about consideration. It is about creating a climate where law

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-45624005791231610402011-12-14T08:36:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.353-08:00

Pepsi is shit and never has been as good as Coke but now there are really serious and important reasons to boycot it. The bigoted company has decided to enforce discrimination and deserves no custom. So please spread the word and let's see if we can get the smokerphobic next on the Nanny state hit list to think again. My son doesn't drink the shit either and as a never smoker is not really

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-56714391014367562742011-12-14T07:57:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.353-08:00

Malevolent Milton has shot up since I first posted progress on my tobacco growing experiment a month ago and so has her Ashite Minions although they have now been separated.I gave two away to friends who were very grateful and excited to receive them but they accepted the gift on condition that when their plants grow to seed, they spread the love and plant them in the countryside, in parks, and

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-53499701285190057692011-12-13T12:16:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.353-08:00

Thanks to Rose, who commented with links on the previous post, I learned about the American Hidatsa Indians and Buffalo Bird Woman who gives us a real insight into tribal culture and its speciality in agriculture before being forced onto reservations.Born in 1839, she was given the name Mahidiweash or Maxidiwiac but her name changed twice. The first was when she married a man named Magpie in 1866

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-53428097783791017072011-12-12T10:59:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.217-08:00

Phil Mellows is normally someone who seems to have his finger on the pulse of the licensed trade, and has been alert to the threat from the anti-drink lobby. But this posting about the smoking ban is, sadly, the most ignorant and bigoted nonsense imaginable. He concludes:I supported the idea that pubs might, by installing efficient ventilation and air-cleaning kit, ‘remove the smoke – not the

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-87749526150162979932011-12-12T04:18:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.217-08:00

Iconoclastic Scottish brewer BrewDog have recently opened their first “craft beer bar” outside Scotland in Camden, North London. Like the existing ones, it serves no cask beer, only keg. Despite this, beer blogger Mark Dredge reckons it will immediately become one of the go-to beer bars in London. BrewDog have also recently let it be known that they are going to discontinue cask beer production

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-44383631041195290482011-12-11T12:21:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.353-08:00

I had to blog this. H/T Mark Croucher : Google "Define an English person" and note the first suggestion that comes up. This is what I saw.

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-73982134513860604362011-12-11T03:32:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.217-08:00

A point I have made several times on here is that many “beer enthusiasts” seem strangely oblivious to the threat to their pleasure posed by the growing movement to have the State control and dictate individual lifestyles.Not only do they refuse to accept the first they came for the smokers argument, but they seem to believe that their particular interest can sail on unscathed through the

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-6119323816349779092011-12-10T16:52:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.353-08:00

Smokers have been pushed to the to the edge of reason and beyond but with the threat of criminalisation looming the line has been drawn and they will go no further. Leg Iron has written a powerful piece showing how we are are not prepared to play the game any more. Stuff tobacco control, stuff the anti-smoker's false "caring", stuff the lies about smoking and health, the false studies, the

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-46428415588754388162011-12-10T13:20:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.217-08:00

Redwillow Brewery from Macclesfield have been gaining a lot of plaudits for the quality of their cask beers. So I was interested to see a selection of their beers on sale in bottle-conditioned form. Now, I know I’ve had some bad experiences in the past with BCAs from micro-breweries, but these had to be worth a try, so I ended up with a bottle of their 4.1% “classic bitter – but a bit more so”

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-61019827383775673172011-12-10T09:59:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.354-08:00

*Sigh* I'm about to have a go at an anonymous Smokerphobic who I won't allow to comment in response on this blog because he is banned due to the personal nature of his abuse. (If "he" is a male, incidentally, because "he's" too much of a coward to use "his" real name.) The fat twerp (judging from his own personal description of himself) -"... I'm using an iPod touch to post and my big fat

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-28662334787183752472011-12-10T02:30:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.218-08:00

Well, with 57 responses to the poll, there’s an exact 2:1 split between those who think “Beachy Head Christmas Jumper” is funny and those who think it’s insensitive.

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-53746656614962883032011-12-08T06:46:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.218-08:00

Two things recently observed in pubs that, while individually trivial, both contribute to a feeling of lack of interest in customers:The pub isn’t busy, and a middle-aged guy who I presume is the licensee is the only one serving. He’s chatting on the phone, and carries on doing this even though he can see I am waiting to be served. This continues for maybe three minutes. Couldn’t he have either

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-19387006766453621332011-12-06T01:30:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.218-08:00

In a recent post, I referred to Hereford’s Pilgrim Cider, a new product on the market which makes a donation to Help for Heroes of 10p for each bottle sold. Unfortunately, I wasn’t too impressed, and was taken to task in the comments by Chris Newall.So, to be fair, I thought I’d sample another bottle. It’s 5.0% ABV and £1.75 for a 500ml bottle at Morrisons, or 4 for £5.50. In appearance it is

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-1639382839730198002011-12-05T02:26:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.218-08:00

We have recently seen the launch of the annual advertising campaign against drink-driving over the festive season. Of course the sentiment is laudable, even if the means of delivering it is not always as well-focused as it could be, but surely for every person who says “better get a cab, then”, there will be another who thinks “better safe than sorry, stay at home and get some cans in”. Might it

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-2477697893740644172011-12-04T09:14:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.354-08:00

Blogging has been somewhat light this last couple of weeks as I took a trip back in time to 1984 when I worked in KwikSave as an early morning cleaner. Asked to help out as cover in a "bank" sense, I thought it would be interesting to get back to mingling with the "normal" people in the outside world in the "normal" job that I used to do before qualifying as a journalist, and test this theory

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-131963655671588492011-12-03T14:49:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.354-08:00

Questions are being asked about why never smokers get lung cancer and what actually causes it when the blame can't be laid uniquely at tobacco consumption since the number of people smoking is lower than its ever been. Those hidden never smoker victims who have been stigmatised with "smoker's disease" are now being noticed as demands are made to treat people with lung cancer as equally as those

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-37129742782739462172011-12-03T07:35:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.218-08:00

Reading many beer blogs, you can’t avoid getting the impression that a “craft beer revolution” is taking place. The country, it would seem, is awash with new, exciting, challenging styles and flavours. But how far does that really spread beyond a handful of specialist outlets?In the general run of pubs I go into, while you might see the odd guest beer or Peroni tap, that’s about it, and the vast

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-59664501209465828162011-12-02T00:24:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.219-08:00

There has been an outburst of manufactured outrage about Beachy Head Brewery naming a seasonal beer Christmas Jumper. This, it is claimed, is offensive to those unfortunates who take their own lives by jumping from said headland.In a sense that is true, but it isn’t referring to any individual, and in any case much of the best humour has a dark edge to it and to some extent plays on our inner

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-72195059704564682332011-11-30T07:21:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.354-08:00

Yesterday was my birthday and I spent it watching the day's events at the Leveson Inquiry looking into the hacking affair which brought down the biggest newspaper in Britain and cast a shadow over the rest of the industry. As a professional journalist, I agree entirely with all that freelance Nick Davies says about the need for some changes but not Govt or state direction of what journalists

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-4309573241426328852011-11-27T07:55:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.219-08:00

On a vaguely similar theme to the last post, I ran a poll asking whether people bought beer from specialist off-licences, the results of which are shown in the graphic.It’s interesting that 50% of respondents said “occasionally”, which suggests that they will contemplate using a specialist, but for various reasons don’t do so regularly. I would hazard a guess that the main reason was not price

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-25428766095332572172011-11-26T08:05:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.219-08:00

I grew up in an area of North Cheshire dominated by Greenalls, and so in the 1970s it made a refreshing change to head off a few miles to the south where, around Tarporley, there was a cluster of four Robinson’s pubs. And from time to time we would visit Chester and make a beeline for the Olde Custom House, one of the very few pubs this side of the English border selling Border beers from

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-12230923286170357052011-11-25T03:23:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.219-08:00

Reports from Scotland show a 14% fall in volumes of beer sold in the off-trade following the Scottish government’s banning of multibuy discounts from 1 October. Obviously one month’s figures are not enough to establish a trend, and it is likely there was some element of stocking-up at the end of September. Part of the reduction is also probably attributable to the fact that the effective average

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-29950812951657056362011-11-22T14:08:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.355-08:00

Desperate pain from toothache leads to desperate measures for one bloke who, I'm told, couldn't find an NHS dentist.It's not my idea of tooth extraction but each to his or her own I suppose ... and please don't try this at home (or work) folks because the shock might just kill you.

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-54290742829678839662011-11-22T06:38:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.219-08:00

Earlier this year, celebrity chef Marco Pierre White introduced his own branded beer “The Governor”, in conjunction with Middleton brewers J. W. Lees. Now, I’m no fan of his, but I suppose this must be praised as an effort to give beer more class and less of a downmarket image. However, having sampled it in both bottled and cask forms, I have to say it comes across as just another underwhelming

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-50982319871891773442011-11-22T03:04:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.219-08:00

Although the protection of workers was often used as a “smokescreen”, the underlying motivation behind smoking bans has always been an attempt to reduce the prevalence of smoking in society through a process of “denormalisation”. However, in many places where bans have been imposed, that doesn’t seem to work, and very often the steady decline in smoking rates that has occurred until the ban has

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-32930639771747347122011-11-21T01:08:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.220-08:00

Go in a typical major supermarket, and you will find a range of beers that would not have disgraced a cutting-edge independent off-licence fifteen years ago. A huge spread of British independent and micro brewers, German and Czech pilsners, Belgian specialities, American craft beers. That’s an amazing transformation from the time when all you’d get is cans of McEwan’s Export and Carling Black

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-44230185710069234412011-11-19T14:18:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.355-08:00

Rob Lyons writing in Spiked talks about how the BMA sexed up science to push for authoritarian political outcomes like Tony Bliar's "dodgy dossier" supported war in Iraq UKIP Leader Nigel Farage asks : "have these pettifogging nincompoops ever heard of car windows?" The Sabatage Times says the government, the doctors and the nanny state can keep their noses out and let us enjoy life’s simple

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-70751875610906212042011-11-19T07:15:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.220-08:00

The ongoing decline of the pub trade inevitably leads to staffing reductions, so very often one person is left to look after a serving area which can’t all be seen from one vantage point. And, even if there is just a single bar counter, there are reasons such as toilet breaks and popping into the kitchen that mean the sole server is absent.In these situations, it’s all too easy for staff to be

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-12744513780201017442011-11-17T08:45:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.355-08:00

Thanks to Anon in the comments on the previous post for drawing my attention to this Radio Five debate yesterday.I hear Frank Davis is going to transcribe the whole thing at some point today.In the radio interview with presenter Nicky Campbell, Witchfinder General Debs Arnott finally admits the goal is "to get rid of smoking" at 31 mins in. She also lies when asked about ASH's funding. Yes, they

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-72622300970887243522011-11-17T00:38:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.220-08:00

On a non beer-related forum, the subject recently came up of pub signs that completely span the road. The best must surely be that of the Fox & Hounds at Barley near Royston in Hertfordshire, with its cast of fox, hounds and mounted huntsmen. Others that were mentioned were the Magpie at Stonham Parva in Suffolk, where the sign spans the main A140 road, and two coaching inns, the Green Man &

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-75255991525175493632011-11-16T02:50:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.220-08:00

There’s an excellent article by Chris Snowdon of Velvet Glove, Iron Fist fame in yesterday’s Independent entitled We should stop panicking about Boozy Britain. Good to see a rare outbreak of common sense about alcohol in the mainstream media as opposed to the usual hysterical moral panic.

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-80497651035646385802011-11-16T01:50:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.355-08:00

Dick Pudlecote was his usual perceptive self when he said that the BMA and BBC will lie to you today. Either they purposefully told untruths or they were misled into saying untruths but either way we should be able to expect our scientific establishment will not hoodwink the public to achieve it's political ideological aims.As demonstrated by Chris Snowdon the mythical report that the BMA relied

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-69617500897792486892011-11-15T14:22:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.356-08:00

... and her Minions From Ash. Finally something to show after planting my tobacco seeds indoors in mid-September. In the true spirit of The Resistance, I've taken a leaf from other bloggers' and smoking ban warriors' pages and named my plants in the best way possible to shove two fingers up at our persecutors. Audrey Silk from America's NYC Clash smokers' rights group named her home grown

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-81439046220905215652011-11-15T11:27:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.356-08:00

Rhondda Cynon Taf council is run by people who are mentally ill. They fear smokers and so terrified are they of ordinary people in their communities that they must make up some kind of derogatory name to make them sound like the worst kind of evil. We are now Eco Criminals it seems. This lady has just been harrassed and victimised by the council who, presumably, she pays to keep her streets clean

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-86297841522612431812011-11-15T10:53:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.220-08:00

On an e-mail group, we were having a discussion about the Brunning & Price chain of pubs. While they have much to be said for them (not least in doing exactly what they say on the can) it cannot be denied that they have an unashamedly upmarket aspiration and ambiance. They’re not places for darts and doms and crib and meat raffles.One correspondent said “we have never felt out of place, even when

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-12548784355838679702011-11-15T08:09:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.221-08:00

Last week, we were treated to an informative presentation by David Bremner, the Marketing Director of Stockport family brewer Robinson’s, in which he outlined the brewery’s plans for its beer range. These included tweaking the recipes of mainstream beers, more adventurous seasonal beers, short-run one-off “specials” and widening the bottled range, combined with a large-scale rebranding to give a

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-32864607555529109782011-11-14T06:48:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.356-08:00

Simon Clark over at Taking Liberties thinks the Department of Health's latest attack on smokers is a good thing because it may allow the issue of the fraudulent con of SHS to be brought back out for debate. I wish I had his faith and I accept he is far more of an optimist than I am. But I don't see it that way. I see it as a corrupt dept led by unelected people with a mental phobia who have been

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-34231178439371871252011-11-13T11:29:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.357-08:00

Thanks to The Devil's in the Detail I found the famous Peggy Noonan article in the Wall Street Journal written in 2002People who come to this blog may have read it before but it was the first time I'd seen it although I had heard about it. Good honest writing has no shelf life and what Noonan says is as relevant now as it was then:Why do liberals punish smokers? Could we discuss this? Is it that

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-26260757407629093782011-11-13T09:56:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.357-08:00

Dick Puddlecote on how Prohibition is never about healthThe Angry Exile suggests ways of getting around plain packaging - or theft of industry trademarks by the Australian Govt Matt Wardman over at Anna Raccoon on old news for the Independent stupidBella Gerens writes as eloquently as ever about how the so called Progressives are taking us back to the Middle Ages. Smokers are finally welcome

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-76605827738900149582011-11-13T03:16:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.221-08:00

Apparently, the two-thirds pint “schooner” measure is being shunned by pubs. I had imagined that they would have been of particular interest to specialist beer pubs offering higher-ABV draught beers, but apparently not. I can’t say I’ve seen them on offer in a single pub. Indeed, the whole raft of changes in measures and beer duty that came in on 1 October have so far proved to be the dampest of

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-46424212018210096652011-11-12T08:04:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.221-08:00

I was saddened to see recently as I was passing that the Railway at Heatley near Lymm was in the process of being reduced to a pile of rubble. I wrote about it earlier here. This former Boddingtons’ house had been a long-standing Good Beer Guide entry and was one of the very few remaining traditional, multi-roomed pubs in the area. The main bar, with fixed wooden benches lining the walls facing

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-60752152398487353242011-11-11T13:33:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.357-08:00

As the fascist social engineers in Aryan Australia take the final step before criminalisation of a legal product and it's law abiding consumers, I see the UK smoke and mirrors jiggery pokery fakery to promote smokers as undesirables has started here too. Of course stealing tobacco companies' historic trade marks, to be replaced by Big Pharma supported Tobacco Control's own logo graphic images in

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-76464486912042457682011-11-11T09:13:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.357-08:00

...how inhumane humanity can be. Today is to remember the futility of war, the deaths of those who fought for freedom as opposed to qualified freedom, and the civilian victims of such conflicts who no one stood up for until it was too late. Never can such horror ever be allowed to happen again - even to the Palestinians - and just because the official Nazi Party no longer exists that doesn't

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-23033496013768616602011-11-07T13:44:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.357-08:00

Geoffrey Morey with his pet kangaroo PintoMark Wadsworth and Pavlov's Cat brought my attention to this story which reminded me of the Lincoln Kangaroos owned by former surgeon and amateur naturalist Geoffrey Morey who also discovered how aggressive they could be. I guess it was his interest in wildlife that made him jump at the chance of owning two Kangaroos as pets back in 1962. They were

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-57646072965101981782011-11-07T06:38:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.221-08:00

Stockport town centre, depending on how you define it, currently has about 30 pubs open and trading. There are four or five standing closed and boarded and realistically unlikely to open as pubs, and a further ten or so that have closed their doors forever over the past ten or fifteen years and been demolished or converted to alternative use. A pattern that is fairly typical of large towns up and

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-11001612760668711672011-11-07T00:33:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:37:27.221-08:00

Well, I said that High Strength Beer Duty would be just the start, and it now looks as though they’re planning to extend the principle to wine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.And I wouldn’t be at all surprised if, in the next two or three years, they come back and have another bite at the beer cherry. Given that there aren’t really any mass-market beers in the range from 5% to 7.5%, I would expect

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-65191966055963418432011-11-06T14:06:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:24:28.358-08:00

I've been out foraging during the last few weeks which gives me a reason to get up early when I have no work. Walking in fields on crisp sunny mornings puts a smile on my face and I get a real buzz when I find free food. We still have wine fermenting and loads of jars of jam made from foraged fruit we found last last summer. Now we're into autumn we're finding wild mushrooms ripe for picking in

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-88509875957062720582011-11-05T10:41:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:24:28.358-08:00

The antis are regressive. Technology can find a solution to soothe their phobic fearsI suppose this is good news of a sort but really the main points to come out of this trial are that James Repace is a lying scumbag and the law can stop you smoking in your own home when you pose no risk to anyone. Repace is the smokerphobic who invented a dodgy machine that came along at the same time that the

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-78064080988354693502011-11-04T09:13:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.221-08:00

Apparently, Call Me Dave reckons that the smoking ban has been a success.Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Cameron said: “As a former smoker and someone who believes strongly in liberties and someone who did not support it at the time, it has worked.”Someone who believes strongly in liberties? Come on, pull the other one. And in what way has it “worked”? The long-term decline

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-56545840644079129652011-11-04T08:11:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:24:28.358-08:00

I was completely shocked to read the story of how a hospitalised smoker in Canada was forced out into Arctic temperatures where she was overcome with hypothermia and had to have amputations as a result of this cruelty. All of those people who care so much about the health of smokers that they must force them to quit for their own good were out in force to criticise the hospital for treating

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-87594777095977061272011-11-03T07:28:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:24:28.358-08:00

Well, well, well, news today reveals just how much of a liar and cheat Nanny Anne Milton is. You may recall a few weeks ago she claimed (snigger) that she'd had two meetings with ASH over a couple of a years but she's obviously a lying hag or she wouldn't be getting ASH to make Smokerphobic policy and spout such rubbish as THIS How, exactly, does the dreadful Debs Arnott know what children want

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-86484187107771465142011-11-02T10:36:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:24:28.359-08:00

Dr Gio Batta Gori explains why it is impossible to measure the effects of ETS on health but how results are easily corrupted and manipulated to con legislators.*Just the other day it hit me that our Govt had been silent lately on the smoking issue with a definite roll of the tumbleweed across the barren plain of the once fertile ground of some new scientific scam. There has been no new master

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-6420566569929207842011-11-01T05:08:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.222-08:00

Not surprisingly, we read in the Daily Mail:One in three middle-aged men are increasing their chances of developing cancer and liver disease through 'risky drinking.'A study found 31 per cent of men aged over 45 regularly drank the equivalent of more than two pints of beer five times a week.Whilst over the safe limits it is not classed as binge drinking and researchers said drinkers may not

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-3004107266982577522011-10-31T08:48:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:24:28.359-08:00

I dislike the tag "Smoker's Champion" because it is so banal but that is often what actress Whoopi Goldberg is described as and here in this ABC news report, she defends the rights of US soldiers thrown into the hell of war to be able to smoke.As she points out : "If they're so concerned about health, then why send them out to war in the first place?"Most people on that panel agree that forcing

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-3087001663552082392011-10-29T02:11:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.222-08:00

OK, here are the results of my recent survey, which impressively attracted the maximum permitted 100 responses within 24 hours. Thanks to everyone who completed it. The number of responses obviously equate exactly to percentages.A few points worth making. 89% of people live within half a mile of a pub, which is accepted as the maximum distance most people are prepared to walk to a pub. However,

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-30367811313719357422011-10-28T11:48:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.222-08:00

RedNev pointed out this article about Health Minister Anne Milton giving evidence about alcohol policy to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee. In this, she said in relation to High Strength Beer Duty, “Already, there has been a response from the industry. Already they are dropping the alcohol strength to get below that duty level.” Yet I have seen no evidence of that at all, and

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-81267066487861814922011-10-27T10:04:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:24:28.359-08:00

That I enjoy moderate smoking is no surprise to anyone that visits this blog. It is the reason I never thought about quitting but I must admit I was tempted to in the late 90s early 00s as I got more drawn into the propaganda. It was only when it started to become nasty that I dug my heels in and vowed never to quit. Despite the marginalisation of smokers like me who won't give up, I'm glad I

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-83365777851362238342011-10-27T07:10:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.222-08:00

I’ve created a new survey about blog readers’ pubgoing habits and preferences which can be taken here.Edit: the survey is now closed having reached the maximum of 100 responses. I will post the results tomorrow (Saturday). Cheers to all those who took part.

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-39051237515678218842011-10-26T07:04:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.222-08:00

I was amazed to read that JD Wetherspoon has been named as Britain’s best pub operator for customer satisfaction. Now, my usual experience of Spoons has been that you put up with service that varies from just about adequate through to execrable in return for the low prices, wide choice and consistent offer. It’s a trade-off between one and the other. The same has been reported by many friends and

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-77662982215518928732011-10-26T03:55:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:24:28.359-08:00

I am not a morning person and I am particularly not an early morning person so the prospect of getting up at 5.30am for a 7.30am radio interview did not get my day off to a great start. The reason for this very early rise was because I thought I would be debating the Smokerphobic idea of a (ahem) "Doctor" to name and shame dead smokers by publishing their names daily in tabloid newspapers and a

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-13599481828679176972011-10-26T00:37:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.222-08:00

The Board of Alcohol Concern has announced a restructuring of its senior management following the loss of core funding, with the role of the CEO becoming part time for a year alongside the recruitment of a full time Director of Fundraising and Campaigning.This means that after more than six years at Alcohol Concern, of which three and a half year have been as Chief Executive, Don Shenker has

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-51740626848905375692011-10-25T04:45:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.223-08:00

There’s been a lot of talk recently of the decline of traditional high streets, with retail guru Mary Portas being appointed to head a government task force looking into how to revive them. Inevitably, this has a knock-on effect on the business of town-centre pubs. In reality, the various parts of town centre economies have a strong degree of interdependence and can’t be considered in

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-20713137269011065122011-10-25T03:05:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.223-08:00

The latest edition of the UK Quarterly Beer Barometer produced by the BBPA confirms the trend of the past two quarters, with a continued steady decline in on-trade beer sales, although not as steep as those often seen over the preceding three years. Over the past year, they are down by 5.2%, compared with an average of 7.4% in 2008-2010. This is more a steady trundle down a slope than a

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-32228302998583213002011-10-22T08:37:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.223-08:00

Last night, we were out on a CAMRA pub crawl of the southern fringe of Stockport town centre. We went in one particular pub, a bog-standard, modernised Robinson’s local. The only cask beer available was Unicorn, and it was utterly vile. Not cloudy, not vinegary, but with an overpowering appley off-flavour. Had I been in the pub on my own, I would just have left it on the table and sneaked out,

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-62549990857149071592011-10-22T07:32:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.223-08:00

According to the Portman Group, “alcohol consumption continues to decline, in a trend that has been continuing since the early to mid-2000s”.The report found that consumption per adult head of population is 10.2 litres – 11% lower than the 2004 peak of 11.5 litres. The average number of units consumed per week by those who drink is continuing to fall from 18.7 for men and nine for women in 2006

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-39138630427359148192011-10-21T02:11:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.223-08:00

This article so conveniently brings together two of the favourite themes of the Daily Mail – hysterical scaremongering about alcohol and making women feel bad about themselves – that it verges on self-parody. It really is beyond credulity that drinking a daily amount that at most is only slightly above the official guidelines is going to have such an effect on you. You might as well say from

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-55786492380213341142011-10-20T11:06:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:24:28.359-08:00

MUCH has been SAID about THAT EU DEBATE which has now been moved forward to Monday. I take my UKIP stuff over here these days but I think it's in everyone's interest to push for this YES to a referendum vote. The issue needs airing and the air clearing. The resentment lies in never being asked about such a huge change to our constitution and it's been a festering sore for too long. What harm

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-12771852624356546312011-10-20T08:43:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:24:28.359-08:00

As I watched the original chat show discussion about the controversy surrounding the making of the Monty Python film The Life of Brian last night, it struck me how familiar the debate was between the "believers and followers" of yesterday and the "non-believers and skeptics" of today. The only thing that has changed is what people believe in - or what they are encouraged to believe in. Now we are

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-69067649556603125452011-10-19T14:33:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.224-08:00

The latest addition to the sidebar is a button asking you to sign the petition created by CAMRGB to scrap the 7.5% beer supertax introduced at the beginning of this month. As I and others have argued, this is half-baked pandering to the anti-drink lobby that will do nothing to stop problem drinking, will inhibit innovation in the brewing industry, will harm well-established products that have no

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-79390662625511342962011-10-18T03:10:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.224-08:00

Here are a couple of photos of prominent local pubs that have recently been turned into supermarkets – the Chapel House in Heaton Chapel (top) has become a Tesco Express, while the rather splendid White Lion in Withington is now a Sainsbury’s Local. It must be said that neither was a recent closure – the White Lion had probably been shut for well over five years, and the Chapel House went through

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-13294596231380894082011-10-17T11:43:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:24:28.360-08:00

Smoking Hot over at Nothing 2 Declare gives a good account of the smokers' cross channel shopping trip which was great fun and a huge success. I really like what he has to say about P&O and it's smokerphobic smoking policy which I complained about the last time I took the trip.** From what I could see that time and this, most passengers are smokers. The inside of the two bars were scattered with

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-38251129279186295702011-10-17T10:55:00.001-07:002011-10-17T10:55:33.202-07:00

Welcome to Pro Smoking Blog

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-8124402634906457002011-10-17T03:00:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.224-08:00

In a shock revelation, a poll of 101 readers of the Pub Curmudgeon blog showed that, in the past year, 81% had consumed at least 6 pints of beer in a single session, with 35% having drunk a literally staggering 10 pints or more. Don Chancre, Chief Bansturbator of fakecharity Pubs’R’Evil, raged: “This is utterly appalling. Why aren’t these people dead? This only serves to illustrate what a bunch

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-90642699545217222862011-10-15T08:05:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.224-08:00

Don’t let anyone tell you that Sam Smith’s aren’t on the ball – the other day I was in one of their pubs and spotted a little sticker on the font for the keg dark mild saying “Alc. Vol. 2.8%”. I think it was previously only 3.0%, so that won’t make much difference to the drinking experience. I wonder if they’ve dropped the price or are keeping the duty saving for themselves. Has anyone else

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-46575992189774183912011-10-15T03:38:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:24:28.360-08:00

These people not only steal money from smokers to create their programs to encourage smokerphobia - but they don't even work for the money they cream off And it is such theft and misuse of my tax payer funds here in the UK - which goes to fund smoker denormalisation, stigmatisation, exclusion, and marginalisation via the fake charity ASH - that I am today going on my latest trip abroad to give

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-42503703084047970502011-10-13T11:22:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.224-08:00

I spotted on my most recent visit to Tesco that the new High Strength Beer Duty had now been applied to the beers over 7.5% ABV, so 4x500ml of Carlsberg Special Brew was £7.68 (43p per unit) and 4x330ml of Gold Label £5.67 (51p per unit). It remains to be seen whether the regular customers of these products will stomach these higher prices, or if their strength will end up being reduced.

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-2634901166342109042011-10-13T08:28:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:24:28.360-08:00

A council in Blackpool has shown it's Smokerphobic colours by publically stating that it's discriminatory and unnecessary outdoor smoking ban is not imposed on grounds of health but hatred of a minority lifestyle group and a desire to force smokers to quit. The sign in which they poke fun at smokers is offensive and smacks of group bully action. It isn't even legal and has no weight in law as a

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-8755220321165808012011-10-13T03:10:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.224-08:00

There’s an interesting article here by Kate Fox – surprisingly on the BBC website – in which she argues that, to a large extent, “the effects of alcohol on behaviour are determined by cultural rules and norms, not by the chemical actions of ethanol.” She points out that in many societies – specifically those bordering the Mediterranean – per capita alcohol consumption is higher than the UK, but

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1558182402112045711.post-14317449347316314082011-10-11T12:25:00.000-07:002011-12-23T10:37:27.225-08:00

12-year-old Tommie Rose from Salford sounds as though he has just the kind of entrepreneurial spirit we need to revive the moribund British economy. But unfortunately he was taking £60 a day selling chocolate bars and fizzy drinks to his schoolmates. Inevitably, this contravened his school’s “healthy eating” policy and so he ended up being suspended.Now, the school are perfectly within their

akehprhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16590930360382262244noreply@blogger.com