Nominations are being sought for the pub with the best outdoor area for smokers to reward those who still value us as customers.
My vote goes to the Jolly Brewer on Broadgate, Lincoln, because it has a great patio area, heating, and it takes the pub outside every year in honour of its smoker patrons.
It's annual August Bank Holiday Smokers' Festival has become renowned with fellow lepers across the UK and it helps to keep alive the issue that anti-smoker Lincoln - made so by the lying, scheming, bigoted former Lab MP Gillian Merron - would rather see disappear.
Of course Lincoln's new MP Karl McCartney has done sod all for smokers and doesn't appear to have any intentions of helping us but at least he isn't in the local paper every week slagging us off like Merron was - along with drinkers and those who like burgers. Her constant hectoring and finger wagging at those who chose lifestyles her Govt didn't approve of, was akin to Hitler pushing for the perfect Arian Race.
As Ms Merron was Jewish, I'm sure she'd be offended by the comparison but I'd say she should take a good long hard look in the mirror and ask herself if the politics of hate against smokers is that much different from the politics of hate against race. The only difference as I see it is that they ain't shoving fatties, smokers, drinkers and drug addicts in gas chambers - yet!
It seems pubs North of the Border are also helping us to fight this DENORMALISATION - a programme designed by the last Bigoted Labour Govt to turn the wider British public against selected minority groups.
The Jolly Brewer, for all it has done to support it's smoker customers, and keep this issue at the forefront of local life, deserves support and votes so head over to the Save Our Pubs and Clubs website and do the right thing.
* Photo above by Maureen Whisker