Last night after work I went for a drink with a friend. That's two pints in a pleasantly dark old pub on the Kings Cross Road. For the first time in my pub-going life I arrived home not smelling of smoke.
I don't feel sorry for smokers. I just feel cross about all the times in the past that I came home reeking and had to hang clothes out in the garden to air them. I'd like a few of those nights back.
Sounds exactly like what pubs in Ireland have been like for the last few years and it's been great. Oh, and contrary to popular beliefs at the time, a lot of them are still packed - in cities at least. It's been stricter drink-driving laws that have hurt rural pubs more here. The only problem of course has been that Guinness has a tendency to produce odorous side effects - which has effected some Dublin pubs!
ReplyDeleteK
As a smoker I've yet to go to a pub since the ban. Tomorrow is a big test for me. It's going to be hard, but I'll cope. It'll be good for me.
ReplyDeleteAnd that should read 'affected' of course.
ReplyDeleteK
I was at the 3 Kings on Sunday night watching Robyn Hitchcock. It was lovely! And I imagine it must be very nice for singers not to have to inhale all that ghastly smoke.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more Mr Hepworth. Driving home tonight saw 3 smokers standing behind a 2 foot high white picket fence outside a pub having a puff in the worst rainstorm you could imagine. Why don't they just give up? They would be richer, healthier and drier!
ReplyDeleteIan
You'd like a few of those nights back?
ReplyDeleteI'd like my Dad back.
Here here - Australian pubs have now just only gone smoke free (and countless are up in arms) its a great improvement for the rest of us however. The casino is finally on limits - the lights seem brighter when you're not viewing them through smog.. Samantha Hepworth, Sydney Australia.. (Yes, another Hepworth)
ReplyDeleteIn Spain they brought in a no smoking ban in bars too. All bars over 100 metres squared have to have smoking and non-smoking sections. There are about 4 bars bigger than 100 m2 in the whole of Spain.
ReplyDeleteIn the case of bars under 100m2 (i.e. all bars except 4) the owner of the bar can decide if he wants his/her bar to be smoking or non-smoking. How many bars are non-smoking? Yes, you've guessed it! About 2 in the whole country. Viva España.
The real funny thing about the Irish situation, (and i say this as an inhabitant of a town of 2,000 down in the West of Ireland) is that at 1.30 in the morning, when the pub is officially closed and there's *obviously* a lock in going on, that people will put their illegal pint to one side and go outside to have a fag, cos they don't want to break the law, like!
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