In message o.uk, Dave
Liquorice writes
On Tue, 23 Jun 2015 08:25:09 +0100, News wrote:

There must be so many contributory factors to the general decline in the
number of pubs. The average age here is probably around 60?

I don't think it's that high, nearer 50?

Interesting. Show of hands? I always think of ARW as the 'young' end
of uk.d-i-y :-)

When we moved up here, before the smoking ban, we didn't go to pub
because of the horrendous stench of smoke you'd come back with.
Putting all your clothes into the washing machine and having a shower
at 2300+ after being down the pub is not my idea of a fun way to end
the evening.

That is true now, but was much less of a problem 30, 40 or more years
ago purely because almost all regulars in a pub would be smokers. OK,
very broad generalisation, but when I was a regular pub visitor, few of
the patrons were non smokers, or, at least, the smokers far outnumbered
the non smokers.

I suppose I'm thinking out loud, really. Reflecting. So much has
changed. Then, we, as lads, were too old for youth clubs, and the pub
was the only real alternative. Perhaps there are more choices today?
Couple that with supermarkets offering cheap booze and longer hours,
drink driving laws, anti smoking laws, social media, general urban
redevelopment, and a lot has changed.
--
Graeme