Not surprisingly 81% were lager (28% were Stella, with Carlsberg and Fosters in the silver and bronze medal positions) 15% were cider with a measly 4% being bitters. Just one can of Boddingtons and 3 of John Smiths were the only evidence of "Bitter Louts" and there was no evidence of anything from the real ale world. There was even one discerning drinker who had left a can of Carlsberg unopened! This tells a lot about society today and the need to keep our pubs open at all costs. Without pubs there will be more of this knuckle dragging type of behaviour

I was glad to see the fight back is beginning to pick up pace with anti pub company licensees marching in protest against higher rents on the offices of Enterprise Inns in London and Punch Taverns in Burton-upon-Trent and also on Westminster. This sort of action has to be taken before it is too late. Maybe militancy is the only answer to make these idiots running the pub companies see sense. The shares in both these companies have fallen dramatically and for their own good they must be made to look at the option of reducing the rents by up to 50% and possibly clawing a bit back by taking a bit more of a hit on what they make out of the barrels they sell.

Whilst talking of shares, I know the market in stocks and shares on the stock exchange has fallen across the board but it is interesting to see that since last years budget Enterprise and Punch shares have fallen by around 80%.

Greene King shares have fallen by around 10% while J.D.Wetherspoon shares have actually risen by more than 5%. We are often hearing criticism of Wetherspoons for cut pricing, especially the 99 pence pint of Greene King I.P.A. If that is your poison, bully for you! I was amused that G.K were unhappy about this fearing it would damage the brand image, bad luck! In my opinion they are doing a great public service and the proof of the pudding, so they say, is in the eating

Jerry Brown
jerrybrown77@hotmail.com