tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post7009564691632368255..comments2024-03-27T16:39:43.522+00:00Comments on Liberal England: My defence of underage drinking in the Leicester MercuryJonathan Calderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730157683743989696noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-78398458064427557932015-12-06T17:58:37.039+00:002015-12-06T17:58:37.039+00:00Phil: You remind me of Muff Winwood's story of...Phil: You remind me of Muff Winwood's story of recruiting his little brother to a jazz band...<br /><br />"We needed a piano player so I brought Steve along. He was only 11, but he played everything perfectly. They stood with their mouths open. <br /><br />"Because he was under-age, we had to get him long trousers to make him look older, and even then we'd sneak him in through the pub kitchens. He'd play hidden behind the piano so nobody would know."Jonathan Calderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00730157683743989696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-50547780235761987932015-12-06T17:10:45.743+00:002015-12-06T17:10:45.743+00:00Isn't the question about "judgement"...Isn't the question about "judgement" versus rules based processes? With "judgement", a blind eye is turned in pubs where local youths go for couple of pints, politely being advised when it is time to go home. Local police can pay their attention to crime where people get hurt. Bar staff can focus on what is going on in the pub. But that is grey thinking and society today demands clear rules for other people's behaviour. Grey thinking nowadays is to be reserved for assessing motoring offences committed by the middle classes.<br /><br />In my youth, my mates and I had to claim to be 18 to enter pubs where bands were playing. The drummer or bassist was usually a 15 year old... These problems have gone away, along with the informal pub band apprenticeship.Phil Beesleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18442987962398498812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-14255891968070792962015-12-05T21:00:13.293+00:002015-12-05T21:00:13.293+00:00In Germany you can buy wine or beer when you'r...In Germany you can buy wine or beer when you're 16 - and also go into a pub drinking.<br />Only for spirits do you have to be 18 years of age - I found that more sensible, remember how we used to go to a pub for discussions among friends when we were at the "Gymnasium" ...wolfinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-4689907485775145352015-12-04T14:26:53.069+00:002015-12-04T14:26:53.069+00:00What's really driving young people out of pubs...What's really driving young people out of pubs is not age legislation but the huge divergence that has arisen between on- and off-licence alcohol pricing in the period you're talking about, with in real terms an increase in pubs and a decrease in shops (see e.g. http://www.ifs.org.uk/bns/bn124.pdf). Young people are often poor people, and they'd be mad to go to pubs now. The collapse of industries like mining hit communities in some places, but for some reason we keep voting in governments which conspire with supermarkets and the health loonies to endanger across the land the most pleasant kind of community known to humankind. (There's some underage drinking in my local, but the standard opening gambit directed at newcomers is, "When did you get out?")The Singing Organ-Grinderhttp://elorganillero.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-26507360032717650532015-12-03T22:43:21.177+00:002015-12-03T22:43:21.177+00:00Similarly in the US where it is illegal to drink u...Similarly in the US where it is illegal to drink underage, you have young people drinking more harmfully.<br />If you visit a hospital emergency room near a university campus you are likely to see students with alcohol poisoning when they've just turned 21.Tristanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15395992764678278326noreply@blogger.com