The musings of a juggling mother

Rants & raves about life as a woman today, juggling work, home, kids, family, life the universe & everything.

© Mrs Aginoth. The right of Mrs Aginoth to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents act 1988

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Half Term Blues

We're not even half way through half term yet, and the house is a complete tip, the washing is overflowing & I need a full 24 hours sleep! How can one extra child at home during the day make so much difference?

I couldn't face another day like yesterday, so I bundled them all onto a train (well two trains) and spent the day at Nanny A's. the kids played in the patk & made her house messy, she got to do the cooking & cleaning, and she's keeping Mstr A overnight, so I may get a quiet morning tomorrow (there are no such things as lie-ins any more in the Aginoth household).

On a totally different note, Aggie has finally posted a blog, so you can all stop nagging me now!

Oh yes, and yippee, we will soon have a total ban on smoking in all pubs & clubs in Britain. I might actually feel like going out again now!

posted by Juggling Mother @ 7:47 pm  

8 Comments:

  • At Tuesday, February 14, 2006 8:51:00 pm, Blogger stc said…

    We have that ban on smoking here in restaurants, including pubs, here in Canada.

    The restaurants I understand. You're there to eat, and smoke definitely interferes with the enjoyment of the food.

    But pubs always seemed a bit harsh to me. Pubs are not exactly health spas; all kinds of unhealthy behaviour goes on in those places.

    But pubs are a little different in Britain, I know. I gather that they are the social centre of the community. Even vicars pass time in 'em.

    But why shouldn't the vicar enjoy a puff with his ale?

     

  • At Tuesday, February 14, 2006 9:04:00 pm, Blogger Juggling Mother said…

    Simply put (ha ha), because it means that the majority of us can't enjoy a pint!

    Also passive smoking causes a breach of H&S regs for employees in pubs/clubs.

    Also, we have an NHS that spends a fortune on treating smoking related diseases.

    Also because allowing smoking in pubs makes a mockery of many of our other laws regarding drug-taking.

    Alcohol is a drug, true. but it is possible to drink sensibly, safely and healthily. It is impossible to smoke safely, sensibly or healthily.

    Children are allowed in pubs

    UK pubs are often used as community centres/meeting places. In many small villages they are the ONLY place left for the community to congregate.

    Most pubs serve food/double up as family restuarants.

    I'm sure I'll think of some others in a moment:-)

     

  • At Tuesday, February 14, 2006 9:30:00 pm, Blogger Sadie Lou said…

    I always feel sorry for people that work in bars/pubs/casinos that don't smoke--they might as well. California has some of the most strict anti-smoking laws out there and I love it.

     

  • At Wednesday, February 15, 2006 10:01:00 am, Blogger Juggling Mother said…

    Lux - you are quoting the direct cost of treating lung cancer & heart disease which is only £1.5billion true.

    But you haven't taken into account the cost of treating conditions such as asthma, throat infections etc which are made worse by smoking.

    Or the cost of the reduced health of children of smokers.

    Or the loss of income tax income from all the people who die early from smoking related causes.

    Or the loss of revenue from workers off sick with smoking related illnesses.

    Also the Irish ban is still new. give it time, and the hospitality trade will adjust & thrive. Things change. Good services change with them.

    Your argument that people have the right to smoke if they want to doesn't take into account pasive smoking by employees - which is specifically illegal under the H&S act. Or the fact that we don't have the right to do all sorts of things!

    I actually believe that pubs should have the right to apply for a smokers licence if they wish, ANd if they do not allow children in, AND if there is a local non-smoking alternative (see my Utopian world post on drugs & licences), but since that wasn't an option, I'm going for Yipee!

     

  • At Wednesday, February 15, 2006 10:33:00 am, Blogger Juggling Mother said…

    Of course, Scotland was the first UK country to enforce a smoking ban. They did plenty of research and concluded "Cigarette sales have dropped by 13 per cent in New York and by 16 per cent in Ireland. Our research estimates that there will be a net economic benefit—not a disadvantage—for the Scottish economy as a result of any ban. Tax revenues from bars and restaurants in New York have increased by almost 9 per cent since the ban was introduced there and despite the dire warnings, the first official figures from Ireland show that volume sales are down by only 1.3 per cent and were falling before the ban became law.
    "     source

     

  • At Wednesday, February 15, 2006 2:45:00 pm, Blogger Juggling Mother said…

    Lux, yes I would be happy foir my council tax to rise.

    Although I would be happier to ban smoking on the street too.

    For the record, CAMRA figures show that 20 pubs close in England every month, so the closures in Ireland are probably nothing to do with the ban. I couldn't get a figure for the number of new pubs opening across the country (not without adding together every LA licencing report), but it probably averages out to about, um, 20 per month. It's a tough business, not everyone survives, but the smoking/non-smoking atmsphere seems to have little to do with it - just look at Wetherspoons!

     

  • At Wednesday, February 15, 2006 10:27:00 pm, Blogger mig bardsley said…

    Pubs have been closing so fast around here that there probably won't be any left for non smokers to enjoy soon. And they'll all be Gastro pubs (which means lip service only, to the drinking community).
    I reckon the hospitality trade in England is already in dire trouble.

    Speaking as a smoker, I don't mind not smoking in enclosed public places. I generally take my habit outside if I'm in company anyway and have done for years. Freedom of choice, fresh air and all that.

    And I still think alcohol is just as serious a problem and just as dangerous a drug.

     

  • At Thursday, February 16, 2006 7:34:00 am, Blogger Juggling Mother said…

    I agree that alcohol is a serious social problm, so don't have any isue with the growth of gastro/family pubs and the decline of drinking dens - although I think there will be some drinkers pubs for a while yet.

    As they say, if we discovered either alcohol or tobacco now, they'd be banned.

    The difference on legislation is because alcohol can be enjoyed as part of a healthy lifestyle, and consumers do not automtically cause social or health problms. Nor do they affect others with their drinking. Smoking is unhealthy even if you only have one puff a week, and affect everyne else near you, regardless of how careful you are.

    I would personally like to see the laws regarding the sale of alcohol to people already under the influence to be more strictly enforced.

    I still have 3 pubs and 2 clubs within a five minute walk, and so many I can't count them within a 30 minute walk. The ridiculous village Nanny A lives in has lost it's shop, local bobby, post-office & school, but still has a thriving pub, plus another couple within a 30 min walk. I don't see any signs of problems with the hositality sector, but it is changing!

     

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