SIR – Re Arthur Normington (Letters, January 17) on the smoking ban in pubs. Arthur is quite obviously not a user of pubs. Unfortunately, neither are most other non-smoking anti-fun people.
I, on the other hand, use my local at least five nights a week. Invariably I stand outside in the freezing cold in order to enjoy my pint and cig while catching up on the latest with the barmaid, who is also wrapped up, drinking her coffee, having a smoke.
Periodically we are interrupted when the other customer, my good friend but a non-smoker, knocks on the window for his refill. We swap a bit of banter through the open door until the barmaid comes back, and that’s what happens all evening.
All our old drinking friends are up the road in one of their houses (smokers and non-smokers alike), drinking, playing darts or cards, having a good old chinwag – oh, and the odd fag if they like.
Would it really be that bad if we went back to everyone enjoying themselves together, landlords keeping their homes, bar staff still in work?
Seriously Arthur, if you really care about our wellbeing, just let us enjoy our lives again.
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