Assessing the decline of the pub industry

Assessing the decline of the pub industry The Leisure Industry is one of the major part of UK economy and has many branches. The key components of UK leisure industry includes pubs, bars, restaurants, cinemas, sport and physical recreation, arts and entertainment, countryside recreation, home based leisure and activity based leisure. Pub industry plays a vital role in community cohesion and social life in Britain and attracts millions of tourists every year. Pubs are frequently remaining few places where communities come together to socialize. Mintel Report states that in 2008 the pub sector experienced some of the toughest trading conditions because of the reasons like smoking ban, licensing laws, credit crunch, changing dining habits and cheap supermarket booze. Despite facing the tough conditions it is still on top of the UK leisure industry holding maximum share. The following report will show changing trends in UK Pub industry along with analyses articles written on Pub industry and showing data taken from Mintel UK lei sure industry review report and then exploring the Pub industry information to possible events to be included within the portfolio. Smoking Ban Since the smoking ban was introduced there has been a marked decline in number of pubs in UK. There was an expectation that smoking ban would become more appealing to a wider consumer base such as women and families. The ban has shown the rise in the food business, however the loss of frustrates smokers has not been matched by the influx of new pub goers. Between 2004 and 2007 all of the four United Kingdom legislatures voted to introduce a ban on smoking in most enclosed public places and workplaces. The bans came after considerable debate centered around the risks of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and especially on the likely impact of a ban on the hospitality industry and particularly Britains pubs. (Paraphrase It and give PUB Visiting Mintel referencing -According to an Office for National Statistics report (2008/09) on visiting pubs since smoking restrictions were introduced, by smoking status; one in four smokers went to the pub more often before the smoking ban, compa red to one in five non-smokers who go more often nowadays. Mintel Pub Visiting Report (2010) shows that while a third of consumers (32%) agree drinking outside the home is more enjoyable since the smoking ban, there are mixed reports as to whether the smoke-free laws have achieved the health benefits expected. A report by NHS Information in September 2009 stated that men over the age of 35 smoke fewer cigarettes than before the ban, but younger men have started smoking more since it was introduced. Positive findings from the report were that a third of smokers now stay at home to smoke instead of going out, resulting in adults being exposed to less second-hand smoke than before the ban. Credit Crunch, Changing Dining Habits, Higher Taxes and Cheap alcohol selling by supermarkets White (2009) states that the UK Pub industry is facing perfect storm and finding it hard to compete with cheap alcohol sold at supermarkets, a trend increasing amid the credit crunch. Mintel Report shows that pub sales declined after the increase in taxes with their new licensing laws done by government and recession which led in increase of alcohol sold at supermarkets resulting in people changing dining habits. In 2007 Pub industry earned 26000 million pounds however in 2009 UK Pub industry earning has been gone down to 24000 million pounds resulting in loss of 2000 million pounds. According to Pratten (2003) the reason for falling trade is the major changes in pattern of leisure. Home entertainment became increasingly popular with an increase in rented videos and television. When combining the greater varieties of take away food and the lower prices of alcohol at the off licenses and supermarkets, a night at home become more attractive to people and the use of licensed retail prem ises fell. Moreover people are more willing to save for foreign holidays. As shown in Figure 2.2, the value of market was showing an increase until 2007; however it dropped by 3.08 percent in 2008 and 4.76 percent in 2009. Muir (2009) states that the changing consumer taste in alcoholic beverages in one of the factor of long term decline. Beer is the mainstay of pub incomes and yet beer consumption has fallen significantly in the last thirty years as show in Figure 2. 3. The Pub Industry is also facing tough competition from alternative leisure pursuits. The relative affluence of the last decade saw a significant rise in the number of people eating out in restaurants and there was a threefold increase in the rate of new restaurant openings between 1992 and 2007. (BBC News Online 2007). According to Mintel Report (2009) there has been a sharp increase in number of live sports event attendees from 2004 to 2009. In Addition, there has also been a significant rise in cinema attendees in recent years, which reached a 38 year high in the summer of 2007(The Independent 2007). According to the figures published in BBPA Statistical handbook 2010, there was a sharp, 6% decline in total alcohol consumption in 2009, making it the fourth annual decline in five years. UK drinkers are now consuming 13% less alcohol than in 2004. UK consumption remains below the average for the EU The UK Pub licensees are also facing rising cost. Increased materials and utilities prices have been passed on by the brewers in the higher wholesale price of beer. A shortage of malting barley and rising demand for bio-fuels has seen barley prices increase faster than inflation. Packaging costs have also been driven up by rising energy prices (BBPA 2008b). Licensees have seen their own operating costs increase. For example licensees have had to spend increasing amounts on entertainment to stay competitive. A recent survey by the ALMR found that their members third largest cost was entertainment. The 2003 Licensing Act abolished the two in a bar rule which had meant that no licence was r equired for putting on two live performers. In addition many pubs rely on live football to bring people through the door and Sky television fees have continued to increase. These are calculated on the rateable value of the pub and this can be disproportionately expensive for small pubs in higher rated rural areas.(APPBG 2008). Why Pubs matter The UK Pubs act as hubs for the development of social network between local people. As per data shown in figure 3.1 by CAMRA Omnibus survey (January 2009) 36 percent of the people said that pubs were important for get together compared with local cafes and restaurants showing 20 percent and 15 percent for local shops. According to APPBG (2008) the pub industry amounts to 2 percent of national GDP and community pubs provide 350,000 full or part time jobs. Mintel (2010) latest report on Pub visiting shows that 34 pubs were closed per week which were drink led and 5 pubs were closed which were food-led between July to December 2009. According to CGA, the pub closure rate has slowed to 29 per week for the first six months of 2010. At it worse, the pub closure rate was 52 pubs per week.( Morning Advertiser 2010). In addition, government has unveiled measures to protect british pubs which include 3.3 million pounds to be spent on business support to make pubs more successful and to help communities buy into struggling premises to keep them open. Pubs will be allowed to extend into ventures including restaurants, gift shops and book shops without planning permission. (BBC News) In addition to this benefit, pubs add a great deal to UK economy and hold a highest share in UK leisure industry. As per data shown in graph below, Pub industry holds 35 % share of total leisure industry by earning 24000 million pounds in 2009 According to news published in Guardian the government would be consulting on the introduction of banning low cost alcohol sales. Report suggested that supermarkets will be banned from selling wine, beer and spirits below a national minimum price. Conclusion The UK Pub industry is more than retail business which act as a local institution for encouraging people to mix with others from different background. In recent years the pub industry has been hit hard with thousands of pubs closed due to recession, smoking ban, high rents. But in any downturn there are opportunities which are investing in an independent or managed Pub located in central place offering good variety of food and drinks along with warm and friendly environment. While the pubs remain biased towards men, pub needs to sell wine and ciders to attract women market. In addition, the steps taken by government to save pubs are a good option to invest in pub industry.

The Legacy of Perceptions of Interracial Relationships as Demonstrated

The Legacy of Perceptions of Interracial Relationships as Demonstrated in Late 19th and Early 20th Century Black Literature and Events The history of interracial relationships in America is a painfully loaded issue which is still evolving in the consciousness of the 20th century. Because the first instances of sexual integration occurred under the institution of slavery, our understanding of them is necessarily beset with dominance, violence, and rape. Interracial relationships and the children they produced became another manifestation of power relationships between whites and blacks in our contorted social atmosphere. Even to the present day, interracial relationships are often looked upon as being propelled by impure motives and compounded by the social dynamics that have been inherited in our culture. Literature Events Legacy Literature Francis E.W. Harper's Iola Leroy One of the themes that is addressed by Iola Leroy is that of African Americans that can pass as white, yet reject that selfish option in order to proudly identify themselves as black. Iola Leroy, a light skinned black woman who could pass as white, has the alternative of marrying a wealthy white doctor, Dr. Gresham, and living her life as a white woman. However, although she deeply cares for him, she refuses his offer and the "comfortable" life that could have come with it. In analyzing Iola Leroy and her rejection of Dr. Gresham's proposal, the reader can come to the conclusion that it was Iola who had to deal with inner struggle, whereas Dr. Gresham was able to overlook issues of racial difference as long as Iola would not publicly admit her heritage. Dr. Gresham would have remained unaffected by the conflict she faced if she had chosen t... ...n the end, Angie goes back home to her family and Flip goes back to his wife. Lee makes direct and severe statements about interracial relationships through this film. Essentially, he argues that in the context of modern American society, interracial relationships are motivated by curiosity as a result of historical stigma. The generation just before Angie and Flip projects fear, ignorance, and violence with regard to mixed- race unions, and so the their children's response is a reactionary one. In Lee's view, it is black women that are victimized as a result of interracial relationsahips, whereas the black man realizes his mistake and asks for forgiveness, and the white woman basically persues her life as before the incident occurred. The only real change that occurs is that the latter two have satisfied their curiosity, which was all that was at stake to begin with.

Cry the Beloved Country dialectical journal Essay

â€Å"Kumalo climbed into the carriage for non-Europeans, already full of the humbler people of his race†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (43) How there’s a carriage exclusively for non-Europeans is understandable at the time period that this novel is set in, but people who read this in the 21st century might think that this is odd how Europeans couldn’t stand to ride in the same carriage as non-Europeans. â€Å"Black and white it says, black and white, though it is red and green. It is too much to understand.† (47) The order it goes, black and white then red and green. It shows you that the whites are more superior because they are the sign to go, and the blacks have to stop and wait. The whites always get first word on things and blacks have to settle with that the whites left them. â€Å"They talked of young criminal children and older and more dangerous criminals, of how white Johannesburg was afraid of black crime.† (52) How it says â€Å"black crime† is just wrong. There is such thing as white crime too, but apparently the white people don’t think that white crime is just as dangerous as black crime. It shows how scared they were of people of different races and think that just because of your color you are prone to do more dangerous things. â€Å"That is a pity, says Msimsngu. I am not a man for segregation, but it is a pity that we are not apart. They run trams from the centre of the city, and part is for Europeans and part for us. But we are often thrown off the trams by young hooligans. And our hooligans are ready for trouble too.† (58) It’s sort of sad how this is a person who doesn’t believe in segregation, but feels the need to be apart from the other race. When someone is being hostile towards you it’s not a good feeling, so of course you wouldn’t want to be near that individual. I think in this setting and time it’s understandable that someone would feel this way about being separated. Kumalo’s face wore the smile, the strange smile not known in other countries, of a black man when he sees one of his people helped in public by a white man, for such a thing is not lightly done. (81) It bothers me that this smile is for a deed that should be done anyway. I mean, I know it’s set in a time where there’s segregation between  the different races, but seeing how I was born and raised in an era where it isn’t customary to ignore someone solely because of their race. Cry, the Beloved Country Dialectical Journals Theme: Fear Quote Response The small child opened the door, carefully like one who was afraid to open carelessly, the door of so important a house, and stepped timidly in.† (35) Just how the girl’s movement is describes makes me feel scared. The words â€Å"timidly† and â€Å"carelessly† really add on to how you could picture her moving. Being a small child and going into a house that is owned by such an important person would be terrifying because if you were to accidentally break something or slip up then it’d be very bad. â€Å"They go to Johannesburg, and there they are lost, an no one hears of them at all.† (39) It sounds like Johannesburg is sucking them up and not letting them free. People might never hear from people that have gone to Johannesburg because their life was getting worse by living in Johannesburg. I would be kind of scared to go to Johannesburg because no one hears from you again. â€Å"He goes carefully that he may not bump anybody, holding tightly on to his bag.†(47) He’s afraid that someone might try to snatch his bag. Being in an unknown place is hard for a lot of people. They hear rumors and then they get scared. It’s not bad to always be careful, but it wasn’t just careful he was being. The young man took the pound and walked a short distance to the corner. As the turned it. Kumalo was afraid. The line moved forward and he with it, clutching his bag. And again forward, and again forward, and soon he must enter a bus, but still he had no ticket. As through the has suddenly thought of something he left he line, and walked the corner, but there was no sign of the young man.(48-49) Trusting strangers with your money isn’t an easy thing to do. And being in a foreign place makes it even more confusing on if you should trust anyone or not. When you’re poor like Kumalo was, money was very precious to you. He was taking m oney that was going to be used for clothes. Seeing someone run off with your money is something that makes you lose faith in the human race. Cry, the Beloved Country Dialectical Journals Theme: Economic Prosperity v. Loss of Values Quote Response â€Å"She came here to look for her husband who was recruited for the mines†¦ She lives in Claremont, not far from here. It is one of the worst places in Johannesburg†¦ †¦ that is her work, she makes and sells it†¦ These women sleep with any man for their price†¦ She has been in prison, more than once.† (53) Kumalo’s sister went to the big city to find her husband and it turns out that she never did. At least that’s what it seems like it’s trying to hint at. It seems like as soon as she entered a place to be rumored as a better economic area, she lost all morals and values. This is sad really, for both Kumalo and his sister. (55) Cry, the Beloved Country Dialectical Journals Theme: Poverty Quote Response â€Å"How can I use it? he said. This money was to send Absalom to St. Chad’s†¦ This money we have saved for that purpose will never be used for it.† (38-39) Stephen feels if he were to use the money they saved for his son it wouldn’t be right. He also knows that if he doesn’t use it, it might never be used for anything at all. He doesn’t know where his son is because he hasn’t tried to contact ever since he left. â€Å"Take it all, Stephen. There may be doctors, hospital, other troubles. Take it all. And take the Post Office Book––there is ten pounds in it––you must take that also. – I have been saving that for your stove, He said – That cannot be helped, she said. And that other money, though we saved it for St. Chad’s, I had meant it for your new black clothes, and a new black hat, and new white collars† (40) I think how Stephen’s wife tells him to take all the money is something that shows how much she cares about his well  being. How they were saving it for a stove for his wife and new clothes for Stephen but his wife wanted him to take the money for their needs before their wants. Stephen needs to have enough money for anything and everything that might be thrown in his path in this journey he is about to embark on. â€Å"This is a long way to go, and a lot of money to pay. And if he has to bring her back, what will that cost too?† (42) He’s going to this unknown city where they don’t know how much things are. And if his sister is gravely ill, then what? He’s not going to leave her there, she’s family and family always comes first. â€Å"Is it wrong to ask more money? John Kumalo asks. We get little enough. It is only our share that we ask, enough to our wives and families from starvation. For we do not get enough. The Lansdown Commission said that we do not get enough. The Smit Commission said that we do not get enough.† (218) Everyone is saying that John Kumalo is poor because he isn’t getting enough money. He’s wondering if asking for money is something that is socially acceptable, even if you need it to not starve. I think that this is sort of sad because when you think about it there are people in this time of day that would ask the same question to themselves but never ask. Cry, the Beloved Country Dialectical Journals Theme: Religion Quote Response (37) I lied. This doesn’t work. (43) Ha. This one doesn’t work either >.< (51) Oh and this? FAIL. â€Å"They went into a room where a table was laid, and there he met many priests, both white and black, and they sat down after grace and ate together.† (51) At a time of social and political unrest, the two different races could sit together without being appalled by each other’s races. I think that speaks for itself in the fact that religion is uniting the (187) Ha not this one. this one is evil. jk Cry, the Beloved Country Dialectical Journals Theme: Forgiveness Quote Response â€Å"They knelt down, and he prayed, quietly so that the neighbors might not hear, and she punctuated his petitions with Amens. And when he had finished, she burst into a torrent of prayer, of self-denunciation, and urgent petition. And thus reconciled, they sat hand in hand.† (61) â€Å"†¦ And he said to her, will you now take a fourth husband? And desperately she said, no, no, I want no husband anymore.† (146) â€Å" And so he laughed again, and let go her hands, and took up his hat. I shall come for you when everything is ready for the marriage. Have you clothes?† (148) â€Å"-I have heard you, he said. I understand what I did not understand. There is no anger in me.† (214)

In the Lake of the Woods essays

In the Lake of the Woods essays In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien is a novel that shows the way the Vietnam War still holds a grip on the American psyche and some of the reasons why this is so. The novel illuminates issues that ar reflected in other literature, both fictional and non-fictional, regarding the war and its effect on those who had to fight it. The My Lai massacre is not representative of American actions in the war, but it does hold a particular place in the effect that war had on those at home, a pubic that was horrified at some of the things being done in its name. This contributed both to the end of the war and to the unfortunate way many returning veterans were treated by an unforgiving public. The story centers on John Wade, who has run for the U.S. Senate and who has lost because of the revelation that he participated in the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War. This is a secret he has hidden from his wifethe loss of trust is a key theme in this novel. Wade himself was trusted with a gun and a uniform and betrayed both by his actions. His wife trusted him, and he betrayed that trust by not telling her of his past. He has betrayed himself by hiding this issue as well, for the fact that it has been his secret has prevented him from receiving the atonement he needs in order to forgive himself. Because of his inability to come to terms with his crime, he commits that crime once again. The novel is presented in an interesting way by trying to explain the disappearance of John Wade and his wife, Kathy. Several different hypotheses are offered, but the plausible one is that John killed his wife and then went off into the woods to look for her, perhaps not remembering that he has killed her, perhaps trying only to get away. When he kills Kathy, he is reliving the My Lai massacre that has ruined his life. He also hides the fact of this new crime much as he hid his inv...

Farm Life Essays - Construction, Landscape Architecture, Lawn Care

Farm Life Essays - Construction, Landscape Architecture, Lawn Care Farm Life Farm Life Isnt Easy! Life as a farmer was by no means easy. There were a lot of problems and strains, but it had its good points. The Homestead Act passed in 1862 by Congress gave 160 free acres of prairie land to anyone who would live on it for five years. A lot of farmers also bought land from the Railroad Company so they could be close to the transcontinental railroad tracks, which made transportation better. Though the land was free, the problems nearly outweighed the advantages. The first was housing, which gave people two options. One was the sod house. Strips of sod were plowed and chopped into blocks, then laid down to start the walls. It was layered up, with packing boxes used for doors and windows. The sod was good for insulation in the winter, but they leaked badly in the rain. The second type was the dugout home. They were built exactly as it sounds. A space was dug on a bank or into a hill. Then the opening was covered with a roof of sod. True, people were living underground, but it was good protection. Other problems in the farm life include raging fires on the prairie, hailstorms that pounded down with marble-sized stones, and plagues of grasshoppers. The other strains were emotional, the major one being loneliness. There were miles between families or signs of civilization, and there was no recreation. People became crabby and restless while staying indoors for months at a time in the winter. Very few families could handle this life and moved back east before the five-year period was up. Farm life took a turn for the better with the introduction of four new inventions. The first was barbed wire, which prevented livestock from wandering off and stray animals from wandering across crops. The next was the steel windmill. This brought water up from deep underground and helped to relieve water shortages. Third, the steel plow made possible the growth of larger quantities of crops. Then there was the reaper. It cut and threshed wheat so productivity was much higher. But with these increases in productivity came a higher dependency on banks and railroads. Overall, farm life was difficult. Those who could handle it were strong, both physically and in will. Few who tried it stuck with it. If youre considering this lifestyle, think long and hard whether its worth it. NOTE: this paper was written like a newspaper article from the 1870s Bibliography Jordan, Winthrop; Greenblatt, Miriam; Bowes, John. The Americans: A History. 1994 McDougal, Little & Company, Illinois. pages 425-428.

Report style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Report style - Essay Example One of the most important target audiences would be teens and adults that embrace a healthier lifestyle, and as such it is the case that a soft drink could be developed to match the needs of this demographic. A few considerations should be made as to what people would be looking for. Should a drink be made no-calorie, mid-calorie or standard-calorie? If designing a drink around health benefits one is naturally inclined to desire a no-calorie drink however this may draw attention from consumers who are opposed to using aspartame or other non sugar based sweeteners. Moreover the company does not want to draw comparisons with their last mid calorie drink launch ‘Coke Blak† which more or less was a ultimately withdrawn from the market owing to the fact that he company had a poor marketing strategy and the product generally had a displeasing taste. In this regard the company could look to a full calorie beverage but the question remains as to how a healthy image could be promo ted? In this regard, Coca-Cola should look to creating a natural version of its drink which has all of the same properties of its current beverage but without using high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, colouring and utilizing naturally sourced ingredients. From this perspective the company can compete head on with Pepsi-Raw but it can still be promoted as a healthy alternative to most soft drinks. Why this proposal would be successful is two fold. Firstly this product satisfies a need in the market owing to the fact that most soft-drinks and energy drinks are either saturated with standard sweetning agents or with sugar substitutes where there has been very little presence of a ‘all natural’ soft drink. Moreover this product could appeal to a generation of people that are still interested in treating themselves to a soft-drink yet do not want to drink all of the related chemicals assuming an effective marketing and promotion strategy is

Oedipus Rex Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Oedipus Rex - Essay Example However, since he was predestined, one can argue that it was meant to happen, thus he was never guilty. As in the play, we see that there is freewill. It could be noted that Oedipus could pass the fight off when he was hit by the chariot instead of killing the man (who happened to be his father) but there was still the factor of predestination. He was meant to kill the King and was meant to marry his mother. There are options in which he can actually escape his fate but can’t because, you can’t escape fate. His sins two greatest sins are killing his father and marrying his mother. In present times, that is called parricide and incest. As far as we are concerned, he was provoked by the man in the chariot so that his actions can be named as defensive, even if he killed his father. The man also did not know that he hit his son and turned aggressive. So even if parricide was done, Oedipus is still innocent because it can be said that he is doing self defense. He is also inn ocent when he married his mother because he did not know that it was his mother! He was adopted and he did not know who his real parents were. If this were to happen these times, it would have to be socially sanctioned too, but not to the point where they would self-mutilate themselves (Oedipus blinding himself) or commit suicide because of humiliation.