As a solicitor retired from practice I can afford to take a rather more objective view of licensing than some of the lawyers quoted in your recent article (see [2004] Gazette, 2 September, 20).


Clearly they do not like the fact that local authorities have a rather wider remit than licensing justices and equally clearly they object to broader policy issues being invoked. How dare the good of society come before their clients' rights to make oodles of money?


Elizabeth Southron even sees fit to take a pop at Westminster planning policies and declares herself an enemy of mixed-use environments, since they might justify preventing her clients making those oodles.


It may have escaped these people's notice that a 24-hour drinking culture is hardly new. It has been in existence all my life. You went down to the offie and paid a quarter, or less, of the fancy prices of these bars and clubs, and if you didn't fancy drinking alone you took some of your mates home with you.


I love a drink in a pub - but I'm usually happy to go home after 11. You just work out how long you want to drink for and subtract the amount of time from 11 to find out when to start. Simple really.



Ian Craine, London