Staying Open

[Quizmonster]

A friend and I, both getting on a bit, are convinced that - at one time - a pub HAD to stay open during licensing hours or risk losing the licence.
I know it does not apply now, but was that ever the case in either England or Scotland?

[Svejk]

Well, only anecdotally. I heard the same thing. (Did it only apply to pubs which were Inns?)

[Sycamore3House]

Under the old licensing laws prior to 2005 pubs were only allowed to trade during permitted hours. Permitted hours varied around the country and market towns had longer permitted hours on market days etc as an example. You did not have to open if you did not want to.

[Canary42]

Yes, in my young days I'm sure it was the case.

[New Judge]

This was "An Old Wives' Tale" (or more accurately an Old Soaks' Tale).

Sycamore is quite right. Pubs did not have to open all their permitted hours. I can remember when there were a number of "locals" in an area the Governors would often have an informal agreement to give each other a night off. The Kings Head might close on Tuesday and everybody had to go to the Rose & Crown. On Wednesday the Rose & Crown would close up.

[ToraToraTora]

never heard of that. The management reserve the right to serve who they want when they want within the law at the time, the basic tennet of retail.

[Psybbo]

Years ago a hotel here had to open one day a year to retain its licence to sell alcohol

[Canary42]

Thanks nj, I did wonder if it was an urban myth. It was however widely believed when I was young.

[EDDIE51]

I think we are getting mixed up with a pub that is owned by a brewery normally having a condition in their agreement that the pub would be open at all permitted hours. This was not a law, it was a condition imposed by brewery's on their tenants. A free house could open when it liked.
It still is a condition on many pubs that are owned by a brewery or 'Pub co'
the owner wants maximum possible sales and profit.

[Quizmonster]

Thanks to all of you. Now, I'm going to have to print your answers, ready to pass them on to my friend when we meet by the beer-pumps tomorrow evening. He's not an easy man to convince!
It seems quite a few of you had held, or at least heard of, the same belief. One wonders how such urban myths come into existence.