War and transport fuel spasmodic' trading

by tony halstead The congestion charge in central London, problems with the underground network and the outbreak of war in Iraq have all combined to hit pub business in the capital. But pub operators say spasmodic trading patterns cannot simply be put down to concern over the events in the Middle East. A Mori poll, commissioned by Mayor Ken Livingstone, has revealed that one in five Londoners were now less likely to visit the City ­ almost 38% indicated they had cut down on their leisure commitments because of the Iraq conflict. But Philip Matthews of the Westminster Licensees Assoc-iation said the congestion charge and continuing problems on the Central Line tube had contributed to the downturn. "Midweek trade is noticeably down and the closure of the Central Line and the congestion charge are largely to blame," said Matthews. "It's not just the war, because weekend trading is still very good ­ there are a lot of factors at play here. He added: "If people were so concerned about the war I think weekend business would also be hit." But the Laurel Pub Company, which has several pubs in the City, said there had been no noticeable drop in trade. "We are trading in line with expectations, although comparisons are difficult to make because Easter fell at this time last year," said director of communications Maureen Heffernan. Guild of Master Victuallers chairman, Bill Sharp, who runs the Kings Arms in Bankside, London, said licensees in the capital had reported spasmodic trade. "We seem to have a good session followed by a poor one and there appears to be no pattern. It probably sums up how insecure people feel with the Iraq war. "It's difficult for licensees to strike a balance. Some people want to follow the Iraq situation closely, others go to the pub to get away from that." However, the recent good weather, followed by Sunday's Mother's Day trade rush, combined to give many licensees excellent business last weekend.