Final nail in Wales' dry' coffin

This week's news that Welsh Sunday Polls have been abolished ends at least 120 years of historical abstinence in the Principality.

It was in 1881 that the Sunday Closing (Wales) Act was passed, because the people of Wales at that time thought that the restrictions on Sunday hours generally, which had been passed in 1872, were "attended by great public benefits".

They, therefore, agreed that a complete ban on sales on Sunday would be a good thing.

The idea of polling the local population to remove the ban did not come in until at least 1953, and as far as I am aware, the first poll occurred in 1954.

Certainly, by the Licensing Act 1961, the polls were established but many of the counties of Wales had resolved to stay dry on Sundays.

It was only by 1989 that the idea of dry Sundays for pubs (but not, ironically for clubs) was near extinction, only Dwyfor resolving to stay dry.

The last bastion fell in a poll held on 13 November 1996, whereupon the Government of the day promised to repeal the relevant section of the Licensing Act forthwith.

Forthwith?

For some reason it has taken a further seven years to get round to it, and then only at the last possible moment.

The abolition of the polls was one of the reasons given for pushing through the Licensing Act itself, incidentally, although I suspect there were several others of more importance.

But lest the English among you feel at all smug, let me reveal that in 1889 a Bill to impose Sunday closing in England managed to get to second reading in the Commons.

Eventually, the English Sunday Closing Bill, as it was called, was rejected, but the six-day licence (Monday to Saturday) remained popular for many years, especially as the licensee only paid six-sevenths of the excise duty!

The problem with the polls in Wales was always the threat that they could swing back the other way with a vociferous minority of teetotallers or abstainers and a low turnout.

And they are expensive to run, of course.

Only 500 like-minded people were required to requisition a ballot, whether the area was currently wet or dry.

Interestingly, there was one concession, even in the dry counties ­ the Act did not prevent passengers on railway trains getting a drink on Sundays at station buffets.

Now there's sensible, isn't it, boyo?