Norfolk all hours... Chavs... Toilet humour...

North Norfolk council took its first steps to becoming Britain's '24-hour hotspot' after the council said anyone who wanted an extension would have to apply for round-the-clock opening. One licensee, David Watts, said: 'It's not something we wanted to do, but my wife, Pam, went to the council's licensing seminar and she was told that if we wanted extensions at any time then we would have to apply for a 24-hour licence.'

JD Wetherspoon's outspoken chairman Tim Martin was hot under the collar, after he launched a scathing attack on a newspaper report that labelled JDW pubs as havens for 'chavs and drunks'.

The company's Moon on the Hill in Harrow, not too far from JDW's Watford HQ, was criticised for its 'uninspired surroundings', 'ordinary grub' and 'brown and bland' interior. Martin slammed the review as 'a completely random and unfair slur on our customers'.

Meanwhile, a prankster caused inconvenience for licensees in London. They were sent a letter on Metropolitan Police-headed paper warning them to ensure washroom attendants comply with the necessary employment laws. It warned of surprise inspections on the capital's pub loos. Thankfully, the letter was a hoax. Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers chief executive Nick Bish said: 'There is no legislation covering washroom attendants, well certainly none that I know of.'

A Sussex licensee actively en-couraged drink driving this month - by staging a 24-hour Scalextric marathon at his pub. The equivalent of 6.5 miles of track were laid at the Boar's Head in Horsham, and all the money raised went to charity.

The trade was able to take mixed blessings from the latest edition of the Lonely Planet Great Britain guide. Traditional pubs were given a glowing review: 'From a charming rural pub in Devon to a classic Edwardian drinking palace in Edinburgh, you'll find many memorable places in which to enjoy a pint.'

But a number of managed pub brands were singled out for their 'infantile' names. On the beer side, the guide waxes lyrical about the delights of real ale.

However, it also said: 'Your first taste may come as a shock - a warm, flat and expensive shock.'