THE GUV'NOR

Graham Rowson

Don't risk missing the smoking ban roadshows says the licensee of the Plungington Tavern in Preston, Lancashire

I make no apologies for harping on about the smoking ban and like most of you I've just about had enough of it. I have been cogitating over it for nearly 10 years.

I think the first thing to do, and perhaps the hardest, is to absorb the facts and see this ban as an "opportunity for new sales". Smile, snigger or laugh but it's the only way to look at it. Use it as a good excuse to analyse and address your business needs with a fresh outlook and with new ideas. It also gives you justification to spring clean and tart things up a bit. Let's not be so negative; we are all in the same boat so if you start doing something about it now, you can spread the costs over a period of time.

There is very little point in wasting time with discussions about loss of sales and the where, what, why, and when of it all, because it's going to happen regardless of public outcry. So lets make the most of it. Be positive. It's not all doom and gloom.

I run a Punch Taverns outlet that is land-locked with a small yard at the rear. After cleaning it up, painting the walls and floors, adding some new garden furniture, plants and lighting I've developed a great beer garden doubling as a smoking area. I have still to address the heating problem, but I have had the idea of installing some old cast-iron radiators I found in a scrap yard, and firing them up from the main boiler of the pub, so customers can lean or sit on them to keep warm.

The point of all this is to focus you on the implementation of the job at hand and to advise you to go on the BII's or the Morning Advertiser's Plan for the Ban roadshows (£15 & £20 respectively, including lunch and lasting about four hours). I can assure you they are full of facts and ideas presented in an easy to follow format. If you don't go you will be missing out on a great opportunity to get involved. You will be armed with a new vision of the future of our pubs and pub life.

They are being run in February and March, so you will have to be quick - the first one run by the BII was sold out in four days.

The BII contact is 01276 684449, or email events@bii.org. It is running 15 events nationwide.

The Morning Advertiser is running six shows nationwide. To book a place phone 01293 610343, or email diane.russell@william-reed.co.uk.