Smoking and the mature female pub goer

The word 'virgin' is not one I often see in a press release, but Greene King sure knows how to get a journalist's attention.

According to research conducted by the Suffolk brewer, wives of pub regulars of a certain age who've hitherto eschewed their local so as not to come home reeking of fag smoke are expected to 'flock' to the pub after July 1. These laydeez - classic 'pub virgins', says Greene King - comprise a significant chunk of potential new pub customers in a smoke-free regime.

I understand where GK is coming from, and with the City bracing itself for the ban, good news is certainly at a premium. However, I think the chaps from Bury St Edmunds are sticking their necks out a bit here.

Pubs bereft of smoke will still be pubs, and let's face it, the environment in many a licensed premises will remain, shall we say… robust. Getting the girls in won't be just about the absence of ashtrays. But I guess it's a start.

Meanwhile the news of Adrian Fawcett's departure from Punch Taverns is more interesting than it first appears. Last year Punch chief executive Giles Thorley suggested to yours truly he'd "be off" within 18 months. Whether you believed him back then or not, well, you paid your money and you took your choice.

Now, despite Giles' protestations to the contrary, the decision by his number two to leave leads one to suppose the main man might have decided to hang around for a while longer. Perhaps Adrian realised his would be a long wait for the top job and sought pastures new and challenging. The parting of the ways appears friendly enough though.

There's certainly plenty still to do on the corporate front, with Punch seemingly in for pretty much everything going at the moment.

With the desire to do deals running in his blood, it could be argued Thorley wants more of the action. If this is indeed the case, Punch shareholders will be delighted he's decided to delay holstering his light sabre - for the time being…