Hamish Champ: Plus ca change, etc, as they say in 'la belle France'

So how was it for you? Your New Year's Eve I mean. Mine was certainly pleasant, pre-loading in reverse as I did in a nice pub in East Dulwich - and where I didn't have to cough up a fiver merely to cross the threshold - before adjourning to a chum's party which went on until 6am. Surfacing on New Year's Day just as it was getting dark I reminded myself - not for the first time - that I'm getting too old for this sort of thing.

But never mind my revellry, from a pub sector perspective 2009 ended rather bitterly, if you'll excuse the brewing pun, with brickbats flying all over the place after the threats of 'industrial action' from the GMB.

I spent what seemed like hours going through the comments appended to a couple of my stories related to the subject on thepublican.com​ 'twixt Christmas and New Year's Eve. The name calling and the insult hurling from readers on both sides of the argument at least illustrated the strength of feeling surrounding the issue.

Whether it is looking to work for oppressed publicans everywhere or merely trying to drum up members, the GMB's plan is surely a worrying development for the large pub-owning companies, bringing the sort of adverse publicity the industry can do without and which opponents of the larger entities relish. And remember, all this hoo-ha is soon to be followed by the BIS committee's likely update on how it views progress to improve things, which is due in the coming weeks.

Perhaps the GMB recognises that this government is not going to act in licensees' favour, as many hoped it would. I tend to agree.

Apart from swingeing hikes in business rates and crackdowns on underage drinking in pubs I can't see the current government doing much about the sector, at least in what some on the anti-pubco side would term 'supportive' terms legislatively. Gordon Brown has a General Election to worry about and much as the British publice cares about pubs, there are other things on the electoral shopping list. Perhaps David Cameron, if he wins the key to 10 Downing Street, may consider taking some action. But it's not a given.

One thing is for certain however; 2010 looks like starting where its predecessor left off.

Happy New Year!

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Check out the following, wot I came across while doing the weekend newspaper round-up yesterday (you think I get a lie-in on a Sunday morning?!?):

"The pubs that got into hot water in 2009 were carrying too much debt, or were bought at the peak of the market, or both. When they were hit by plummeting valuations, shrinking earnings and rising interest rates, something had to give.

"According to several industry experts, the troubles for the industry will be much the same again this year, market values expected to decline marginally and flatten by next year, when things are set to improve."

Where do you think I found this snippet? The Guardian​? The Financial Times​? Perhaps The Daily Telegraph​? Nope, it's from the Sydney Morning Herald​. January 2, 2010. Not a solely British disease then, over-leveraging…