Good to hear from you George and it would be great to see you in April - more of that below.

The forum closing pisses me off too but this time difference against that of my own sleep / work habits puts me in the position of having more time to myself, which is good. It's helped wean me off an ebb and flow of argument and discussion which frustratingly, looking back over the three years I've been contributing here, is perennially circular... it keeps coming back to the same bollocks: 'is the tie really pernicious or is it just useless publicans complaining about it?'

Caroline Nodder did an editorial on the Publican a couple of weeks ago which read as if it had been written four years ago. It was a pathetically inadequate overview of the industry as it is now. I couldn't even be bothered to respond. The MA's not much better either - the tie debate should have ended in uncompromising legislation five years ago at least but it just keeps on and on and on.

In the meantime I am expecting imminent bankruptcy which, barring a miracle / lottery win, has been an inevitability, I believe without exaggeration, since 2000. Well, thinking about it, since 1997 when I was blackmailed into signing a deed of variation to my lease.

The way things pan out it seems very likely that I'll still be at the pub in April though. I live above so it will take some time for me to be evicted. I'd rather this approaching chapter were another one but I've been so close to bankruptcy for so long now it holds few fears any more and am regarding it as a badge of honour for my fight against stupidity and wrong and also as a marking point for a big and much needed change in my life, no matter how uncomfortable it will be in the short term.

DO get in touch when you're over here my number's 07768 096 761 and, in case that's not available post administration, my email is mdodds58@gmail.com