On 9 Nov 2010 at 8:48pm Peter Byron wrote:
Not sure anyone will be too interested (hope my BB is) but due to the Dutch Goverment seeing sense and overturning the smoking ban I have decided to sell up and move to Amsterdam. I can no longer stand outside a public house in the cold and rain to have a ciggie and as I get older it will be even more unbearable, so I am off to the place where tolerance has always existed and is about to become even more tolerant. Hope everyone had a great 5th Nov. I leave for the smoke (this time Amsterdam ha ha) on 17th December, wish me well Lewes friends. Bon Voyage, Peter 
On 9 Nov 2010 at 9:02pm Mrs Twine wrote:
I have made you some clogs from reconstituted lentils; wear them in good health! Christmas in Amsterdam - well I never!
On 9 Nov 2010 at 9:06pm Tired legs wrote:
Keep off the skunk Peter and you'll be OK.
On 9 Nov 2010 at 10:09pm Newmania wrote:
I noticed that ,of course the fooolhardy Dutch will start dropping like flies from the effects of passive smoking...not .Meanwhile the phrase passive drinking made its first unwelcome appearance in our bossy booted country.
On 9 Nov 2010 at 10:35pm Burn em! wrote:
Yeah see ya mate
That's one fewer atmosphere polluter to have to walk past outside all the doorways...
On 10 Nov 2010 at 9:20am Helenium wrote:
Newmania: my granddad died as a result of passive smoking you ignorant moron. Show some respect. Are you a scientist/doctor? I think not..
On 10 Nov 2010 at 11:04am Guido wrote:
I hope you're happy in Holland, mate, but I don't think you have done your life chances much good, what with you smoking plus inhaling passive smoking from everyone else. I wonder what BB and Madame Bovary will say!
On 10 Nov 2010 at 12:49pm jrsussex wrote:
Peter Byron - Can you give me details of where I can get some detailed information that led to the over-turning of the ban by the Dutch Government? I would be very grateful.
On 10 Nov 2010 at 1:41pm Womens Lib wrote:
I expect you would like tarts with red lights in their windows on every street as well jr 'The perv' sussex
On 10 Nov 2010 at 1:45pm Toker wrote:
Here is some more information.
h**p://www.discountvouchers.co.uk/news/60243535.html
Seems the law has been relaxed in coffee shops which are a certain size (small) and where there are no staff.Don't quite know how that will work...
On 10 Nov 2010 at 3:49pm jrsussex wrote:
Toker - Thank you.
Womens LIb - What a sad person you are, try and get yourself a life. What on earth has attempting to get parliament to review the smoking ban got to do with prostitution???
On 10 Nov 2010 at 5:06pm jrsussex wrote:
Dutch bars of less than 70 square metres (753 square feet), with no staff other than the owner will be exempt from the Smoking Ban introduced on 1st July 2008. Every such bar will have to display a sign to alert customers as to whether or not it is a smoking establishment. The decision has yet to be approved by parliament.
Interesting it has almost certainly come about due to a Government body issuing statistics that showed 41% of Dutch bars were transgressing the legislation.
Womens Lib - No mention in the reports of women sitting in windows, however your apparent expertise in the subject may reveal the connection.
On 10 Nov 2010 at 7:08pm Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
What a very sensible approach to the issue.
I do like the way the Dutch conduct themselves in social matters. They seem so very reasonable.
On 10 Nov 2010 at 7:44pm Independent thinker wrote:
JRS, parliament just soundly defeated an attempt to overturn the ban here, and have stated they won't be carrying out the review of the ban Labour promised in 2012. And seem to have a few fairly important matters to deal with that most people would say are a priority. On top of that the Dutch partial reversal doesn't set a precedent for any premises with employees and appears more linked to domestic politics than any new medical or other evidence that might undermine the case for the ban here in the UK. I care passionately about the fate of pubs here in the UK, but I think their future would be better protected if campaigning energy went into tackling the multiple other issues affecting the trade. Campaigns that actually stand a chance of success. For example tackling loss-leading cheap supermarket booze and/or lowering the level of beer tax for pubs, and finding ways to stop Pubcos from unreasonably raising rents or treating pubs as real estate properties instead of community assets.
On 10 Nov 2010 at 9:13pm jrsussex wrote:
Independent Thinker - You have your opinion on smoking in pubs and that is your right. The fact is that the ban, on top of other crippling blows to the industry, had a tremendous negative impact. Whilst about 30% of the UK population as a whole smoked at the time of the introduction of the ban over 70% of pub users smoked. Quite a difference.
As to the other drink industry problems you mention we have been fighting those since the late 1980's and are slowly (but surely) winning. The supermarkets are unfortunately a big not to crack , but we continue to fight for the single pub operators.
On 10 Nov 2010 at 11:21pm Brixtonbelle wrote:
Peter, dear Peter. I'll think of you every time I pass the kippers in Waitrose. Life will be a little less bright on the forum. Light a big fat one for me. 
Good Luck
On 11 Nov 2010 at 5:47pm Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
I'll miss you too, Peter, although I have a suspicion you're actually Adam Frost having a laugh.
Good luck.