Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em

The smoking ban in public areas has been running for just over a month now, and the strangeness is starting to come out. Case in point today – I had my first lunch break in a while, and chose to spend it outside the Crown & Two, my local pub. There were ashtrays arranged on the windowsills outside. The reason for this became clear later on, when we noticed smoke and embers coming out of the cellar hatch. We tipped beer onto the glow, and called out the staff. The embers were cigarette butts, dropped and left to smoulder in the wood. As everyone has to smoke outside, the corner of Dean and Bateman Street is kneedeep in old fag ends. It’s a side-effect I hadn’t considered. What’s especially interesting is how quiet it is inside the pubs. Quiet and clean. I could easily be persuaded to drink indoors from now on.