According to the Guardian, today (9 April) nearly four pubs a day are closing:

“Almost four pubs a day are closing for business, taking down their swinging signs and their hanging baskets and boarding up their windows. It is the most powerful signal yet that one of Britain’s oldest, most resilient industries is in a dire state.”

Like farmers, publicans aren’t renowned for their optimistic outlook, but we feel it’s not always bad news. For instance, the pub pictured in the article - an old favourite, the Intrepid Fox - has reopened here and another recently-closed pub - the Crown (in Bow), reopens this weekend.

We’re not saying that the situation isn’t bad, we believe too many good pubs are closing for the wrong reasons, but we still feel the cataclysmic decline of the great British pub has been somewhat overstated.

Anyway, for more on the Graun thing, read here.