In towns and villages across the land the pub is the heart of the community.
They are places of companionship and entertainment, venues for live music, quizzes and comedy nights and meeting spots for sports teams, societies and book clubs.
If we want thriving local areas we need thriving locals. But far too many are ringing last orders for the final time.
Landlords who managed to keep going through the pandemic now struggle with soaring energy bills. Last year more than 30 pubs a month closed.
This year could be even worse with almost one in three predicted to go bust.
The biggest threat is the ending of Government support for energy costs. From April that will be cut by 85%. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt urgently needs to rethink this.
If he fails to intervene he will rip the heart out of hundreds of communities across Britain.
Beeb’s insult
Many Tory MPs would love to see the end of the BBC.
Egged on by right-wing press tycoons they want to weaken impartiality rules and create a US-style media free-for-all.
Which is why it is all the more important that those who work in the BBC defend public service broadcasting.
The boast by Director General Tim Davie that it was “amazing to pull off” the licence fee only plays into the hands of the BBC’s enemies.
His flippant words also insult millions of over 75s no longer entitled to a free licence.
Instead of bragging about the BBC’s privileged position he should be seeking to deliver value for money and protecting the corporation’s reputation for impartial reporting.
Crepe escapes
More than 25 million pancakes will go to waste this Shrove Tuesday – burnt, undercooked or tossed on the floor.
So if you escape the pitfalls and turn out the perfect golden crepe, give yourself a pat on the back. You made it look flipping easy.
