Weston Super Saint

Yes. Sales mix = circa 65% food, 30% wet, 5% machines.

Steve Curtis.

1. Someone to make the beer - raw materials aren't free 2. Someone to deliver the beer. 3. Someone to serve the beer. 4. Associated costs; heat, light etc etc. 5. Profit - everyone has a right to make a profit right? In the old days it used to be circa 78% Gross profit - selling price less cost price, but not including wages, bills etc etc... These days it's more like 61% Gross profit And these days we have minimum wage to deal with which eats in to the net profit big time

Absolutely true! Which is why the smoking ban is not responsible for closing pubs down. It is lazy, bad publicans looking for someone to blame because they are not very good at running their businesses. There are numerous 'solutions' to cater for smokers and entice them into the pub. And Ponty, you should try being on the other side of the fence, when the non smokers sit outside and then complain there are people smoking all around them as if I should do something about it. I usually politely request they move inside to the non smoking area if they are that upset.

The reason is simples.... It saves money In a business that loses as much money as RM, then saving money is essential. You see, they've already paid the postman to bring the parcel to your house - which is what they're paid to do - and it's not their fault your not in during the working day, hey they can make it to your house during working hours, so why can't you, it's not like you didn't know they were coming....oh... So, now you have to go to the Post Office and pick up your parcel, who cares if this inconveniences you? At least they don't have to send the postie out to your house again which will cost them time and money. What's that you say, you'll be getting more post tomorrow anyway....Take your logic away

Is it the ball that was hit by someone on an airport runway? Travelled over a mile IIRC...

TBF that is a FACT.

It would. It would harm the staff. Pretty soon there would be a court case and damages paid etc etc, and the Elf and Safety would have a field day. Also, the Gov't will NEVER admit to being wrong, so the decision will NEVER be reversed.

Will never happen.

Which is why most pubco's are behind a minimum price for a unit - ranging from 50p to 80p. It will come in, just a matter of time, and agreeing on the price...

Only partially. The rest of the blame sits squarely with the supermarkets who sell alcohol as a loss leader to keep customers in their shops. Which would you rather.... £3.00 a pint [because the tax is horrific, thanks Tony and Gordon ], in a pub that is a smoke free zone. or 50p a pint in your own armchair where you can smoke until the kaaaannnnccccaaaaa gets ya?

Jill, you know we're talking about today, not October 2008 right?

So we can definitely discount number 1 then considering the OP stated they keep hearing sirens lately. If only the moon mystery was so easy to solve

I'm amazed they could understand you! Still, you did say you called them rather than e-mailing them

Were you working there this morning at 09:20?

Seeing as they are both floating vessels and Southampton is surrounded by water, then it is entirely possible!! How likely it is I couldn't possibly tell you. However, the consensus of opinion - from people other than on TSW - seem to agree that the sirens are from Hamble and or Fawley, testing that they are all in working order. Seeing as these two are both permanent establishments in the area, it would make far more sense that they should test these alarms since a spillage from either of them is far more likely than the off chance that a nuclear submarine should make a very rare visit and a spillage at the same time! I don't doubt for a second that certain procedures need to be followed in the unlikely event of a nuclear spillage, I just don't believe they are carried out on a frequent basis like the original poster was insinuating.

Please.

No. The last one was January this year, but is not a regular event... http://www.nuclearinfo.org/node/1969 This is a good quote though

Where would a nuclear spillage or reactor accident occur in Southampton? It's not like we're awash with Nuclear Submarines.

In Southampton?

The 'I knew if was you' bit. Doesn't make any grammatical sense whatsoever.

English?

He works there, selling memberships

True. On balance, I think I'd rather not know, die blissfully ignorant The consensus of opinion - not that that means anything on here!! - is that it is either Fawley or BP @ Hamble testing their alarms.

LOL. A bit pointless having a warning siren if no-one knows what it's meant to be! Can you imagine if someone did decide to attack us, and they set off the warning alarm? "what's that?" "oh, that alarm thing, that's just the shift change at BAT" "no, it's the docks that is" By the time people have stopped arguing over what the alarm is for, they'll cease to exist so it wouldn't matter anyway.