The sad death of football genius George Best at the age of only 59 through excessive drinking, came ironically just when the Government was permitting longer drinking hours! This should surely come as a wake up call to members of parliament who have totally ignored overwhelming expert advice and acted with breathtaking folly in abolishing sensible restrictions. The majority of the founders of the Labour party were all the wiser for being tee-totallers!

Taking Liverpool in 1860 as an example of other towns, the drink trade there was being described as “the curse of the town”. The higher the wages the more men drank. Wives were beaten, children were in rags and homes hardly had a stick of furniture. Happily through the hard work of the Liverpool Town Mission and others, things began to improve. Publicans promised not to serve drink to children under 13 and later through pressure being brought to bear on parliament, licensing laws were passed compelling public houses to close by 11pm.

In 1875 the ‘British Workman’s Public House Co.’ was founded so that workmen could obtain food and drink without entering a public house. Soon there were about 80 of these “Cocoa Rooms” selling tea, coffee and cocoa for a penny a large cup! They were soon serving 20,000 meals daily. By 1900 ‘Demon Drink’ was being conquered and millions of children were signing ‘the pledge’ not to touch alcohol. For some 50 years the streets of our towns and cities were peaceful. There were no stabbings, shootings, rapes or hooliganism at football matches. Families stayed together, divorce was rare and shops were closed every Sunday for rest and worship.

Then came the ‘Swinging Sixties’ when the nation swung away from God, purity, honesty and sobriety! Sadly the one thing we learn from history is that we do not learn from it!