Participatory Culture in the Pub
In ruby-talk #178174, Stephen Kellett writes:
Indeed. We have this in England and Wales – playing musical instruments in public houses (pubs, bars etc) is illegal without a license for entertaining (not just a license, but several…). Whereas if you move to Scotland (a part of the Great Britain and a part of the United Kingdom) it is perfectly legal. Not sure what happens in Northern Ireland. In Scotland they view folk music as part of their culture and to be encouraged. Sadly in England (and Wales as it appears to always have the same rules) this is not the case.
So me and my mandolin and a pint of beer – that is illegal. Unbelievably stupid, but true. However 200 drunken football supporters and a live football feed from satellite TV – perfectly legal – no license for entertainment required. I’ll leave it to you to judge which environment causes less disturbance and/or possible aggravation.