h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

On 24th November 2005 the Uk changed its licensing laws, pubs can now apply to stay open for 24 hours if the landlord wishes they just need to fill in an application with the local council (by all accounts its a small mountain of paperwork that needs filling in.)

In practice most landlords do wish to sleep at sometime and they appear to be closing around 11pm still. Far from the horror stories of 24hour binge drinking the UK newspapers predicted.

Many places now do remain open a little later if the pub is busy and the landlord is still serving. However a lot of bars and clubs are staying open later and the up shot of this is that you don't know what time it is going to close unless you ask first. Or hear the shout for last orders!

my local is keeping open on a fri and sat evenings until midnight or untill the last punter has left, whatever comes first! Which is cracking, the 24 hour drunken riot the media predicted failed to recognise that some people have the abilaty to govern themselves. Relaxed licencing hours enables the publicans themselves to judge what the public want.