War on Pubs

The War on Pubs Begins 

The First World War was a turning point in the history of Europe, so to look at it from the point of view of the pub may seem trivial or irrelevant, but the measures taken by government reverberated in English society for almost a century. The Defence of the Realm Act has parallels today with acts to defend against terrorism; it gave sweeping powers in the interests of national security and the war effort. Magistrates were given powers to restrict pub opening hours or to close pubs completely. Pubs near strategic sites such as munitions factories or military installations were closed.

The restriction on pub opening hours had a profound affect, a 10pm closing time was introduced and for the first time pubs were forced to close in the afternoons on weekdays. When the war ended the restrictions stayed and in 1921 they became law. The act was not repealed until 1988.

These measures were introduced to ensure a sober workforce and to prevent accidents, particularly in the munitions factories, but were deeply unpopular. To add insult to injury, the strength of beer was lowered which caused great resentment and may have been a factor in the industrial unrest of 1917.

Government interference took a further step when the Central Control Board assumed control of pubs and breweries in certain areas, the most famous being Carlisle. Here, the CCB closed down half the breweries and nearly a quarter of its pubs. Those that werent shut down remained in state ownership until 1972.

Soldiers returning from the trenches came home to weak beer and less opportunities to drink it. Another change was the role of women, who had helped keep the country going during the war, many taking on mens work. More women began to frequent pubs in the 1920s and there was a coincidental fall in the number of women charged with drunkenness.