Shut up about Barclay Perkins - Licensed premises in Scotland 1945 - 2009
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Every so often I make a little mining expedition to the number-heavy regions of my library. The precious numbers I hew from the rocks are then carefully packaged up into tables. Which I take out and admire periodically.
Or if I'm feeling generous (or abusive, depending on your point of view) I'll show them to family and friends. "Ooh, isn't that fascinating." Is what they never say. Usually it's "Dad, I'm trying to watch Pointless." "I'm not interested in that crap, Ronald." Though often it's more negative than that.
I'm particularly proud of this table, documenting as it does Scottish on and off licences for the whole postwar period. Well, at least as far as 2009. Taking it any further could be a problem.as the Scottish Executive has stopped publishing the statistics in 2007. Bastards. Don't they realise what an inconvenience to me that is? They did the same once in the past. The figures for 1981 to 1990 are the British Beer and Pub Association's guess.
You may notice something slightly surprising in the numbers:
Licensed premises in Scotland 1945 - 2009 |
Year |
Public houses |
Hotels |
Pubs & hotels |
Restricted Hotels |
Restaurants |
Restricted Hotels & Restaurants |
Registered clubs |
Off licences |
Total |
1945 |
4,080 |
1,506 |
5,586 |
|
|
|
681 |
2,188 |
8,455 |
1946 |
4,084 |
1,565 |
5,649 |
|
|
|
740 |
2,204 |
8,593 |
1947 |
4,103 |
1,646 |
5,749 |
|
|
|
773 |
2,257 |
8,779 |
1948 |
4,111 |
1,690 |
5,801 |
|
|
|
834 |
2,313 |
8,948 |
1949 |
4,115 |
1,709 |
5,824 |
|
|
|
884 |
2,342 |
9,050 |
1950 |
4,118 |
1,740 |
5,858 |
|
|
|
912 |
2,366 |
9,136 |
1951 |
4,123 |
1,768 |
5,891 |
|
|
|
944 |
2,380 |
9,215 |
1952 |
4,111 |
1,770 |
5,881 |
|
|
|
966 |
2,387 |
9,234 |
1953 |
4,134 |
1,800 |
5,934 |
|
|
|
990 |
2,409 |
9,333 |
1954 |
4,156 |
1,826 |
5,982 |
|
|
|
1,021 |
2,424 |
9,427 |
1955 |
4,162 |
1,821 |
5,983 |
|
|
|
1,056 |
2,426 |
9,465 |
1956 |
4,176 |
1,846 |
6,022 |
|
|
|
1,132 |
2,434 |
9,588 |
1957 |
4,201 |
1,872 |
6,073 |
|
|
|
1,169 |
2,444 |
9,686 |
1958 |
4,181 |
1,893 |
6,074 |
|
|
|
1,219 |
2,482 |
9,775 |
1959 |
4,177 |
1,942 |
6,119 |
|
|
|
1,245 |
2,499 |
9,863 |
1960 |
4,186 |
1,987 |
6,173 |
|
|
|
1,297 |
2,580 |
10,050 |
1961 |
4,206 |
2,056 |
6,262 |
|
|
|
1,326 |
2,782 |
10,370 |
1962 |
4,218 |
2,096 |
6,314 |
60 |
44 |
104 |
1,379 |
2,961 |
10,758 |
1963 |
4,212 |
2,138 |
6,350 |
111 |
106 |
217 |
1,421 |
3,131 |
11,119 |
1964 |
4,222 |
2,196 |
6,418 |
142 |
148 |
290 |
1,497 |
3,242 |
11,447 |
1965 |
4,213 |
2,265 |
6,478 |
149 |
175 |
324 |
1,554 |
3,385 |
11,741 |
1966 |
4,222 |
2,319 |
6,541 |
170 |
201 |
371 |
1,607 |
3,384 |
11,903 |
1967 |
4,230 |
2,404 |
6,634 |
184 |
221 |
405 |
1,686 |
3,555 |
12,280 |
1968 |
4,198 |
2,449 |
6,647 |
212 |
274 |
486 |
1,793 |
3,630 |
12,556 |
1969 |
4,111 |
2,509 |
6,620 |
226 |
307 |
533 |
1,890 |
3,644 |
12,687 |
1970 |
4,190 |
2,565 |
6,755 |
227 |
358 |
585 |
1,938 |
3,766 |
13,044 |
1971 |
4,176 |
2,609 |
6,785 |
250 |
406 |
656 |
2,073 |
3,819 |
13,333 |
1972 |
4,064 |
2,646 |
6,710 |
270 |
431 |
701 |
2,148 |
3,872 |
13,431 |
1973 |
4,086 |
2,769 |
6,855 |
304 |
501 |
805 |
2,214 |
4,021 |
13,895 |
1974 |
3,923 |
2,745 |
6,668 |
319 |
540 |
859 |
2,306 |
4,019 |
13,852 |
1975 |
4,002 |
2,755 |
6,757 |
317 |
587 |
904 |
2,404 |
4,182 |
14,247 |
1976 |
4,132 |
2,871 |
7,003 |
345 |
670 |
1,015 |
2,398 |
4,365 |
14,781 |
1977 |
4,192 |
2,865 |
7,057 |
365 |
713 |
1,078 |
2,600 |
4,446 |
15,181 |
1978 |
4,309 |
2,990 |
7,299 |
393 |
775 |
1,168 |
2,671 |
4,625 |
15,763 |
1979 |
4,363 |
2,928 |
7,291 |
419 |
853 |
1,272 |
2,594 |
4,712 |
15,869 |
1980 |
4,472 |
2,959 |
7,431 |
438 |
921 |
1,359 |
2,723 |
4,899 |
16,412 |
1981 |
|
|
7,450 |
|
|
1,400 |
2,750 |
5,000 |
16,600 |
1982 |
|
|
7,450 |
|
|
1,450 |
2,800 |
5,100 |
16,800 |
1983 |
|
|
7,450 |
|
|
1,500 |
2,850 |
5,200 |
17,000 |
1984 |
|
|
7,450 |
|
|
1,550 |
2,850 |
5,300 |
17,150 |
1985 |
|
|
7,450 |
|
|
1,600 |
2,825 |
5,400 |
17,275 |
1986 |
|
|
7,450 |
|
|
1,650 |
2,825 |
5,550 |
17,475 |
1987 |
|
|
7,450 |
|
|
1,700 |
2,800 |
5,600 |
17,550 |
1988 |
4,472 |
2,959 |
7,450 |
|
|
1,750 |
2,775 |
5,650 |
17,625 |
1989 |
|
|
7,500 |
|
|
1,800 |
2,750 |
5,700 |
17,750 |
1990 |
|
|
7,550 |
|
|
1,850 |
2,700 |
5,800 |
17,900 |
1991 |
4,828 |
2,731 |
7,559 |
570 |
1,314 |
1,884 |
2,668 |
5,912 |
18,023 |
1992 |
4,831 |
2,712 |
7,543 |
573 |
1,333 |
1,906 |
2,631 |
5,933 |
18,013 |
1993 |
4,847 |
2,665 |
7,512 |
564 |
1,383 |
1,947 |
2,594 |
5,994 |
18,047 |
1994 |
4,880 |
2,649 |
7,529 |
563 |
1,399 |
1,962 |
2,558 |
6,112 |
18,161 |
1995 |
4,978 |
2,622 |
7,600 |
549 |
1,446 |
1,995 |
2,521 |
6,268 |
18,384 |
1996 |
5,070 |
2,616 |
7,686 |
581 |
1,488 |
2,069 |
2,484 |
6,365 |
18,604 |
1997 |
5,267 |
2,612 |
7,879 |
542 |
1,507 |
2,049 |
2,448 |
6,386 |
18,762 |
1998 |
5,152 |
2,562 |
7,714 |
521 |
1,500 |
2,021 |
2,492 |
6,337 |
18,564 |
1999 |
5,094 |
2,524 |
7,618 |
532 |
1,490 |
2,022 |
2,501 |
6,397 |
18,538 |
2000 |
5,080 |
2,491 |
7,571 |
506 |
1,476 |
1,982 |
2,556 |
6,368 |
18,477 |
2001 |
5,084 |
2,455 |
7,539 |
475 |
1,473 |
1,948 |
2,513 |
6,336 |
18,336 |
2002 |
5,082 |
2,424 |
7,506 |
484 |
1,453 |
1,937 |
2,526 |
6,249 |
18,218 |
2003 |
5,122 |
2,384 |
7,506 |
470 |
1,474 |
1,944 |
2,349 |
6,104 |
17,903 |
2004 |
5,184 |
2,338 |
7,522 |
453 |
1,489 |
1,942 |
2,347 |
6,341 |
18,152 |
2005 |
5,150 |
2,261 |
7,411 |
422 |
1,506 |
1,928 |
2,338 |
6,378 |
18,055 |
2006 |
5,177 |
2,249 |
7,426 |
399 |
1,529 |
1,928 |
2,285 |
6,332 |
17,971 |
2007 |
5,186 |
2,174 |
7,360 |
356 |
1,514 |
1,870 |
2,242 |
6,232 |
17,704 |
2009 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16,639 |
Sources: |
1945 - 1959: Statistical Handbook of the BBPA 1988, page 52. |
1960 - 1979: Statistical Handbook of the BBPA 2011, page 75. |
See what I mean? Apart from a blip in 1974 and 1975 (pretty tough years in the UK - one of the reasons I went to university) the number of pubs and hotels rose slowly but steadily from 1945 to 1980. Since then, the number has been very stable at around 7,500. The increase between 1945 and 1980 was 33%. Which way outstrips any population growth. In 1945 4,640,000 people lived in Scotland. In 1969, 5,180,000.
Why surprising? Because the talk is always about how much pub numbers have declined. Which isn't at all what these numbers show.
Obviously the growth in pub numbers in Scotland postwar is insignificant compared to the surge in off-licence numbers, which nearly trebled in the period covered by the table. That, and the new categories of restricted hotels and restaurants helped to double the total number of licences.
Not all what I would have guessed.https://blogger.googleusercontent.co...s.blogspot.com
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