A Familiar Story of Fate...

"The stats speak for themselves...the problem is the bureaucracy, it is strangling the life out of us..."

I caught the end of a radio programme and heard the all to familiar story of falling numbers, the challenge of encouraging people to attend, the problem of a loss of identity as people seek community and family elsewhere.

I heard the history of a journey of popularity and social norm to modern day aversion and lack of popularity. I listened how once centre of communities were now being turned into flats, their cohesive influence in society lost to property developers and speculators. How people preferred really to spend time at home rather than frequent the once national institution. I listened to the sociologist lamenting the loss of 'community building' and social capital, pointing to the ramifications on an already fragmented and fractured society.

A man interviewed was the grim reaper, painting a dark gloomy picture of near distinction of a fast disappearing institution. "The stats speak for themselves...the problem is the bureaucracy, it is strangling the life out of us, it not as simple anymore we have so much paperwork it is killing the Public House off rapidly..."

Now there's a thought - bureaucracy as the metaphorical cuckoo!