MARGO Carmichael-Grimshaw (Letters, March 11) was only half right with her reasons for the demise of the traditional British pub.

Those old enough fondly remember how regenerated post-war prosperity sparked the euphoria of the fabulous 1950s.

Down town Blackburn was alive and buzzing - six cinemas, a theatre, dance halls, inexpensive snack bars and chip shops and twice as many pubs as now.

But the new age of mod cons brought the Number One blight to social life - television.

Blight Number Two was sparked off in the 1960s - when spending power shifted from parents to their children, who were lodging cheaply at home with no financial responsibilities and plenty of pocket money.

The pub trade responded by pandering to gullible adolescents. Price increases and affording 'top shelf' drinks were no problem for them.

Consequently, the adults could not compete, reduced the frequency of their going to the pub or switched to working men's clubs. Night clubs were not in the equation for workers.

Teenagers used to emulate their parents' standards of style, decorum and respectability. With the arrival of adolescent financial independence, the generation gap was drastically widened.

Now there is blight Number Three - intimidation by the belligerent attitudes of loutish, anti-social gangs, druggies and muggers marauding the town night and day.

The good old days, regrettably, are gone. Early closing or late night opening of pubs will make no difference to the situation.

Like King Canute, you can't turn back the tide of the dominant adolescent culture.

J MARSDEN, Scarborough Road, Blackburn.

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