Sad that two of Portishead's pubs have closed. Why do you think pubs are closing? Is it that people can't afford to go out any more or are beer prices too high? Are people buying their alcohol in supermarkets because it's cheaper? Could this be the end of road for traditional village boozers?

I think that one of the reasons that two of Portishead's pubs have closed is the price of beer. Who can afford to go out these days? Two drinks can sometimes cost you nearly £10 and when budgets are tight, going out is something of a luxury.
In other areas of the country, it is not so expensive.
When I visit relatives further up north, you pay £2 for a pint of lager and £3 for a carvery dinner. If they can do it, why can't we down here in North Somerset?
If people fancy a drink, especially those on a tight budget, it's easier and cheaper to go to the supermarket and go and get a few cans of beer or a bottle of wine. The pub used to be one of the backbones of British society. Because it is so expensive now, there is a risk we will all stay in and become hermits!

We should raise the price of beer and add 25 per cent VAT to bail the poverty ridden Conservatives out of financial trouble and Europe out of debt ??? Perhaps all is not lost when the Mill could return to a water pump and be revamped and the better build at town centre could be raised out of the floods and used as many rooms of differing nature. God ! people are so depressed but Merkel says protectionism is dangerous so we shall to watch out for Spanish town bombing and any other form of business care, child care, health and safety, traffic lights, small children wandering the road from Gordano School along the Bristol Road hedge in the traffic and low flying aircraft in the recent clouds lost on their way to and from Lulsgate, or people diving home made props through housing estates and pylon lines. I am sure the drought ridden will find another watering hole meanwhile the rest of us would like to see healthy safe kids and some peace. I only ever liked cider and Long Ashton checked its health until the fruit farm research collapsed and we lost all the orchards. Nobody seemed to go into mourning about that and the Evesham Isbourne Vale fruit fell down and the dairy industry as people are warned off milk, cream, butter, calcium consumption in case they are over 8 stone weight.