A self confessed T-totaller since 01/01/06 (doubt that will last long), I attended 6th form college in Winchester and hence know many a pub by its under age drinker allowance. However, since my enforced enrolment into the realms of legal drinking establishments, I have seen the slow demise of the "mans" public house in Winchester and Southampton, and see rather a large increase in the number of chavs and "executive" people who return from the proverbial "big city" (and look no older then 12), and insist on fosters and carslberg as their staple diet within public houses. I feel that this is a severe departure from some of the county's finest achievements (i.e. its beer heritage) given the fact that within a short distance we have such delights as Hampshire Brewery and Ringwood Brewery (established in 1978), which produce some of the finest ales in this part of the world (and you only have to ask their customers). Although I am a self confessed lager drinker (although a summer lightning every now and then never hurt anyone) , I believe it essential to our heritage that drinking local ales be continued well beyond this millenium and into the 22nd century, otherwise we will lose the true understanding of how we achieved our roots as one of the major producers of ale in Europe and the world.