UK pubs 1937 - 1952

Time for some more lovely numbers. Moving along a little, now I've done with my WW I book.

Looking at the numbers, it might look strange that there were more fully-licensed pubs in 1947 than 1939. But on closer observation, this is obviously due to beer houses (in column three) converting to full licenses. The total number of pub on-licences in reality declines from 73,572 to 73,232.

I'm surprised the decline wasn't greater. Hundreds of pubs were badly damaged or destroyed by bombing during the war. And rebuilding was virtually impossible. You needed a licence to carry out building works and these were mostly limited to what as considered essential.

The number of clubs was more volatile, dropping by a couple of thousand during the war, returning to its pre-war level in 1947, then zooming upwards from there.

Less explicable is what happened in Scotland, where the number of on-licences for pubs and hotels increased by 48 between 1939 and 1947. Hotel had a specific meaning in Scotland. They were the only licensed outlets allowed to open on Sundays. In addition to offering accommodation, they also operated as pubs.

The increase is all in hotels. Where did they come from? They can't have been all pubs becoming hotels because the numbers don't tally.

Though the total number of licences increased in Scotland, the number of off-licences declined. While in England and Wales, it increased. Again, explanation have I none.

More investigation needed.

LICENSED PREMISES (ENGLAND AND WALES, AND SCOTLAND), 1937-52
	England and Wales				Scotland
Year	Full All Drinks	On-licences Beer/Wine	Regist. Clubs	Off-Licences	Total	Public Houses	Hotels	Regist. Clubs	Off-Licences	Total
1937	56233	18093	16563	22109	112998	4214	1491	687	2475	8867
1938	56173	17747	16951	22052	112923	4203	1506	700	2435	8844
1939	56112	17460	17362	21995	112929	4177	1524	695	2404	8800
1940	56047	17318	16463	21884	111712
1941	56961	17249	15864	21756	110830	4125	1509	661	2281	8576
1942	55901	17191	15682	21653	110427	4101	1501	649	2247	8498
1943	55868	17137	15732	21628	110365	4098	1502	651	2214	8465
1944	55856	17109	15678	21610	110253	4105	1498	657	2218	8478
1945	55875	17085	15590	21599	110149	4080	1506	681	2188	8455
1946	56009	17017	16496	21693	111215	4084	1565	740	2204	8593
1947	56305	16927	17470	21848	112550	4103	1646	773	2257	8779
1948	56850	16534	18370	22025	113779	4111	1690	834	2313	8948
1949	58140	15282	18962	22218	114602	4115	1709	884	2342	9050
1950	59054	14429	19221	23532	161236	4118	1740	912	2366	9136
1951	59757	13664	19511	23669	116601	4123	1768	944	2380	9215
1952	60333	13035	19903	23717	116988	4111	1770	966	2387	9234
Source:
"Drink in Great Britain 1900-1979" by GP Williams and GT Brake, 1980, Edsdall London, page 380.