The times mosr certainly do seem to be a'changin', all over the place.
When I was first starting to drink in pubs, closing time was 10pm during the week, 10.30 on Saturday and it was strictly enforced by the police. "Lock-ins" - i.e. after hours drinking - did occur, but only among close friends of the landlord who could be relied on not to talk about it outside. (You were, literally, locked i to the pub and only allowed out after the landlord had checked that the coast was clear!)
Three months ago, the Landlord of the "Green Dragon" had a call from the police, during the afternoon, who pointed out to him that closing time is 11pm, and they would be greatly obliged if he would make sure that his curtains were closed after that time so that they could not see into the bar as they drove past at 2am.
Many places have licences to 2am, now and the police are no longer interested in trying to maintain a law that has fallen in to disuetude and disrepute.
It seems that 24x7 licencing is just round the corner for the UK, too.
