Should Phones Be Banned in Pubs? (Your Radical Questions with Oisín Rogers)

Oisín Rogers takes your questions on how pubs can not only survive, but thrive. In the main episode we heard Oisín’s radical ideas about why he thinks pubs are essential not just for our history and identity, but also for the problems of the modern age.

Today, Oisín considers the old-fashioned pub customs some people cherish and others find faintly terrifying: no laptops, no swearing, no sprawling groups and even a landlord who is not desperately pleased to see you. Are these traditions part of what makes a proper pub special, or a route to making it irrelevant?

And as pubs close while bars continue to evolve, Oisin and Amol tackle the chicken-and-egg question: has Britain changed its drinking culture and left pubs behind, or has the loss of pubs changed the way Britain socialises?

Plus, what small touches can publicans do for free that will give patrons an unforgettable experience and keep them coming back?

GET IN TOUCH * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 * Email: radical@bbc.co.uk Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Monday and Thursday.

Amol Rajan presents the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, and he hosts University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was media editor at the BBC, and the editor of The Independent.

Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Rufus Gray, Oscar Pearson, and Julian Paszkiewicz. Digital production was by Leona Gasper. Technical production was by Mike Regaard. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. The series producer is Rufus Gray.