I think everyone may need a time out on the naughty step here.

Surprised at the vehemence of the arguments here. Personally I have no problem with kids and I have no objections whatsoever to them being in the pub. But in line with a lot of the more reasonable views above, I recognise that a pub is not a creche (and bar staff are not nannies or childminders) and should not be treated as one. Apart from anything else, there tends to be a lot of glass and sharp corners on tables and things which ought to preclude the more boisterous behaviour. But the responsibility for the behaviour lies with the supervising parents/adults - not the kids themselves.

There are different sorts of pubs - the Honor Oak has been fairly open about their wish to attract the family crowd. And fair play to the Jamies, they have also been quite clear about the limits in terms of time and behaviour - even if this hasn't always been enforced. Other pubs (whatever excuse they use) have different views - the Herne Tavern has turned their back garden into something directly aimed at getting kids in and giving them something active to do, as far as I can see. As a few people have pointed out, the Dulwich Wood House seems to have a special on having their cake and eating it.

One of the great things about pub culture in this country (contrast, for example, the US) is that local pubs can be, and often are, great, welcoming, sociable places which enhance the community.

Parents, kids, cantankerous and possibly incontinent old men (youths with loud tinny mp3 players on buses might be added to this list) - in the end it comes down to consideration for others, surely? I'm all for kids of whatever age being taken to the pub - but isn't it reasonable that they learn that you behave differently there than you would at playschool? As someone who was taken to the pub a lot as a kid, I know it meant that by the time I was a teenager and approaching legal drinking age, there wasn't any mystique around the pub/drinking, which is probably a good and healthy thing - certainly it was in my case.

Anyway, to lighten the mood, a link to show how it could be worse...