A pint and some pork scratchings please

Couple of recent stories about pubs, which are and have been having a tough time of it for some years now with an awful lot of them disappearing.  So firstly, apparently a lifeline for some pubs is proving to be the pub quiz - it seems that not only are these popular, but they result in increased sales of food and drink.  The second story makes the point that many of today's successful pop groups and bands started out playing in small pubs - apparently known as the "toilet circuit" because in many cases their dressing room was in fact the toilet - and suggesting that the fact there are now fewer of them will make it harder for aspiring pop musicians to get a foot in the door. As a one-time pub pianist, I can empathise with that.