Alternative conference: A place to escape

By Ollie Stone-Lee BBC News Online political staff

Throughout the party conference season, BBC News Online will be delivering a flavour of what is going on away from the main conference hall as Blackpool, Brighton and Bournemouth are taken over by politicians, party activists and the media.

For Labour's seaside gathering, we will be visiting the Churchill's Bar as our alternative conference venue.

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Labour was the one major party Winston Churchill never joined but the Blackpool bar that bears his name is still enjoying good trade as Labour's conference meets down the road.

A traditional English pub, Churchill's boasts of being a good place to rest from the beach.

A good place too, perhaps, to escape the bustle of party activists rustling with the sound of leaflets, lollies and whatever other freebies they can pick up.

Churchill's offers a break from the beach

But is this a place where politics and pints meet?

Licensee Karen Smalley, 43, admitted she did not know much about the conference, apart from it meaning a lot of police and no litter bins.

"I've not a clue what they're discussing," said Karen. "I've just come off my holidays and I've not a care in the world. I'm happy."

She did know pensioners campaigners were also meeting in the town and thought pensioners should get more money, as should firefighters.

Protecting servicemen

Pensions turned out to be a hot topic among some of the drinkers at Churchill's too.

Tony Smith-Hollins complained about the level of his invalidity pension and the way his benefits were means tested.

He had to leave the Army in 1982 after 11 years of service.

Late shifts mean Paul Harrison can keep up with conference

"You serve your Queen and country and all of a sudden you are on the scrap heap," said 51-year-old Mr Smith-Hollins.

"Put that to Tony Blair and see what he says and hopefully my pension will go up next month!"

Another kind of public service worried his wife, 44-year-old Susan.

As a cleaner at the local hospital, she said she had only just had her pay pushed up to £4.10 an hour.

That was just not enough for such an essential job, she argued.

Iraq worries

This Blackpool couple were certainly talking politics, but Mrs Smith-Hollins was disillusioned with way parties never lived up to their promises, she said.

"I'm not going to vote for any of them next time - Labour, Conservative, Lord Sutch," she said.

And as for Iraq, Tony Blair should think about schools and hospitals in the UK before somebody else's conflict.

Nigel Roberts: Residents annoyed by traffic cones

The government's stance on Iraq was backed, however, by Paul Harrison, 42, who said Saddam Hussein's weapons programmes had to be tackled.

Mr Harrison might not have got into the conference centre but working the late shift did mean he had been able to catch some of the speeches on television.

"It seemed to me as though the conference party was actually in opposition rather than government because John Prescott put a lot of stress on what needs to be done," said Mr Harrison.

Not everyone was discussing the merits of public-private partnerships and foundation hospitals.

Blackpool builder Nigel Roberts, 39, was alarmed by reports about the cost of the conference.

The price paid by those living near the main conference venues, however, was suddenly finding the streets filled with traffic cones and police, he said.