> The old "pub pub" crowd are now well served by the Wetherspoons, who have the advantage of controlling their margins in ways Brewery landlords can't compete with (mass purchasing, pre-prepared food, all their pubs are "new" buildings that don't have the insane maintenance and insurance overheads of a 200+ year old pub building etcetc).

Bit untrue on your last statement. Wetherspoons have a habit of occupying traditional/landmark buildings. For all the negative they do against the independent pub trade by outpricing with their brewery deals they do a cracking job in preservation by using & maintaining old buildings that would otherwise go to ruin.

Just in Glasgow for example you've got The Counting House (George Square) which was an old premises of the Bank Of Scotland in the late 19th century and The Crystal Palace also built in the 19th century which houses one of the oldest lift/elevator installations in the UK.