Government Liberalises Law

In a surprise move - which many of its critics have decried as a step too far - the government announced this morning that it would no longer seek to regulate the so-called Ludo Dens.

From the stroke of midnight on 24th April 2009**, for the first time since the early days of WWI, the people of Great Britain will be able to play Ludo free from persecution or the threat of police harassment.

At first highly controversial, the number of Ludo clubs - especially in the glamour towns of London, Glasgow, Liverpool, Grimsby and Tipton - rose rapidly in the more liberal atmosphere on the early 20^th century, especially following the death of Queen Victoria.

Despite disapproval from the pulpit and stern articles in the newspapers: 'even women of the fair sex could be seen brazenly shaking the 'dice' and unashamedly perambulating their counters. A display of nothing less than sheer wanton lewdness' thundered one leader in The Times of 1907, the clubs grew and prospered as the popularity of Ludo spread.

The clubs were first only slightly restricted during the early years of WWI. Later, during the later years of that war, they were closed down completely. At the time, it was said that it was because of the enormous loss of productivity in the munitions factories due to the workers skiving off to play Ludo, as well as the large number of accidents said to be caused by over-tired workers who had lost sleep through playing the then popular all-night Ludo sessions.

The revival of Ludo - like most such things - happened in the heady liberated days of the Swinging Sixties, even then in was mainly confined to underground clubs where bands like Pink Floyd, Cosmic Trousers, Nigel and The Swinging Quantity Surveyors and, of course, Lulu herself provided the musical backdrop to the revived all-night Ludo sessions. Ludo from then on became a staple of the alternative culture, outraging 'square' society.

Inevitably, though, as those - once seemingly beyond the pale - Ludo players have grown older Ludo itself has seemingly done the impossible and now grown respectable. These days it is very rare for suburban middle-class dinner parties not to end, once the children are safe in bed and the plates are cleared away, without at least one game of Ludo. With rumours that even some members of the cabinet may have played a few games of Ludo themselves in younger or student days it seems that the government was - in reality - left with little or no alternative to take this bold step towards the rehabilitation of Ludo as a pastime for consenting adults. But, only time will tell whether it is a step too far down the road of liberalisation.