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| British Pubs
Pubs are better visited than written about! There is no other establishment quite like the British pub. Although the main activity that is carried out inside is undoubtedly the consumption of alcohol, a visit to the 'local', as the village pub is affectionately known, is perhaps the social highlight of the day for many people. Picture the British landscape with its persistent chilly drizzle falling on bleak barren windswept hills, and the need for a warm cosy place for people to meet and relax in immediately becomes obvious. Pubs date back before the days of cinemas, clubs and discotheques, and are still practically the only place that provides a cosy environment for people to meet each other and socialise in small villages. Each pub invariably has a name such as "The Red Lion" or "The Silver Horse", and the outside appearance gives no hint to the atmosphere that is found as one enters the building. The first impression on entering a popular pub is one of warmth and cheerfulness. A good pub appears to welcome you and invite you to spend the evening inside. The voices of a crowd of people mingle together to form a constant backgroung noise, and the music can barely be heard. Groups of people stand by the bar, or sit around tables enjoying a pint of their favourite brew. Although the pub used to be very much a man's haunt, the modern crowd inside is now composed of just as many women as men. A typical British pub is built using long wooden beams spanning the ceiling, and the walls are pannelled in dark wood. This, together with the subtle low intensity lighting, gives the place a comfortable, relaxing, informal atmosphere. Windows are usually comparatively small, and often incorporate a number of panes with the traditional circular pattern that makes them impossible to see through. Curtains by the sides of the windows, and a large open log fire add to the cosiness of the place. Decoration is usually fairly unelaborate, consisting of watercolours depicting local countryside scenes, although brass ornaments are commonly hung from the walls, and old gas lamps are sometimes left in place to provide a memory of the times before the days of electric lighting. Many bar counters display a collection of mugs or beer mats, and are the focus of activity as people queue to buy the next round of drinks for their friends. Children are forbidden inside the pub at all times of the day, and many pubs have beer gardens outside. Families are able to sit outside in spells of sunny weather and enjoy a drink while the children play on the grass. These days, many pubs are branching out into the catering business. The bar meals that used to be simple filling snacks have become more elaborate, and some pubs have built extensions where a wide range of food is served in professionally managed restaurants. Other pubs in the city centres have decided to cater for the more elite category of customer, and have added carpets in place of the traditional stone floors. The atmosphere inside is always the same though. It's a place where people can relax, have a few informal drinks and meet friends to discuss the day's events and have some good laughs. Regular customers all know each other, and take the opportunity to exchange gossip or news. A quiet pub where there's no laughter or noise is something extremely rare in the UK. Pubs in England still fall under laws that strictly limit the times at which they are allowed to remain open. Recent ammendments have relaxed the daytime opening hours, but it is still compulsory for pubs to close at 11 pm. People who are experiencing their first evening in a pub are surprised to hear a bell rung by the barman at half past ten, announcing the fact that the last orders for drinks are going to be taken. Half an hour later, people begin to drift away, until there are only a handful of slow drinkers who are politely shown to the door and wished a very good night. Many foreigners fail to understand the pub culture in Britain, and look upon a visit to the pub as a simple excuse to consume the daily dose of alcohol. Yet to those who appreciate the real significance of a good drink among close friends, a daily visit to the British pub is essentially a way of life ! My favourites are the ones in tiny villages that provide the only social life of the area. The locals can immediately tell that you're a visitor, and their curiosity makes you feel that you're from a different world !!! Carla Diana Cardoso, for British Life and Institutions, Translation Course, ISLA Copyright by Didi Cardoso. This file is the author's own work. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. You may not reproduce it in any way without written permission from the author. |
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