A24
Pubs are an important part of British life. Even very small villages nearly always have a pub. People often go to the pub for a drink in the evenings and at weekends, and have one pub near their home that they go to regularly, known as their local. In the past, women did not go to pubs, but today it is quite normal for women to go into pubs. According to the law, you must be 18 years old before you can drink alcohol in a pub. Children are not usually allowed into pubs, although some pubs, usually ones that serve food, let parents bring their children.
The people in a pub
landlady – a woman who runs a pub
landlord – a man who runs a pub
barmaid – a woman who serves drinks in a pub
barman – a man who serves drinks in a pub
the barstaff – the barmaids and barmen
the locals/regulars – the customers who go to the same pub regularly
Pubs serve beer and wine and SPIRITS (=strong alcoholic drinks such as GIN, VODKA, and WHISKY). People go up to the bar to be served – the barstaff do not come to your table to ask what you want.
–see also Cultural Note at BEER.
Many pubs serve food, especially at lunch time. Since the 1980s, it has become much more common for pubs to serve food in the evenings too. The quality of food in pubs is much better than it was in the past, when all you could buy was CRISPS (=very thin pieces of potato cooked in oil and eaten cold) and PEANUTS.
Opening times
Pubs are usually open from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm. At around 10:50 pm the landlady or landlord rings a bell and shouts 'last orders' (=buy your last drinks), then at 11:00 rings the bell again and shouts 'time' (=no more drinks will be served, and people should finish their drinks and go home). According to the law, the barstaff must stop serving drinks at 11:00 pm. The customers then have 10 minutes to finish their drinks, known as drinking up time, and another 10 minutes to leave the pub. After-hours drinking (=drinking after this time) is illegal. If the landlady or landlord does not obey these laws, their licence (=official permission to sell alcoholic drinks) could be taken away from them.
Pub names
Pubs have names such as The King's Arms, The Red Lion, The White Horse, or The Rose and Crown. There is often a sign outside the pub showing the name with a picture.
Pubs often have games for people to play, such as POOL and DARTS. Some pubs organize a pub quiz. The customers form teams and someone calls out questions on subjects such as sport, history, popular music, or films. In the UK many important football matches are broadcast on SATELLITE television, and many people go to the pub to watch the matches on a big screen.