Off To The Pub

Don't sit there, get yourself down your local

I was recently reading an excellent article in one of our national newspapers about one of our great British institutions, The Pub.

Meeting people in the street is one thing but meeting them in a pub is completely different. People in pubs are far more friendly and what interests me is how people react in pubs. People attract people very few of us are happy with just our own company, well we might be on rare occasions. If a person goes into a pub and its empty it isn't long before that person beats a retreat, whereas if the pub is fill and you have to fight your way to the bar you may well stay there nearly all night If you are invited to a persons house and the conversation goes a little bit flat there is very little you can do about it, well apart from leave and that may not be as easy as it seems. In a pub in the same circumstances you can make your excuses and move on to a friend you just happened to have noticed.

I well remember spending an enjoyable hour in my local club and during that time I had conversations with 15 different people. Whether they were moving on from me or vice versa I don't know but the point is I had a choice at least I wasn't being bored to death by someone telling me their life story which I didn't want to know in any case. I am quite convinced that going to a pub has little to due with alcohol, after all if that's all you want you can get that from the Supermarket and its much cheaper, its all about seeking the companionship of your fellow man and woman. I'm not talking either of spending money that should be used for the mortgage, it's all about moderation be it drinking or spending. Moderation is not exercised when we come to TV, we watch this to excess. Not for me such boring programmes as Emmerdale, Coronation Street, Eastenders, and Who wants to be a Millionaire, We spend far too much time watching TV, why don't we switch the darn thing off and head for the nearest pub, who knows if I can only overcome my meanness I might even buy you a drink, well at least I could think about it.

Les Lawrence