The Pub Atmosphere

I spent many an hour at local London pubs during my stay in England. It was at these pubs where I clearly saw the differences between the English and the American view toward drinking. I attended these pubs with a group of people, close friends, and would sit and order a pint. The communal environment of the pub added to its comforting atmosphere and promoted socialization. The pub was often filled during lunch and packed during dinner. Many pubs in Britain serve food and most say that pubs are the best places to eat at when visiting. Most who visit these pubs are locals near by, mainly because pubs can be found all over the city and people tend to walk to the nearest one. For example, during my stay, our group of students walked a block down the street and found a pub on our first night there and we went to this pub continuously from the day we arrived till the day we left. That pub served as a social haven for us to converse as it does for the local pub attendants. It is a place where gossip is spread and men can converse outside the work place and the home. I met many men who would arrive promptly after their work day and have a meal as well as a pint and converse with the other men present. To the English the pub is not just a place for drinking and getting drunk, as many Americans find a Bar to be, but rather it is a place for leisurely socializing and mingling; a place to avoid societal restrictions where one can just let loose.