Pub Culture

After being here for over a month, I have finally gained an understanding of British pubs. In the beginning, I pictured English people as having a drinking problem. They go to the pub for lunch, after work, before church, after church, at 8 in the morning, at 11 in the evening. At first glance, it seems that every person in London lives their life drinking at a pub.

However, in the past week, I have gained an appreciation for pub culture. Our internet in the flats has been spontaneously in and out of operation for over two weeks now. The coffee shops have kicked us out for not buying a coffee, McDonald’s kicks us out at 9 pm, and no one is willing to spend 4 pounds to use the internet. Our last resort turned to The Kings Head, our local pub across the street.

Here, we can sit on our laptops all day long, use their free wi-fi, have a pint or not have a pint. It’s here that I have written many papers, spent too much time on facebook and talked to my family on skype.

After this experience, I now know why so many people spend lofty amounts of time in their local pub. I, like them, have met many people hanging out at the pub. Apart from being social and meeting new faces, I think of it as a community center (minus the gym).

People watch the football or rugby games, sit in the corner with their new book, skype with loved ones, talk with the bartenders, or relax from a long day at work.

It is at the pub that one can find a true English culture. It contains normal people going about their everyday ways. It is here that a foreigner can feel like an insider and where a large city can have a small town, almost Midwestern feel.