Why do British people drink so early in the day?

DMicheleC

Lets all have a drink together, who's going to the pub!!! LOL!

bubaluboo

Because if you were in a decent city pub after work in the UK, you'd find the bar full and not feel any concern that the pub would suffer from one or two people not turning up. If the comment was made, it will have been tongue in cheek. It's not where we get our work done by the way, it's where office camaraderie is supposed to be developed.

Maybe he just didn't want to say that British people like to drink alcohol?

Disclaimer: I have no British friends that I am aware of. I have also never been to London. I also have no awareness of British drinking habits.

As I said...I thought it was fictitious. All this because someone can't understand why American restaurants appear to them to serve large portions...amusing!

dorisbunker39

It really does depend where you are, as a company we go out twice a year after work, one to celebrate our annual achievements and one for Christmas. In our area the pub is dying out. Yet visiting my brother in York was an eye opener for me, everyone, young, old, babies, grandmas and the cousins all go to the same place day in day out and alcohol is a way of life. Fair enough it is not for all to get drunk but the pub is a family social place in York. London it is more about the business person off for a drink after work and can get very busy quickly. I would visit Wiltshire and Hampshire next time you are over. We have great places to eat great retreats and wonderful picturesque places to visit. If you do go back to the capital have a look on line for places like Gourmet Burgers and Zizzi restaurants. These will provide you a nice sit down meal with the choice of a beverage and most towns have them now x avoid Weatherspoons and Yates after 17:00 hours most days as they do grub in a pub and it attracts a lot of flies....

iceqieen

Wait, so this thread leads me to believe that Norwegians are smarmy teetotallers that are afraid of good drink, and direct sunlight. Would that be accurate?

That would be a damn shame, aquavit is nice, but really a child's drink. I had been hoping there was something with more backbone from the region that gave us vikings, and zombie nazis.

aww.. I am not a Norwegian.. Dont let me give Norwegians a bad name.. They are really sweet, and uber sporty, and Nature freaks of doom.. and talk and talk about EVERYTHING.. and uber polite too.

Scandinavians drink loads (the Finish the most, but Norwegians and Icelanders are not far behind in "hard" drinking, and Swedish and Danish are happy with their beer drinking).. just not right after work.

Icelanders have to hurry home to tend to the kids and such.. and are usually too busy working anyway (most finish work after 5) to drink except thursdays through Sundays.. Norwegians are too busy tending to their extended family and having a really early dinner (Middag is at 4-5) and also usually just drink over weekends. But when we drink we DRINK!

*Disclaimer: I am repeating stereotypes and observations made by foreigners to each country and this does not reflect everyone and their cat

iceqieen

I have a bad feeling that this one is going to degenerate in the same way that the portion size one did. :frown:

If nothing else I think we have learned that we are all different, have different habits, laugh about different things, get wound up about different things

As my old mum used to say "life would be boring if we were all the same"

awww.... you just did a /end thread :flowerforyou:

SoDamnHungry

Because it sucks over there and it's their only way to cope.

iceqieen

It really does depend where you are, as a company we go out twice a year after work, one to celebrate our annual achievements and one for Christmas. In our area the pub is dying out. Yet visiting my brother in York was an eye opener for me, everyone, young, old, babies, grandmas and the cousins all go to the same place day in day out and alcohol is a way of life. Fair enough it is not for all to get drunk but the pub is a family social place in York. London it is more about the business person off for a drink after work and can get very busy quickly. I would visit Wiltshire and Hampshire next time you are over. We have great places to eat great retreats and wonderful picturesque places to visit. If you do go back to the capital have a look on line for places like Gourmet Burgers and Zizzi restaurants. These will provide you a nice sit down meal with the choice of a beverage and most towns have them now x avoid Weatherspoons and Yates after 17:00 hours most days as they do grub in a pub and it attracts a lot of flies....

Replies like this makes me happy to have made the thread.. I am genuinely interested to hear how people see things differently and experience things differently.

Also, thanks for the pointers.. Will definately keep them in mind!

Zomoniac

I've just returned from a vacation in London and was amazed at the employees hitting the pubs as soon as they leave work. I mentioned this to a British friend and he just replied that England was the land of plenty and they had to support their pubs. He then left work and went straight to the pubs without seeing his kids first - what is the sense of that?? Bars in the US open much later and yet we have alcohol problems here too.

I can always tell the British tourists here because they are making a beeline for the bars, wearing their I William and Kate shirts, even in the dead of winter.

Because we're all a bunch of drunkards. I'm swigging a hipflask at my desk right now as a warm-up. If you're still standing by 6pm you're doing it wrong.

Though I can assure you that anyone wearing those shirts isn't British.

_Zardoz_

Holy Stereotyping Batman

Zomoniac

Also we drink so we don't have to see the kids after work. Nobody likes kids. We only have them to get more benefits that we can use to drink more.

LumpySpacePrincess1

As a Brit I can't deny the accuracy of this statement.
The entire UK is made up of drunks and sheep.
My colleagues drink every single day, and they drink A LOT. Can't tell if there's a difference between being an alcoholic and being British any more.
Must figure out a test to perform...:drinker:

pepperpat64

You can't say you've been drinking all day if you don't start in the morning.

iceqieen

I find it amusing that "drinking early" is being equalled to "drinking allot". As if it can not be assumed that people will have a pint early and get the appropriate amount of drunk and then just head home for an early night.

knk1553

Now I COMPLETELY understand why my european counterparts are so set on when their work day ends... I would be too if I knew happy hour was around the corner. Truthfully if the state I lived in had happy hour I would engage in it pretty regularly probably, its a good way to decompress, socialize with friends, and network.

Besides, not everyone who works full time is married with kids, I'm not and 99.9% of my friends aren't, so theres nothing wrong with going to have a few drinks (or more) after work, and my work clothes are a heck of a lot cuter/nicer than my weekend clothes, so I would be ok going to get drinks in them. And public transportation to get you home safely instead of driving...

I think I need to move to Europe.

ChrisM8971

You can't say you've been drinking all day if you don't start in the morning.

I generally cant say anything if I start in the morning, well anything understandable that is

FlaxMilk

Also we drink so we don't have to see the kids after work. Nobody likes kids. We only have them to get more benefits that we can use to drink more.

As I suspected. Is that the big deal about George? They will get more benefits?

BrianSharpe

When I want to eat at a pub when touristing in the UK I have to make sure I go super early or all the pubs are filled with drunk people.. what's up with that?

Why do you just go straight to the pub? Shouldnt you go home first? Change clothes, say hi to the family.. you know, normal stuff!

You must have lead a very sheltered life.......

The Pommies don't have a monopoly on this, it's common pretty much throughout the world; and it's not just people living in large urban centres either......

ChrisM8971

Also we drink so we don't have to see the kids after work. Nobody likes kids. We only have them to get more benefits that we can use to drink more.

This could give us a bad name, its not the only reason for having kids, we need them so we can be a burden to them in our old age and to pay our pensions for us with their tax

pepperpat64

You obviously haven't been to Ireland or Scotland.

I'm wondering if they've ever been to America. Or I must have just lucked out and live in the fun section of America.

That's at the corner of Maple and 53rd, right?

xvxCelticWandererxvx

Many cultures, not only Brits, frequent the pubs (public houses) for the social aspect. Not everyone gets pished daily. A drink or two isn't going to hurt.