LONDON - Pubs, clubs and other drinking venues in England and Wales can apply to stay open 24 hours a day under new laws that come into effect Monday.Currently, many British drinkers imbibe as much as they can as quickly as they can before pubs shut at 11 p.m. Then heavy drinkers all stumble into the streets at the same time, often leading to fights and other drunken misbehavior. The government says the new laws will help curb the problem because people will drink in a more relaxed manner and leave at different times.
Although establishments can apply for the extended licenses starting Monday, the new hours won't come into effect in England and Wales until November. Scotland is conducting its own review of licensing laws.{...}
It's about time.
Drinking in England is an adventure. Arrive at the pub at nine, drink the better part of a bottle of wine in a two hours, walk home with half a glass of wine in your hand. Which is odd. You can't buy liquor in a bar after 11, but you can buy it before last call and then then walk home with it because there aren't any open-container laws. Never mind about the glassware: while I was visiting, my friend Mel simply told the barkeep she'd bring the glasses back and he said that was ok.
This is a good thing, because while I haven't checked this out, this means Tube hours of operation will probably expand to accomodate said drinkers. Taxi drivers might get a little less fussy about picking up drinkers if it means a late night fare. (Currently, if they even suspect you might have imbibed, they won't pick you up.) But most of all it means the day and age of slamming down drinks before closing time will have ended!
Yay for my liver!
When I visited London in 2000, Mel took me out to the pub for a night of drinking with her friends. They were really nice people and they wanted to make me, the visitor to their fair city, feel welcome. There were eight of us at the table. Every single person bought a round for the entire table in my honor. It was apparent, as the drinks just kept on coming, they would have thought it rude of me to refuse. When in Rome, I thought with a sigh and started pounding, ever aware that the damn bar would close soon.
I have yet to repeat that hangover because, five years later, it still stands out clearly in my mind as a cautionary tale that deserves attention.
Closing time in England, as it currently stands, is simply too early. While I'm not sure going to a twenty-four hour system was the best way to go, it will at least allieviate the idea that some hold about having to slam as much as they can before the pub closes. Taking away the rush factor might, indeed, help.
Posted by Kathy at February 7, 2005 12:26 PM