The British pub is in part a product of the famous British weather. In other countries, men with gather around a town square or other outside venue. We Brits need to inside out of the rain!

The British pub is fantastic centre of every village in the country. The pub is a meeting place for everyone. Children are allowed in the garden, and in the restaurant area if there is one, so the whole family can meet together, through all generations.

The bar is a place where everyone can meet. In these modern times, when people come out of their front door and jump into a car, few people know their neighbours. The local pub offers a place for the community to meet, chat and make friends.

The pub is often the centre for community acitivites, like fund-raising days. Admitedly, these are often supported by the publican with half and eye on the increased beer sales, but they still bring people together and raise money. If you are looking for a place to hold a fund-raising event, the local pub is your first thought. Landlords are very accomodating!

Most pubs have a hirable function room that is used by local people for christenings, wedding receptions, birthday parties and wakes - ‘hatches, matches and dispatches’.

This same function room is also used as a venue for local bands. Many famous bands started out by performing in their local pub on a Friday or Saturday night. These venues offer a place for youngsters to start out.

A pub is a village hall and community centre, a place to relax, a restaurant, and a social institution. A village without a pub has no soul.

Pubs in towns are slightly different. They are competing against each other, and are often one of a chain of pubs that has a designated style format to maintain. Town pubs will often create a style of their own, so you will find a young persons’ pub, a traditional pub or a contemorary themed pub in the same street all catering to different customers.

The rural pub is the real pub, however, grown from the time when someone would open their front room up to their neighbours so that they could meet and share the local gossip.

A pub is unique in that it is a social club that demands no memberships, a place where all ages, classes, races etc can meet and choose to talk or not to talk, to interact or not. You can sit quietly, or join in with a game of darts, dominoes or pool. You can take your family, but there is no shame in going on your own. You can take go with your spouse or with a group of friends.

The pub acts as a local information centre, either with a formal noticeboard, or as a source of gossip. It’s the place to go to find out things! A pub will also tend to have Bed & Breakfast facilities attached, so they will usually have all the inforamtion about local tourist attractions and event.s

A British pub is a unique place.