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Britain finally abandoned antiquated licensing laws which forced pubs to shut at 11pm, this week, prompting an estimated five thousand pubs and clubs in London to start opening until midnight and beyond.
“At last grown-ups will be treated as grown-ups,” Labour Licensing Minister James Parnell said on introducing the new changes,” it is absolutely clear that the current system has not worked.” (Mirror)
“Let’s not penalise the majority of responsible drinkers because of the crimes of a minority,” he added, “There should be a clear principle here- that if people are not causing harm to others, the Government should get out of their personal lives.”
The law changes prompted a flood of alarmist anti-binge drinking articles in the media plus one or two more enlightened ones, including another in the Mirror examining Britain’s 1,000 year plus tradition of drinking to excess.
“Most people, including children, drank ale made from malted barley made with hops. They even drank it for breakfast and got through up to a gallon a day,” said Medieval London expert John Clark, describing London in the 12th Century, “At a penny a gallon, only the poorest had to make do with water.”
Britain’s drinking culture was also famously addressed by 19th century author Charles Dickens, who described typically licentious scenes in a British ale house in his hugely popular novel Nicholas Nickleby.
“Who thought of money, ruin, or the morrow, in the savage intoxication of the moment? More wine was called for, glass after glass was drained, their parched and scalding mouths were cracked with thirst. Down poured the wine like oil on blazing fire,” Dickens described.
“And still the riot went on. The debauchery gained its height; glasses were dashed upon the floor by hands that could not carry them to lips; oaths were shouted out by lips which could scarcely form the words to vent them in; drunken losers cursed and roared,” he wrote.
http://dickens.thefreelibrary.com/The-Life-and-Adventures-of-Nicholas-Nickleby (Nicholas Nickleby)
Article by Jonty Skrufff (Skrufff.com)
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