Hobbies and Pastimes

The most popular hobbies in the home are:

• gardening;

• “Do-it-Yourself”( repairs and remodeling);

• taking care of pets;

• watching television.

For centuries gardening has been the best-loved hobby of the English, rich and poor, old and young. This is probably one reason why so many people prefer to live in houses rather than flats.

“Do-It-Yourself” is for some people a hobby, for others a necessity.

At least three quarters of the population, elderly women included, do all their own decorations; and a large number of men have learnt to make adequate furniture. The chief reason for this is the high cost of labour for individual services.

The English have always loved animals. Now the number of pets is rising fast. Once, a foreigner said that his idea of heaven was to be a dog in an English home; if he were to re-visit England today, he would probably say “ his idea of the seventh heaven”. There are about four million spoiled dogs in Britain, more than six million cats, and eight or nine million caged birds.

About a third of the people in the country watch television for four or five hours every evening of the week. The BBC calls these people “heavy viewers”. Another third watches TV for between ten and eighteen hours a week, and still another third for less than ten hours. This last third includes the “choosey” people, who select their programmes carefully, and watch only what interests them.

The Fish and Chip Shop

A special British institution is the fish and chips shop, where it is possible to buy a piece of fried fish and potatoes. You can eat fish and chips in the street as you walk along, or take it home and eat it on the plate. Snack bars and espresso coffee bars have are very popular among people who are too young to go to pubs.

What is a Pub ?

The words pub or “public house” are rarely included in the title of the place. So, how do you know whether a building is a pub and what a pub offers the visitor?

The first thing to look for is a large sign. This sign may have a name like “The Kings Arms”, “The Black Rabbit” and a related picture on it. Many pubs have names linked to royalty, popular heroes, sports events or great occasions.

On the doors of a pub you may see the words Saloon Bar or Public Bar.

Most pubs sell all kinds of alcohol, from whisky to wine, but the main drink served in pubs is beer, light or dark. Pubs can also offer food and accommodation.

No alcoholic drinks may be served to young people under eighteen, and no children under fourteen are allowed inside the bar.

Cards, Hundreds of Cards!

Sending cards is a widespread custom in Britain today. The British have been sending cards since Victorian times when wealthy families started to send Christmas greetings.

There are cards for every occasion from buying a house to having a baby and, more recently, cards for getting a new job, getting a divorce or just saying “Sorry”. More than 100 million Christmas cards are sold in Britain every year.