dholliday
deconstructed rep
I lived in Hull during my formative years, drank a hell of a lot, had a local where an 11-to-11 session wasn't uncommon. Drank mostly lager...got into the odd scrap, sometimes got mild shakes in the morning which went away with a swig of cheap whiskey, or a can...all that stuff. All my mates drank too, obviously. Moved to London at 19 and still drank probably 4 cans of lager a day, on me tod, just out of habit (and that familiar warm feeling)...quite a few in pub nights out too. But soon discovered other cultures that weren't about the drink which cut down the consumption a bit. Was still a deffo regular drinker during my London time, tho'.
Moved back to the motherland (Germany) at 27 and since then drinking's all been about the enjoyment....like a good meal. I'll typically just have one high-quality beer in any one full day, or often none at all. Similar with whisky, a single generous glass of Laphroaig once every few weeks. Maybe sharing a decent bottle of wine once every few months. Rarely go out to drink anymore. Also gave up smoking da green stuff after leaving England, but I guess that's another thread. Not that this connoisseur-era has done much good for my health, if anything I'm more susceptible to feeling like shyte than I used to be.
I get visits from friends/family from Hull sometimes, and all they wanna do is get drunk while browsing different bars: binge-drinking, lots of shouting, abusing randoms on the street. My insistence that life here isn't like it is in Hull often falls on "you what, daft lad?" deaf ears lol To be fair we've had some quite riotous nights out, I do miss the hedonistic energy of party in dear ol' blighty...sometimes. I always miss the humour! My sister getting my very non-British girlfriend to chant "we all 'ate Leeds! we all 'ate Leeds!" in some Berlin irish pub was pretty special
My theory is that Britain, due to its restrictive licensing laws, actively encourages a binge-drink culture, which stimulates violent urges and health scares, but also interesting things like pure hedonism, cutting wit and probably has a fair influence on the consistently great and highly-original culture coming out of Britain...much British music, tv/film and writing is enjoyed internationally.
But yeah, pubs have to throw everyone out at 11pm so most down 3 pints in like 20 minutes, as their thought-processes are roughly "must drink as much beer as possible before closing time", then they all leave at the same time, masses of drunks high on alcohol wanting to be all King Kong and show the bloke who's staring at them who's boss. Cue the fights. Women aren't immune from this, either!
That, and also that in many northern cities the development of 'alternative' culture is frowned upon. If it's a night out and doesn't involve alcohol (or stimulant drugs), then what the bluddy 'ell you doing, mate? That'll be the social pressure part, along with the classic "don't be a fanny, have another one!". This may seem to contradict how so much great culture comes out of a binge-drinking nation, but I guess the creators of such culture aren't participants themselves, more like active observers.
soz abar the ramble on post like.
Moved back to the motherland (Germany) at 27 and since then drinking's all been about the enjoyment....like a good meal. I'll typically just have one high-quality beer in any one full day, or often none at all. Similar with whisky, a single generous glass of Laphroaig once every few weeks. Maybe sharing a decent bottle of wine once every few months. Rarely go out to drink anymore. Also gave up smoking da green stuff after leaving England, but I guess that's another thread. Not that this connoisseur-era has done much good for my health, if anything I'm more susceptible to feeling like shyte than I used to be.
I get visits from friends/family from Hull sometimes, and all they wanna do is get drunk while browsing different bars: binge-drinking, lots of shouting, abusing randoms on the street. My insistence that life here isn't like it is in Hull often falls on "you what, daft lad?" deaf ears lol To be fair we've had some quite riotous nights out, I do miss the hedonistic energy of party in dear ol' blighty...sometimes. I always miss the humour! My sister getting my very non-British girlfriend to chant "we all 'ate Leeds! we all 'ate Leeds!" in some Berlin irish pub was pretty special
My theory is that Britain, due to its restrictive licensing laws, actively encourages a binge-drink culture, which stimulates violent urges and health scares, but also interesting things like pure hedonism, cutting wit and probably has a fair influence on the consistently great and highly-original culture coming out of Britain...much British music, tv/film and writing is enjoyed internationally.
But yeah, pubs have to throw everyone out at 11pm so most down 3 pints in like 20 minutes, as their thought-processes are roughly "must drink as much beer as possible before closing time", then they all leave at the same time, masses of drunks high on alcohol wanting to be all King Kong and show the bloke who's staring at them who's boss. Cue the fights. Women aren't immune from this, either!
That, and also that in many northern cities the development of 'alternative' culture is frowned upon. If it's a night out and doesn't involve alcohol (or stimulant drugs), then what the bluddy 'ell you doing, mate? That'll be the social pressure part, along with the classic "don't be a fanny, have another one!". This may seem to contradict how so much great culture comes out of a binge-drinking nation, but I guess the creators of such culture aren't participants themselves, more like active observers.
soz abar the ramble on post like.
