Has the British Pub Jumped the Shark?

Sadly, yes, according to this rather depressing essay in the Telegraph. Britain’s smoking ban and drinks promotions run amok “have transformed the average British pub from a haven of smoked glass, polished brass and mahogany into blaring dumps filled from one end to the other with quiz machines, karaoke stages, and drunken teenagers,” laments Andrew O’Hagan.

Sounds like drinking to excess isn’t solely an issue for Brits abroad.

Related on World Hum:
* Ken Livingstone’s London: An Ex-Mayor’s Tour

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