Pub

There are visitors who come to England and leave thinking they have never been inside a pub. They don’t realize that 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 does a pub offer the visitor?
The first thing to look for is a large sign either hanging over the street or placed on a pole outside the building. This sign may have a name like The Kings Arms, The Black Rabbit or The Duke of Kendal or an appropriate picture. Many pubs have names linked to royalty, popular heroes, sports or great occasions. There is a pub called The Concorde after the new airliner.
    On the doors of a pub you may see the words Saloon Bar or Public Bar. The Saloon Bar is more comfortably furnished. Occasionally the words Free House can be seen beside the name of the pub. This doesn’t mean they serve free food and drink; it refers to the fact that the pub doesn’t buy its drinks from one particular brewery only. It isn’t a “tied house” — tied to a brewery.
The services a pub offers vary around the country. The basic service is the sale of alcoholic drink at certain times of the day. Opening times, as these periods are often called, are usually from 10.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays. On Sundays the opening times are 12 noon until 2 p.m. and 7 – 10.30 p.m. although these times can vary slightly according to the region. Pubs can also offer food and accommodation. To help visitors, an experimental system of symbols has been tried out in Southern England and East Anglia. These symbols indicate just what is available from a particular pub.