Supermarkets closing pubs down

[Alesonly]

I have to admit I do wonder how much home entertainment has affected my drinking habits. When I first started drinking I was a student with a black & white tv - now I have a full sound system, dvd player, and colour viewing arrangement. So where before going down the pub was a good escape from the monotony of my room in a shared house, now a few bottles and a decent movie are all too easy and available.

I must say for me its not done nothing for me. I have Computer linked sound & Large TV system I can view this site in 42in glory or watch anything direct on line. And I have most other entertainment things at home consuls Etc But I never Drink in doors on my own. I don't see the point of it So when I get a chance its straight down the Pub even if its just too watch football Or Cricket I would prefer too be in the Pub than at home.

P/s any excuse too get away form the wife.

[Conrad]

When you put it like that I realise that I sounded like a johnny no mates, at the very least my wife will also be there (although she is happy enough to go to the pub). But frequently a couple of mates as well, not helped now I think about it by the fact that one of my best friends won't touch alcohol.

[ETA]

...one of my best friends won't touch alcohol.

But does that stop him coming down for the chat, entertainment and company, maybe even food? And it saves the worry about who's going to drive, should that be necessary.

[arwkrite]

It is very easy to become reclusive given a set of circumstances but I think if you are a naturally gregarious person you will go looking for company.Drinking is just one excuse. Knitting Circles, Choral Singing, Historical Re-Enactment or Adult Swinging Parties are some of the others.
I have all the modern home entertainment gizmos from the big plasma screen with Sky down to games consoles I haven't a hope in hell of ever mastering or getting beyond the first level. My favourites are the Internet because it suites my varied interests and my Dab radio BBB 5 ,Radio 4, and BBC 7. Honestly I would not miss the rest.

But nothing beats walking into a pub where you know the beer and the company are good. I rarely walk out of a pub thinking that it was a waste of time as happens when I fling the TV handset down in disgust and toddle of for another early night. May be it is my age group but I find my peers are happier meeting in a pub than in each other houses. There is the fact that may be older wives do not want a bunch of drunks messing up their orderly homes. ( No offence meant to to those long suffering ladies with a lot of years on their marriage licences ). A lot of older single blokes prefer to meet their mates on the neutral ground of a pub bar which is the great leveller. No Castles, Villas or Council Flats here .

[Conrad]

But does that stop him coming down for the chat, entertainment and company, maybe even food?

Sadly in this case, apparently yes.