Farway's observation in http://forums.pubsgalore.co.uk/showt...ews-of-the-day #84 reminds me of an observation I was going to make after walking around Gosport last week.

Every town I visit (and I travel a fair bit) seems to be losing pubs, yet the number of tattoo parlours, nail bars and shops selling "exotic" (alright: cheap, foreign-looking, impractical clothing) seems to be increasing at a greater rate than pub loss. What does this tell us about the shift in culture in UK? Why, when people are generally strapped for cash, is there an increase in spending on people's appearance while there is a corresponding decrease in community-based drinking? What has caused this significant shift in how we spend our money and our leisure time?