History
In the mid-18th century, gin became extremely popular as it was much cheaper to buy than beer. This was known as the 'gin epidemic'. By 1740, six times more gin than beer was being produced, and of the 15,000 drinking establishments in London, half were gin-shops. The Gin Act 1736 imposed a prohibitively high duty on gin, but this caused rioting, and so the duty was gradually reduced and then abolished in 1742. The Gin Act 1751 was more successful: instead of a tax it restricted gin producers to selling only to licensed premises.
During the 19th century, licensing laws began to restrict the opening hours of premises. After the outbreak of World War I, the Defence of the Realm Act was passed by Parliament, which restricted opening hours for licensed premises to 12:00 to 14:40 and 18:30 to 21:30. In more recent times, the licensing laws became less restricted and allowed pubs to serve drinks up until 23:00, although nightclubs were allowed to stay open much later. Significantly revised rules were introduced in November 2005.
Traditionally, the phrase "Last Orders!" is still often used to announce the last opportunity to purchase drinks, typically ten or fifteen minutes in advance and is often announced via a bell. At the point when the bar will no longer serve drinks, the bar staff will announce "Time at the bar!", or "Time gentlemen please!" (again, either shouted or via the use of a bell).
The wartime restrictions in Scotland were not repealed until 1976 (possibly due to a stronger temperance movement there). However, the repeal of these laws led to a situation whereby Scottish laws were generally less restrictive, with local authorities being allowed to determine opening hours. Most Scottish pubs now open until midnight, though this is not universal.
Since 2000, pubs have been allowed to open for 24 hours during New Year celebrations.
Read more about this topic: Alcohol Licensing Laws Of The United Kingdom
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“If man is reduced to being nothing but a character in history, he has no other choice but to subside into the sound and fury of a completely irrational history or to endow history with the form of human reason.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)
“The visual is sorely undervalued in modern scholarship. Art history has attained only a fraction of the conceptual sophistication of literary criticism.... Drunk with self-love, criticism has hugely overestimated the centrality of language to western culture. It has failed to see the electrifying sign language of images.”
—Camille Paglia (b. 1947)
“All history attests that man has subjected woman to his will, used her as a means to promote his selfish gratification, to minister to his sensual pleasures, to be instrumental in promoting his comfort; but never has he desired to elevate her to that rank she was created to fill. He has done all he could to debase and enslave her mind; and now he looks triumphantly on the ruin he has wrought, and say, the being he has thus deeply injured is his inferior.”
—Sarah M. Grimke (1792–1873)