Bonus Ep 85 - The Cultural Importance of British Pubs | Ft. Jim

Summary

Summary of The British English Podcast

Episode: Bonus Ep 85 – The Cultural Importance of British Pubs | Ft. Jim
Host: Charlie Baxter
Guest: Jim
Date: December 18, 2025

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Overview

This episode delves into the significant role that pubs play in British culture, language, and daily life. Host Charlie Baxter is joined by his longtime friend Jim, who offers anecdotes, historical context, and personal insights into what makes the British pub such a beloved institution. Together, they explore traditions, the evolution of the pub’s function, language related to drinking, and the sensory details that make a "proper pub" feel special.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Connections and Pub Traditions

• Charlie and Jim's Friendship Origin (06:26–08:12)
  • The pair reminisce about meeting as children, playing cricket, and how their social group has stayed in touch, often reuniting at the pub, especially during Christmas.
    • "Our friendship blossomed from year seven particularly...we would reunite at the pub at Christmas time sometimes." – Charlie (07:31)
  • Discuss proximity as adults and Jim's new role as a father, making pub visits now a family affair.
    • "You're a new father...Young Pippa. She's seven months today." – Charlie (08:12)

2. The Evolving Role of Pubs in British Society

• Pubs as Multigenerational Spaces (08:49–10:21)

  • Flexible rules now allow babies and families in pubs, which was rare in their childhoods.
    • "I think it used to be much stricter...generally speaking, we were not allowed, but I think the rules and that have changed." – Jim (08:58)
  • The rise of the gastropub has brought quality food and a broader customer base.
    • "The rise of the gastropub, good food...that brings the family instead of just the boozers." – Charlie (09:25)

• Professional & Social Functions of Pubs (02:03–04:29)

  • Jim describes how his job in insurance often involves pub gatherings, a tradition that is now shifting due to changing HR policies and Covid's impact on work culture.
    • "There is an expectation to be with the market, socializing...you are literally blessed with hundreds of pubs within a stone's throw of the office." – Jim (02:14)
    • "Covid in particular did this...people weren't allowed to drink and then go back to the office." – Jim (03:26)

3. What Makes a “Proper Pub”?

• Sensory & Atmospheric Qualities (12:32–15:27)

  • Jim describes the quintessential "proper pub" with wood paneling, specific smells (like hops), and the sought-after cozy, welcoming ambiance.
    • "I think of wood panelling in a traditional...proper pub, which is a theme we'll talk about later. And so you're thinking good atmosphere, lighting has to be perfect. There's a smell of hops from the beer." – Jim (12:32)
    • "Spit and sawdust is a phrase we use. Spit and sawdust pub." – Jim (12:59)
  • Describes factors like good lighting, fireplaces in cooler months, and well-maintained beer taps.
    • "If you can smell burning wood...a good fireplace, crackling fire." – Jim (17:09)

• Beer Quality & Variety (15:56–17:09)

  • The importance of good Guinness on tap, well-cleaned pipes, and a range from traditional ales to modern craft beers.
    • "Proper pub has to have good Guinness on tap...well looked after taps, good selection of beer, but also catering for different tastes." – Jim (15:56)

4. Language of Drinking: British Slang and Comedy

• Slang for "Drunk" (10:42–12:11)
  • Jim and Charlie explore the rich variety of British slang for being intoxicated, referencing comedian Michael McIntyre's comedic takes on words like "plastered," "gazeboed," "steaming," and "blind drunk."
    • "The British have a tremendous selection of words to describe getting drunk or pissed." – Jim (10:49)
    • "Steaming is the one I'd go for. Absolutely. Steaming." – Jim (11:35)

5. Pub Stories and Tradition

• The Stag Do at The Trout Inn (17:30–22:54)
  • Jim recounts his memorable stag do at The Trout Inn, Oxfordshire—highlighting classic pub features, funny mishaps (like smoking out the restaurant by trying to light a wood-burning stove in midsummer with the flue closed), and the freedom pubs give to express oneself in celebrations.
    • "It had a big wood burning stove in the corner...basically started billowing out loads of smoke into the restaurant. Had to basically evacuate the place." – Jim (18:51)
  • Discussion on stag do traditions, including fancy dress, parental involvement, and the contrast between British and foreign venues for such parties.
    • "My father was a surprise guest on the second day...that was great, you know, wonderful surprise." – Jim (21:02)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Baby’s First Pub Visit
  • "One of our friends, Steph, she said she was in the pub within two or three days of having had her newborn because she was just a bit bored of the baby sleeping. So she took it to the pub." – Charlie (10:21)
• Atmosphere & Senses
  • "Good atmosphere, lighting has to be perfect. There's a smell of hops from the beer...Spit and sawdust is a phrase we use. Spit and sawdust pub." – Jim (12:32, 12:59)
• On Pub Rules & Change
  • "I think it used to be much stricter...but I think the rules and that have changed and I think that's because pubs have become wise to the fact that there's probably a lot of money that they can be made if they're just a bit more relaxed about it." – Jim (08:58)
• Comedy Moment: Slang for Drunk
  • "The British have a tremendous selection of words to describe getting drunk or pissed. Michael McIntyre...talks about getting gazeboed or panini. Plastered is another example of that." – Jim (10:49)
• Classic Pub Mishap
  • "It had a big wood burning...in the middle of July...basically started billowing out loads of smoke into the restaurant. Had to basically evacuate the place." – Jim (18:51)
• On Tradition vs. Modernity
  • "The younger generation don't want necessarily a grimy pub. They want something a bit more fancy on the eyes. But the traditionalists...we still yearn for this spit and sawdust experience." – Jim (13:05)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 06:26 – Childhood Friendship and Pub Reunions
• 08:49 – Changing Attitudes Towards Children in Pubs
• 09:25 – The Rise of the Gastropub
• 10:42 – British Slang for Getting Drunk
• 12:32 – Describing the Classic "Proper Pub"
• 15:56 – Importance of Good Beer, especially Guinness
• 17:30 – The Trout Inn Stag Do Story
• 18:51 – The Stove Mishap and Pub Atmosphere
• 21:02 – Family on Stag Dos
• 22:54 – Reflections on Freedom and Inhibition During Pub Gatherings

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Language and Tone

The episode is characterized by warm, nostalgic, and humorous banter between old friends. Charlie leads with light, engaging questions, while Jim responds with vivid anecdotes, gentle self-deprecation, and authentic British expressions. The tone is conversational, accessible, and steeped in lived British pub tradition.

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Conclusion

This episode is a lively, affectionate examination of why pubs hold such a central place in British culture, from their role as community centers and professional meeting spots to family-friendly eateries. The speakers highlight generational changes, the evolving meanings of pub spaces, and the colorful language that surrounds British drinking culture. Anyone looking to understand both the social glue of British life and the richness of English idiom will find this conversation insightful and entertaining.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Jim]

I am freaking out right now.

[Podcast Host Assistant]

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[Jim]

Described as so much weirder than the last time.

[Charlie]

What last time?

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[Jim]

That is a cultural shift which has happened in the last 10 years following some less than acceptable behavior. To put it bluntly, a couple of different bridges of one I jumped off of, which I regretted afterwards.

[Charlie]

And you remember that one.

[Jim]

I remember from videos more than anything else.

[Charlie]

The first time I met her, we went to the pub.

[Jim]

That's true.

[Charlie]

So babies are allowed to go to the pub, aren't they?

[Jim]

I think it used to be much stricter.

[Charlie]

The rise of the gastropub, good food.

[Jim]

Yeah.

[Charlie]

And that brings the family instead of just the boozers. Like one of our friends, Steph, she said she was in the pub within two or three days of having had her newborn because she was just a bit bored of the baby sleeping. So she took it to the pub. Yeah. Yeah. And she's not getting plastered. She's just enjoying the atmosphere, which we will talk about.

[Jim]

Yeah.

[Charlie]

Hello and welcome to the British English Podcast, the show that helps you better understand British culture. British English, and actually those are the only two things. And I'm your host, Charlie, and today we are with a guest that is a friend that goes way back. His name is Jim, and he is here to talk about the meaning of a pub. A British pub. What does a British pub mean to a British person? And he is a British person. So congratulations on that, Jim. How are you today?

[Jim]

Very well, thank you. Very well.

[Charlie]

Yes.

[Jim]

The sun is shining in London and I'm looking forward to talking about my favorite subject.

[Charlie]

So why is it your favorite thing?

[Jim]

Just spending time in pubs and with the people you love has created many good memories over the years. There is also an element of my work which is involved with being in pubs.

[Charlie]

Yeah.

[Jim]

So as an insurance broker, there is an expectation to be with the market, socializing and being in the city of London, you are literally blessed with hundreds of pubs within a stone's throw of the office. So dangerous. I mean, it is dangerous. And there has been probably a bit of kickback in recent years because of the culture attached to drinking insurance, but this isn't about that.

[Charlie]

Drinking and insurance.

[Jim]

Yeah, insurance and insurance. People drinking and behaviors attached to that. But there has been a lot of work by companies and actually HR within companies to ban people going out for lunch and having a beer and then, or whatever and then coming back to the office. So that is a cultural shift which has happened in the last 10 years following some less than acceptable behavior, to put it bluntly.

[Charlie]

Yeah, nice. That must be changing the way the people that are perhaps 20 years into the, the line of work that you.

[Podcast Host Assistant]

Do, changing their habits or making them.

[Charlie]

Change in a way that they really don't like.

[Jim]

Yeah, exactly. And you've seen Covid in particular did this where you've got the, the situation where people aren't allowed to drink and then go back to the office. Covid where people were working from home. So a lot of people in that space either have retired and, or have moved, moved on or they've moved into different companies. So this isn't about insurance, but I'm just going to quickly say this because it potentially can be edited later. There are different degrees of professionalism within different insurance companies, whether it be insurers or insurance brokers. Right. And so some insurance brokers and the type of business that they deal with going down the pub, there's perhaps less strict rules about it than other companies. Certainly mine is probably more of the professional, I hasten to add.

[Charlie]

Yes, yes, of course.

[Jim]

But yeah, no, pubs is a big part of the insurance world. Yeah. And it's not the reason I got into insurance, but certainly it helps that there's an expectation within my role to spend time in pubs as well.

[Charlie]

Nice, nice.

[Jim]

It's all incriminating evidence.

[Charlie]

Yeah, it is.

[Podcast Host Assistant]

Sorry to butt in right now mid conversation, but you were just exposed to a lovely phrase and I want to teach you that phrase properly. To do so, I've created a PDF covering the definition, example, sentences, context in which natives use it, which is really valuable for you. Collocations, meaning the words that natives use before and after a phrase and then a couple of good quiz questions to help lock that phrase in to your long term memory. With this knowledge you will go from having heard a new phrase to being 110% confident in using it when speaking English yourself. And this PDF is not just covering one phrase but ten phrases from this very conversation. You can grab it by scanning the QR code on screen right now, or clicking the link in the description box or the pinned comment below. That link will take you to this page, fill out your name and email to sign up to my mailing list and then I'll send it directly to your inbox.

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[Charlie]

We'll make sure to save it for when it's important to take you down.

[Jim]

Yes.

[Charlie]

Let's go back a little second a little bit before we go into the meaning of pubs to you. How do we know each other?

[Jim]

Jim, It's a very good question. It's been. So we're 34, you've just turned 35. So we met each other when we were probably 9 or 10 playing cricket against each other. I was at St. Lawrence Primary School. You were at the Raleigh Primary School and we took you down and I remember opening the batting and got 10 runs of 10 overs. Quite prolific scoring rate. And then obviously secondary school is primarily where we became friends. So we were in different forms but I think our form rooms were backed onto each other's. Yeah. And there's a big group of people who I'd been at. So you from Raleigh? I think there's a couple of you who joined the Howard. Not loads but it was mainly St Lawrence and Eastwick, is that right?

[Charlie]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. About 10 I'd say from Raleigh. From the Raleigh.

[Jim]

Yeah.

[Charlie]

And our forms, I feel like they were kind of weirdly connected.

[Jim]

Yeah. Because of pre existing relationships from primary school. Yes. Which created a massive group of people.

[Charlie]

Yes.

[Jim]

A gaggle of young folk who.

[Charlie]

Who were similar minded and. Yeah. So our friendship blossomed from year seven particularly and then went on, we drifted a little bit proximity wise uni days and post uni and I was out of the country for 10 or so years but we kept in contact loosely speaking and would reunite at the pub at Christmas time sometimes.

[Jim]

Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. The annual tradition.

[Charlie]

Yeah. Which we will talk about perhaps and now we live quite close to each.

[Jim]

Other which is fantastic and yeah South London vibes. Hoping you'll stay but you never know.

[Charlie]

And you're a new father, you've just taken On a new challenge of responsibility of a new life in the form of a baby. Young Pippa. She's seven months today.

[Jim]

Seven months today? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wow. You had the pleasure of meeting her for the first time yesterday. Well, I don't know if it was a pleasure.

[Charlie]

It was a pleasure.

[Jim]

Good. No, what a change in life. I mean, it's. This isn't about pubs or insurance, thankfully, but yeah, it's been a life changing event and absolutely blessed to have her. Yeah. Apart from when she screams in the middle of the night and wakes you up.

[Charlie]

Yeah.

[Jim]

That is few and far between, but.

[Charlie]

That is connected to pubs because the first time I met her we went to the pub.

[Jim]

That's true.

[Charlie]

So babies are allowed to go to the pub, aren't they?

[Jim]

I. I mean, I'd say the majority of pubs would accept a child. They. I think it used to be much stricter. I just, I have a feeling that when we were children, we. Whilst I may have gone into a couple of pubs for lunch, which is a theme we talked about yesterday, generally speaking, we were not allowed, but I think the rules and that have changed and I think that's because pubs have become wise to the fact that there's probably a lot of money that they can be made if they're just a bit more relaxed about it.

[Charlie]

Yes. And the rise of the gastropub. Good food.

[Jim]

Yeah.

[Charlie]

And that brings the family instead of just the boozers.

[Jim]

No, 100%.

[Charlie]

Yeah.

[Jim]

The. Yeah. Food in the UK generally has improved and obviously the pub being such a popular environment. Yeah. Has led to certainly. I would say in the last 15 years, there's a lot more well known chefs setting up pubs where they also have their restaurant.

[Charlie]

Yes.

[Jim]

Trying to think of a good example, but there's a few places in Bray in Berkshire where there are some extremely. I think they're Michelin star restaurants, but they are also pubs. Ah, yeah. So the Fat Duck, actually, that's a good example. Heston Blumenthal, he is a famous British chef, glasses, bald head, and he owns a pub called the Fat Duck, which is also a restaurant, but I think it has two Michelin stars. So we're talking serious. Yeah, serious food.

[Charlie]

Serious food. So kids are allowed in more and babies go. Yeah. Like one of our friends, Steph, she said she was in the pub within two or three days of having had her newborn because she was just a bit bored of the baby sleeping. So she took it to the pub. Yeah, yeah. And she's not getting plastered, she's just enjoying the atmosphere. Which we will talk about.

[Jim]

Yeah, Plastered. That's a word that perhaps we should explore a bit more. Yeah, we can maybe leave that and talk about later.

[Charlie]

No, no, we. Yeah, do it now.

[Jim]

Plastered. I mean, the British have a tremendous selection of words to describe getting drunk or pissed. Another example.

[Charlie]

Yeah.

[Jim]

Uh, Michael McIntyre, famous comedian, he has done a sketch where he talks about getting gazeboed or panini. Plastered is another example of that.

[Charlie]

Was car parked as well included in that?

[Jim]

Never heard of that one.

[Charlie]

Oh, really?

[Sponsor Announcer]

He.

[Charlie]

No, he definitely car parked. Yeah, he said that. That was like. Can we say this? Oh, I see.

[Jim]

Sorry. He was playing on. No, sorry. Yeah. Okay.

[Charlie]

Fair.

[Jim]

Yeah. Well, car parked. I don't think it really works.

[Charlie]

Doesn't. Does it? But he was like, can we do anything with it? Can we say I was absolutely car parked? No, you can't.

[Podcast Host Assistant]

But can you say gazeboed?

[Charlie]

I think that's a bit silly, I think.

[Jim]

No, I think it works.

[Charlie]

Really?

[Jim]

Yeah, Yeah. I think it's because it's an unusual word and if it's said in a very posh British accent. Absolutely. Gazeboed. It. It works. I mean, steaming is the one I'd go for. Absolutely. Steaming.

[Charlie]

Steaming, yes, steaming. What else is there?

[Jim]

Dribbling.

[Charlie]

Dribbling.

[Jim]

Blind drunk. Blind drunk. Talk about blind drunk.

[Charlie]

Modern lit. I was lit.

[Jim]

Completely lit.

[Charlie]

Yeah.

[Jim]

Yeah. The connotations, I think, are perhaps more on things outside of alcohol, but.

[Charlie]

Oh, okay.

[Jim]

Yeah.

[Charlie]

Lit is more substance abuse than just alcohol.

[Jim]

Yeah, yeah. You know, people have a different opinion on that, but I would say that's where my head goes for right or for wrong.

[Charlie]

Yeah, nice. So let's go back to the original question that we thought would be a good starting point. When you think of a publisher, what's the first image or memory that comes to mind?

[Jim]

So I think of wood paneling. Was that funny? I think of wood paneling in a traditional. I would call it a proper pub, which is a theme we'll talk about later. And so you're thinking good atmosphere, lighting has to be perfect. There's a smell of hops from the beer. It won't necessarily be on visuals. The cleanest of places. Spit and sawdust is a phrase we use. Spit and sawdust pub.

[Charlie]

I don't know that phrase, but I love it, really.

[Jim]

Okay, fine. You need to go to a spit and sawdust proper pub.

[Charlie]

Okay.

[Jim]

And generally speaking, you know, things have changed and there's not many of those around, because I suppose the. The younger generation don't want necessarily a grimy pub. They want Something a bit more fancy on the eyes. But the traditionalists and me and others of a similar age, um, we still, we still yearn for this spit and sawdust experience.

[Podcast Host Assistant]

Yes.

[Charlie]

And that feeds into the origins of the pub being the public house. And that was what we connect.

[Jim]

It's like a community center.

[Charlie]

Yeah. Not dissimilar community center to me. Feels a bit like a driving license. Sort of like where you get your driving license.

[Jim]

Yeah. Or take a. Yeah. Or vote. Yeah, yeah. But, yeah, but we're talking maybe 150, 200 years ago.

[Charlie]

I see.

[Jim]

Yes. So, yeah, not before. The community center probably existed as a, like, as a common thought.

[Charlie]

Yeah.

[Jim]

And term.

[Charlie]

Okay, so you're, you're thinking of the interiors of the pub. Any smells that come to mind?

[Jim]

So I mentioned hops earlier. Hops, Yeah, I would say what are hops? Hops are a plant that grow very, very well in Kent, believe it or not, only the UK generally, but also other climates. And they're used as part of the, the brewing process. And to say there's malt and there's hops. Hops give it more of the flavor, can make a bit more bitter in taste and you have different hops which give different properties and tastes. So I've done a few beer making, this a self piece, but I've done a few beer making courses with my brother in law.

[Charlie]

Have you?

[Jim]

And hops nowadays you can buy them in packets and they're kind of compressed, essentially cut to pieces and then compressed. But you can actually use original hops which are literally picked from the, you know, from the fields and they give a very authentic summery sort of beer, some of a golden ale taste, I would say. Yeah. Crisp. Yeah. I actually am salivating at the thought of this right now.

[Charlie]

Me too. It's almost getting there, isn't it? Saturday and it's past 12 o'.

[Jim]

Clock.

[Charlie]

I should really have us a beer. Have a beer in front of us.

[Jim]

It's not. Yeah. I think, you know, we are out this afternoon.

[Charlie]

Yes.

[Jim]

So we should probably resist for the time being.

[Charlie]

That's true, that's true. Next one was. How would you describe a proper pub?

[Jim]

Yeah. So obviously the ambiance is critical to that and I think a big cavernous space like a German beer hall just doesn't quite do it. And then I said to you before, there's a pub around the corner from me, the Greyhound. And for all intents and purposes, it's brilliant. It's got good food, it's got good beers on tap, it's got a great atmosphere, it's light, but because it's quite big and spacious and light, it doesn't have a coziness to it, which is, like, fundamental to a proper pub.

[Charlie]

Yeah.

[Jim]

I would also say, and the Irish will love this, that a proper pub has to have good Guinness on tap, because, you know, Guinness is a seasonal drink for some people, but a year, all year for others. But. But if you have good Guinness on tap, then I think you're going to attract a certain personnel, including myself. So, yeah, so you need good, well cleaned taps because you can taste if a beer when it's pumped through the taps has been looked after or not. And genuinely, if you really like beer and you think about these things, you can taste the difference. And I also think it affects how you feel the next day, but that's another issue.

[Charlie]

Yeah.

[Jim]

So, yeah, so well looked after taps, good selection of beer, but also catering for different tastes. So if you just have what we would call traditional English ale, you could probably get away with being a proper pub still. But now with the change in, you know, palates and requests. So for myself, I quite like a traditional ale, but I also really like a newer craft beer. Craft Alex, bit more flavorsome, probably served cool, cold compared to a traditional English ale, which would be room temperature. But yeah. So big selection.

[Charlie]

Yeah.

[Jim]

Good ambiance, good lighting. And then if you think about the seasons, if it's like autumn, winter, maybe early spring, if it's still cold, a good fireplace, crackling fire, you can smell. So you talk about smells earlier. If you can smell burning wood, obviously not too much because then you might coughing through the smoke. Carbon monoxide. Yeah, I've got a good story about that, actually, for my stag do.

[Charlie]

Okay.

[Jim]

Potentially talk about that later. The Trout Inn in Oxfordshire.

[Charlie]

Let's do it. Let's do it. Really? Yeah, yeah, the Trout Inn. During your stag, it actually has been.

[Jim]

Voted recently, like, best beer gardens in one of the best beer gardens in the uk through this mysterious link that I had from a friend. I don't remember a huge amount because it was my stag do. So at the time that I arrived, my memory wasn't particularly strong. But we've got Cotswold stone, so beautiful exterior. And then inside you've got, you know, your horseshoes hanging up, you've got wooden beams everywhere because the building sort of, I believe, Georgian period. So we're talking 1700s. And you then have the canal running alongside it. Lovely. With a couple of different bridges of one I jumped off of Which I regretted afterwards.

[Charlie]

And you remember that one?

[Jim]

I remember from videos more than anything else.

[Charlie]

Were you clothed?

[Jim]

I had some boxer shorts on. Okay.

[Charlie]

So partially like swim shorts, day or night.

[Jim]

It was maybe 8pm on a Friday evening and there was obviously lots of other people there just enjoying a Friday evening at the pub. And my stag do rocked up and so. So getting to the wood and the carbon monoxide issue.

[Charlie]

Oh, right.

[Jim]

So being a proper pub, which it is, it had a big wood burning. Wood. Wood burning stove in the corner and we were eating. So again, gastropub. So it had great food. Yeah. And we were eating our dinner and then I think it was Mackenzie, one of our school friends, who we mentioned. He decided that the fire needs to be lit even though this was middle of July. So, you know, it's like 22 degrees outside and basically not. It's not setting up the. The wood burner properly. And what we didn't know, because bear in mind, the pub didn't want this or know about this. And how did they not see you.

[Charlie]

Trying to light the fire?

[Jim]

They did eventually.

[Charlie]

All right.

[Jim]

And they were like, no, you can't do that. The. So flume from the wood stove was closed for summer.

[Charlie]

Ah.

[Jim]

And so it basically started billowing out loads of smoke into the restaurant. Had to basically evacuate the place.

[Charlie]

So essentially like starting a fire just in a room. In a room, yeah.

[Jim]

Utterly ridiculous. I mean, utterly nonsensical behavior.

[Charlie]

But I suppose this is what I've talked about before on this show, how Brits get a bad name for themselves going abroad and hosting their stag dues in, like, Poland or. Or the Czech Republic or like Hungary. Like going and just being Sophia.

[Jim]

Bulgaria. Yeah. Marabots.

[Charlie]

Just being absolutely horrendous.

[Jim]

Yeah.

[Charlie]

The worst form of ourselves. But you might argue the best form. Or not.

[Jim]

Well, there's. It's free form, so there's. There's almost freedom to express oneself.

[Charlie]

Inhibitions.

[Jim]

But it's also driven by perhaps an idea of how to behave on a stag do. It brings out the child in the individuals. Yeah. And if you're in a group, your inhibitions, as you say, evaporate quite quickly after a couple of drinks. I wouldn't say a pub, though, because they don't really have pubs, do they? It'd be a bar. Yeah. Different vibe.

[Charlie]

Yeah, yeah. Did you get dressed up sillily.

[Jim]

Yeah.

[Charlie]

In a silly way.

[Jim]

Few outfits.

[Charlie]

Few outfits.

[Jim]

I think the most memorable was the just up oil T shirt that I was building. The what? Just stop oil. Yeah. With with my father. Actually my father was a surprise guest on the second day. So he arrived on the Saturday morning unbeknownst to myself. And so that was great, you know, wonderful surprise.

[Charlie]

But, but not, not normal to have your father on a big stag do. Some people do like a one evening stag do that's a bit light hearted and they would invite their in law, maybe like the father of the bride and their father. But most of the time if you do a proper stag do away. I don't think many people invite their fathers. But your dad is quite liberal, should we say?

[Jim]

I think he's up for a good time. Yeah, I think it benefited the fact that we didn't fly anywhere. So this was in Oxford where we met him.

[Charlie]

Yeah.

[Jim]

And the, the two days were spent, or three days, sorry was spent on a barge going up and down the, I think it's the Grand Central Canal in Oxfordshire.

[Charlie]

Okay.

[Jim]

So. So for him it was a two hour drive or hour and a half drive to get to. Whereas if you're flying abroad as you say. Yeah, unless they are really keen to come, then generally they don't, they don't actually participate.

[Charlie]

Yes. Okay, so you were dressed as a.

[Jim]

Campaigner, a Just Stop Oil campaigner.

[Charlie]

Just Stop Oil as was he actually in orange.

[Jim]

In orange, had an orange hat.

[Charlie]

Did you get any hate?

[Jim]

I got lots of hate actually. Genuinely got started on in the toilet in a pub in, in Oxford and I was just like, look, sorry, like, sorry mate, this, I'm on my stag, dude, please can you just calm down. And I think then he was just, you know, he was actually, I think gutted that he couldn't then pick a fight.

[Charlie]

Yeah, that makes sense. Okay, let's, let's focus in on the feeling towards pubs a bit more.

[Podcast Host Assistant]

So we're actually going to leave the free version of this conversation here for today. The full episode is available for premium podcast listeners or members of my academy. To learn more, you can go to the britishenglishpodcast.com but if you're not interested in doing that, then remember to get the free PDF that helps you go from confused about the advanced language that came up in this episode to completely confident to use them yourself next time you're speaking English. To get that, scan the QR code on screen right now or click the link in the description box or the pinned comment below. Thanks for getting to the end of this episode.

[Charlie]

I do not take your listenership for.

[Podcast Host Assistant]

Granted and I hope you have a nice rest of the week. I've been, Charlie and I hope to see you again next time on the British English podcast. Bye for now.