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When you have lost your Inns, drown your empty selves - for you will have lost the last of England."

That's what Hillaire Belloc, the political activist wrote in the 19th century, and he was right. The Pub and its ancestors have been at the heart of English life for centuries. Once you are there, it doesn't matter where you come from, how old you are, your background or whatever - it's a place everyone can be together and comfortable.

But pubs are increasingly under threat, with closures every day. We talk about how pubs have changed, from the Mediaeval alewife's cottage to the High Victorian Gin Palace and to the infinite variety of the modern pub.

So this is our gallop through the history of how pubs have evolved as society changed, what makes English pub different, its role in social life, and why it's so important. Sadly we need to talk about the many challenges facing pubs - and what we can do about it.

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