Culture and traditions of Great Britain

 

Fireplaces

 

In English homes, the fireplace has always been, until recent times, the natural center of interest in a room. People may like to sit at a window on a summer day, but for many months of the year prefer to sit round the fire and watch the dancing flames.

In the Middle Ages the fireplaces in the halls of large castles were very wide. Only wood was burnt, and large logs were carted in from the forests, and supported as they burnt, on metal bars. Such wide fireplaces may still be seen in old inns, and in some of them there are even seats inside the fireplace.

Elizabethan fireplaces often had carved stone or woodwork over the fireplace, reaching to the ceiling. There were sometimes columns on each side of the fireplace. In the 18th century, place was often provided over the fireplace for a painting or mirror.

When coal fires became common, fireplaces became much smaller. Grates were used to hold the coal. Above the fireplace there was usually a shelf on which there was often a clock, and perhaps framed photographs.

 

Pubs

 

Do you know what a pub is? The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary defines it as a public house or building where people go to drink and to meet their friends. English men like to get together in the pub in the evening. The usual opening hours for pubs are on weekends from 11 a. m. to 3 p. m. and 5 p. m. to 10. 30 p. m. On Sundays pubs may remain open for not more than 5 and a half hours.

Pubs usually have two drinking rooms called bars – the public and the saloon bar, which is more comfortable but more expensive. «Bar» also means the counter at which drinks are served.

Pubs serve alcoholic and other drinks and often light meals. The main drink served in pubs, is, of course, beer, light or dark. Light beer is usually called bitter. As for other kinds of alcohol, most pubs serve whisky, gin and wine. Beer is always sold in pint or half-pint glasses. A pint is equivalent to 0. 57 liter No alcoholic drinks may be served to young people under eighteen under British law.

In Great Britain today there are some 80, 000 pubs situated in different cities, country towns, villages, and so on. Of London's 5. 000 pubs some of the most interesting are right by the River Thames, downstream as well as up. Every English pub has its own sign and name. Some people refer to pub signs as a great open-air portrait gallery, which covers the whole country. But actually this gallery includes far more than portraits.

Some pub signs present different types of transport such as coaches, trams, ships, airplanes and even flying boards. There are signboards depicting animals, birds, fish as well as kings and queens, dukes and lords, sailors, soldiers, fat men and giants. A first class example of an heraldic pub sign is found near Leeds in Yorkshire at Burley. The Butcher's Arms can be seen in Gloucestershire on a small typical English country pub near Sheepscombe.

 

English Habits of Politeness

 

Some greetings in England are very informal: a simple «good morning» or a wave of the hand across the street is quite enough. Handshakes are only exchanged on a first introduction or as a token of agreement or congratulation. «Sorry» takes the place of «no» when you cannot do something for a person or give a positive answer in situation like «May I use your pen?», «Do you know the time?» or «Have you any size seven shoes?». «Pardon» is the polite way of asking somebody to repeat what he has said.

English people do not readily ask each other to do anything, they prefer to wait for a service to be offered before asking for it. If they do ask, then they say something like «I don't really like asking you, but…»

It is considered polite to give up one's seat a woman who is standing, to open door for her, carry things for her, and so on.

 

Like so many English institutions Parliament has been born of accident, expediency, economy and tradition.

The first Parliament met in Westminster Hall in 1265, as an immediate result of Magna Carta*. Many of the ceremonies carried out in the Parliament are very old.

 

Procedure in the House of Commons

 

The sitting of the House of Commons each day is opened by the Procession of the Speaker. Wearing