TestaRossa

Plus bars aren't bars here in the same way they are in the UK. You go to the bar for breakfast or an afternoon coffee as well as alcohol, and your kids come to. I guess a lot is left over from when Cromwell ruled the UK!! No clue!

angeli

Think you've hit the nail on the head TR, here we have bars (not pubs that rhymes with clubs), that serve good coffee, dont play music so loud you cant hear yourself talk, and are frequented by all ages, all times of the day....a sociable place to meet and enjoy....In england there are Pubs and Cafe's and Wetherspoons of course who are trying to change things (curry night on Thurs) - drink, plus curry of your choice and nan bread all for under a fiver and added benefit, it does line your stomach !!! Maybe young people so concerned about 'looks' and weight they forget to eat before partaking in a tipple or two ???

indiebird

I agree with you Testa. Must admit that I was a big drinker and a big smoker in my Youth. I'm not sure what my game was really but it was the thing to do when you grew up in Brighton like we did. I had many friends with many different problems (you don't see it til you look back do you) and I think that there was a lot of pressure put on my to behave for my sister's sake and to be a good role model for her so that my parents didn't have to..... I dunno, I just did go out a lot to the pubs and clubs of Brighton. We could get in from about 14upwards and so we did and part of that was drinking a lot. I do think it has got worse though. I'm not a huge fan of going out in Brighton anymore (and Hastings gets rough as hell after dark in the Centre) as I've seen more fights break out in the club hotspots since I've rarely gone back than I did when I was younger and was going out all the time. I think here it's a part of the culture. Kids see it from an early age and realise it isn't as unusual or as glamorous as we used to think in Brighton. There is a bar here that only opens at night and plays loud music etc. I took my sis and her friend there when she came over and I think we were the biggest drinkers!! A lot of the kids here seem to come in and have a coffee with their mates and there was certainly no trouble at all.... I must have been the oldest person in the place though... and I had to go back to the bar to ask for more sprite in my vodka as it was very strong!!

On the subject of drink driving though. I rarely drink and drive, even one. It's something that even when I was growing up was my limit on what I wouldn't do. My driving licence cost a fortune to get my hands on. I wasn't about to hand it back for being stupid with it and not respecting it!!! However, here sometimes I've raised my eyebrows at 'friends'. One of Jamies colleagues has happily driven back to Torino from here after having consumed a large glass of red with his pizza, followed by a Malibu and Coke followed by a couple of bottles of beer. This to me was stupid, but it wasn't up to me....

TestaRossa

The drink driving you describe was normal up to the mid 80's in the UK I reckon. Same with seatbelt use. It's like Italy is way ahead of us in some things but 30 behind in others!!

indiebird

yeah, soooooo true. I think we've never had a good relationship with alcohol in England though.... same in the US too..... 21 to have a drink??!! When you can probably buy a gun at 16 or something!!

dina1965

just came across this piece of "news" in The Sun ...

""RINGTONES that can help with day-to-day problems - including curing HANGOVERS - have become the latest craze in Japan.""

Patty

Found 'Malted Milk' english biscuits in a Co-op store today. They are sooo nice. They even have the little cow on each biscuit just like home

indiebird

Not keen on Malted milks.... I ate fruit shortcakes with 37100 last week though!!

TestaRossa

I just realised dina165 just admitted to "reading" The Sun.... You do read it online don't you??! You don't give them hard earned cash surely?!

Malted milks! I love them, lucky you!! I'll think about you all when I'm trawling the Spanish supermarkets for goodies! I'm hoping we'll go to this really good chippie while we are there too! Funny, when you go to Spain for a holiday you really can't understand why people use these places or buy English foods, now I realise it's all mainly for the expats down there!!

37100

Only 'cos Testarossa told me where and what to look for. My lot don't eat biscuits. I've still got a xmas box of Fox's biscuits. Can't open them because I'd be the only one eating them. Should have taken them to Turin.

indiebird

I hope you are not implying that I eat a lot of biscuits!!??

TestaRossa

Did I?? What, but where?? Esselunga??

37100

Yeep. Esselunga.

TestaRossa

Ahh! Lucky you!

Patty

ooooh yes please - we can a have a biscuit party
(followed by lots of alcohol )