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with all the buzz around Gen Z fitness and gym routines, it’s easy to forget the huge positives that come from spending time socialising and taking a break
I moved to Bristol early last year, eager to be around more of my friends and to make a new start of things. Thirteen months later and I can’t say things have gone exactly as I had planned, but such is life.
However, one consistency that has remained throughout my twenties is the weekly venture to a pub, regardless of which city or flat I’m currently living in.
Aside from lockdowns and pandemics, I can’t recall a time when I wasn’t organising a trip to the local with a few friends, catching up on our work stories, dating lives, and everything in-between.
British people have a tendency to keep things to themselves and are always over polite, afraid to rock the boat and overshare. I find that sitting in a pub, drink in hand with fairy lights and a general buzz opens people up to chatting, making connections and strengthening friendships.
I’ve had all sorts of conversations with important people in this context, whether it’s big life decisions about starting a family, news of a major breakup, or talking about intense personal problems. There is a solace in the comfort that pubs provide that you can’t really imitate anywhere else.
You don’t need to be drinking alcohol, either. I’ve had plenty of health kicks and sober months, dropping booze in order to get myself back into reasonable shape.
I’ll still turn up to the pub, order a zero-alcohol beer or just a lemonade, and make the most of what these spaces have to offer. Not everything has to be indulgent or excessive if you don’t want it to be.
I say all this because I think these joys are in danger of being forgotten by younger people. As we all know, Gen Z are drinking less than their parents did, finding life too stressful and demanding to be wasting money and time on things that aren’t productive.
They’re often finding meaning and connection in different ways, whether it’s running clubs, online forums, or even through AI chatbots. It’s a new world, and young people are doing things differently.
Yet, pub culture is such a unique and consistent aspect of British life. It has brought joy to workers up and down the country for centuries, providing a space to let our guard down, be at peace, and interact with different people we may not ever bump into otherwise.
