Last night marked 107 Botley’s maiden voyage to The White House, the pub we pass but never enter. All that changed last night after yet another fantastic family meal of pesto, garlic bread, salad, red wine and drinks that followed. The quote above was spoken by a local man Justin seemed to befriend while adeptly throwing darts. Right off the bat, it was clear that this striped shirt man had consumed his fair share of beverages, not to mention his speech and behavior furthermore confirmed my long-held belief that people this side of London push their limit all the time, if not every possible time. The reality of the nightly English social scene, combined with our aged friend’s thick accent, made just about every statement he made indistinguishable, except for his first and best line: “You’re in the 101st Airborne Division.” Try as he might, Justin just couldn’t convince him otherwise.
My ideas surrounding the hard-drinking, ale-craving, rebel-rousing crowd of the historic academic town called Oxford: 1) Instinctually, their existence and/or identity is co-dependent on being a part of timeless English culture where all that’s needed is a worn bar to lean upon, a few crooked teeth and a pint in hand. 2) It’s in their blood, literally. And it has been for generations. And it will continue to be thanks to their massively high consumption rate. Recent stat: By the age of three, the average British baby will have consumed the equivalent of 1 – 2 pints of Guinness. (Keep in mind that a pint is one very large glass filled to the brim.) I mighthave made that up, (although it could very well be true), but according to The Times, Britain has the highest rate of adolescent and underage drinking. 33% of the under-15 population gets smashed twice a week, on average. Also, Britain is third in the world for teen pregnancy, right after Mexico (2) and America (1). Way to go U.S.A. Always knew you had it in ya.
Despite what you may think, not all Englishmen (or women) are crazies sprinting toward the nearest pub as soon as their shift ends. On the contrary, they display a tremendous amount of class at any given time, even when taking care of business… in the bathroom stalls. To end this tale, I shall leave you with the latest graffiti findings written in the stalls of The King’s Arms:
“Rolland says Toy Story 2 was just OK…”
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