I agree that it is part of the street’s identity, and I think what is often forgotten is that drinking is possibly the most ancient part of these islands’ culture that remains. From Roman writers through the Middle Ages, the most common element of British life that people took notice of, to tell the folks at home how odd those foreigners were, was that everyone drank large amounts.

We have a large stock of songs and literature revolving around consuming a lot of beer, which formed our unique ‘public house’ culture (think about those words and what a marvellous concept they reveal!) It reveals a more ribald and humorous time before today’s hangover from our Victorian prudishness that still remains. We have retained the drinking, but forgotten the wit and humour with which it was done in the preceding ages. Most of the drinking songs we have back to Shakespeare’s time are still funny now, with wordplay and imagery that’s way beyond the half-remembered rugby chant that passes for one today. “They don’t write them like that any more” indeed!