What's yours old chap?

 In 1915, a year after the outbreak of the Great War, the Government had a tight grip around the throat of pubs and brewery's. Drinking was deemed derogatory to the productivity of the war machine, so pubs were told they could only open their doors for a few hours in the afternoon for lunch, then for a further 3 hours from 6pm until 9pm.

It didn't stop there though. Last orders was called an hour earlier on Saturdays, and Sundays were already a dry day throughout the most of Great Britain. Bizarrely though, there was a clamp down on getting a round in. “Treating” was barred! You couldn't even lend your mate the money to get his own beer. Barmen and women put less in the till, but went there a lot more often. Within the hustle and bustle of a crowded pub, the familiar boom of "What's your's old chap?" faded to a whisper. 

 

Sunday drinking died a slow death from 1828 after a temperance movement and the Church put pressure on the Government to keep the Sabbath Holy. At the time, there were many more villages and fewer big towns and cities. Very often would a Church and a pub be neighbours, which led to complications. A temperance movement had started in the preceding years and as ale now had a safe drinking alternative in tea and coffee, many people wanted to end the drunken debauchery that had plagued the streets.

First the Alehouse Act of 1828 decreed that licensed premises should not trade during the hours of holy service, then the Forbes-Mackenzie Act closed the doors all day in Scotland in 1848. This soon spread to Ireland in 1878 and to Wales in 1881.  This of course led to a huge increase of sales of smaller casks which were sold in underground, unlicensed ale houses. The Cardiff Old Brewery recorded 872 sales of 9 and 4 and a half gallon casks in 1880-81 and 39055 in 1888-89, almost a 45 fold increase. Boarder pubs in England became very popular. Folk walked or cycled for miles in to get a pint. Dry Sundays weren't completely abolished until 1996! One wonders if Jesus had turned water in to the most consumed beverage in the country at the time - ale instead of wine, if this would have happened at all. 

Somewhat ironically, the Great War probably saved the brewing industry in the UK. Before the war, the original gravity of beer was much higher than after. This in part, was due to the general scrutiny of brewers and drinkers of the time, and of course the lack of resources to make the product. In 1914 the average gravity was 1.052, by 1919 it was 1.039. To none brewers, this equated to the average beer being about 5.2% at the outbreak of war and 3.5% ABV after. It's only in very recent years that it's started to climb. This had an effect on the behaviour of drinkers and in turn to the attitude towards drinking. In Cardiff in 1932, Convictions for drunkenness were about 10% of those recorded in 1897. 

In the states, Prohibition was introduced. Back in Blighty, the stranglehold was relaxed somewhat. By the time War once again consumed our nation, it was out of the question to introduce such measures again. It would affect morale… You know?