1936 On the Continent

office in Charing Cross Road, London, W.C.2, maintain a 24-hour service throughout the week, while the post office opposite Charing Cross station is open all night for telegraphic business. On Sunday ordinary post offices are closed, except for district post offices, which open for an hour or two in the morning. No letters or parcels are delivered on Sunday. Telegrams, of course, may be sent over the telephone at any time, even from public telephone kiosks. Between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. the minimum charge for telephone calls to any part of England is 1s.
    The offices of the cable companies, like the
Commercial Cable Company
, Wormwood Street, London, E.C.2, are always open.
    All postal matter is charged by weight.
Food
    Turning from business to pleasure, we come to the question of food. It is hardly necessary to observe that English food is very different from foreign food—but definitely not in the libellous sense in which the difference is usually interpreted.
English cooking is as good as, if not better than, any other.
The only trouble is that for some unfathomable reason the places where real English cooking is to be had do not advertise. There are public-houses, or rather public-house restaurants, scattered all over London, whose cuisine is good enough to satisfy the requirements of the most exacting gourmet. In addition, some of these restaurants have an atmosphere of true English conviviality, that charming characteristic that is supposed to be non-existent in England. To mention only one example, the friendly atmosphere of a certainrestaurant in the quaintly-named Bird-in-Hand Court in the City, with its daily guessing competition, is as heartwarming as anything that can be found on the Continent. But, of course, it is an English brand of friendliness. Surprisingly enough, prices at these English restaurants are no higher than at those “English” restaurants by whose cuisine some foreigners are accustomed to judge English cooking.
    The following are a few typical English dishes: Roast beef and other roast meats, grilled meats, meat and fruit pies, and a variety of puddings, such as suet, ginger, and date pudding. Grilled, boiled or fried fish is frequently an integral part of English menus.
Drink
    From food we naturally proceed to drink. Here again the English system is unique. In other countries a man drinks when he feels like it. In England the thirst of the population is regulated by law from district to district. In some places public-houses are open from 12 noon till 3 p.m. and from 6 p.m. till 10 p.m. In others the closing hour may be 2.30 or 3.30 in the afternoon and 10.30 or 11 o’clock in the evening—and these different closing times may apply to two public-houses situated in the same street. Why this is so is a mystery which even the most brainy puzzle-solvers in England have so far failed to elucidate.
    However, the public-house in England serves as a sort of public club, and the foreign visitor who wishes to find out what the English “man in the street” really thinks needs only spend a few hours at various public-houses and listen to the general conversation.
    The English national drink is beer and, accordingly, England produces a large variety of excellent beers, from the humble “bitter” to the various lagers, ales and stouts. The names of some English brewers, like
Bass, Guinness Watney
, etc., are household words throughout the British Empire, and their products are also sold at expensive hotels and restaurants in foreign countries.
    England produces no wines, but all kinds and qualities of imported wines are available. Sherries, ports and clarets are in great favour.
    Among alcoholic drinks whisky is the most popular, and here again such names as “White Horse,” “JohnnyWalker,” “Black and White,” “John Haig,” etc., are world famous. Whisky is generally drunk diluted with soda water or ordinary water. Excellent gins and ready-made cocktails (
Gordon’s, Booth’s, Seager’s
, etc.) are obtainable at all public-houses, restaurants, etc.
    The closing times mentioned above apply to public-houses only. Restaurant customers may have alcoholic drinks served with their meals up till 12 o’clock midnight, while those who desire liquid refreshment after that hour may become temporary members of one of a large number of night clubs, which are allowed to serve drinks at all hours.
    Public-houses sell drinks by the pint and its divisions, which are explained in the Conversion