Market research confirms what we have always known: the British spend twice as long in the pub as the French.

The British spend an average of 4 hours 27 minutes per visit, compared to just 2 hours 35 in France. The average Brit arrives in the pub at 6.14pm.

So if our average Brit arrives after work at 18.14, he would be leaving at 22.41 - 19 minutes before closing time, at least when we had one,  before it was er..., deemed a hinderance by the current Government to the desired continental-style drinking culture. Oddly, since 4 hours 27 minutes is only an average, some people must be staying for an awful lot longer...