Every country in the world has its own nightlife rituals that make them distinct from one another. British nightlife however is one of the most distinct, strange and exciting in the world and can often leave outsiders bemused and perplexed.
Visiting Americans often view a night out on the British high-street as a rite of passage, almost treating it with the same reverence as a David Attenborough documentary on endangered species.
Late night McDonalds, greasy kebab houses and sticky dance floor nightclubs aren’t the only thing that British nightlife has to offer. There is a unique diversity to a British night-out which can range from a quiet bingo game to an all-night rave in an abandoned field.
In this article we will take a look at some of the best and strangest night outs in the UK which will leave you with a warm feeling of nostalgia whilst leaving outsiders puzzled.
The Preloader
You might think that the word “preloading” is unique to your group of friends or just your town in particular. Despite being known by different names across the country, preloading is a nationwide phenomenon – one that was even debated in the House of Parliament and the House of Lords in 2003 and 2016.
If you don’t know, preloading involves buying industrial amounts of cheap booze at your local supermarket and drinking it with your friends before heading for a night out. To outsiders this concept might seem odd, especially when you consider that most nightclubs in the UK offer some form of £1 drink promotions on a Saturday night.
Brits are a thrifty bunch though and would rather spend 50p on a drink at home than pay twice the price in a stuffy town centre club.
These nights often peak minutes before someone announces “taxis are here”. The consumption of alcohol is often aided by a myriad of exciting and excessive drinking games.
As such, when you arrive at the club you’ll have little need to avail of the £1 drink promotions leaving you with extra cash for that obligatory kebab at 3am. If extreme bouts of nausea have been avoided up until this point, you can bet your life that the kebab will bring it on.
“Getting Drunk” is the main objective of young British fun seekers who set their sights on the high street on a Friday and Saturday night
The Bingo
Whilst our first example of a night-out in the UK may be the most common, it is arguably the most hard core. If you’re above the age of 21 a night out like that will be a “once in a blue moon” occurrence as the hangovers really just aren’t worth it.
For a more relaxed evening where you can actually hold a conversation with your friends, you can’t go far wrong with a trip to the bingo. In the 1960s bingo was by far the most popular leisure activity in the country, attracting higher weekly attendance figures than football’s First Division.
In the following decades the game suffered a real downturn with playing numbers dwindling year on year. Fortunately in the mid noughties the game was injected with new life by the online sector which brought bingo to a wider, younger and more affluent audience.
Bingo is now experiencing somewhat of a renaissance in the UK, largely due to rise in the quality of the typical online bingo game, and now local halls around the country are welcoming large crowds every weekend. The vast majority of these venues offer alcohol at competitive prices along with decent food options to quench your thirst and quieten that stomach rumble respectively.
If you’re looking for a little more fun you can head to a Drag Bingo night, events which are hosted by some of the country’s top comedy drag performers. London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Newcastle all have regular drag bingo schedules which you can find with a quick Google search.
British bingo halls have come a long way in terms of modernization since this news report from the 1990s
Twilight Castle Tours
After covering two particularly boozy options it’s time to explore the final nightlife activity on our list, one that doesn’t involve alcohol. Brits have a bit of a bad reputation when it comes to drinking, especially in Europe.
Whilst there may be more than a shred of truth to the assertion that Brits drink to excess, it’s important to remember that there is much more than binge drinking to a night out in the UK.
One of the biggest draws to the country for foreign tourists is the quaint history of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Particularly to American tourists who are not used to seeing buildings pre-dating the 15th century.
In the UK there are an abundance of historic buildings, specifically castles which can be found within a short drive of most towns and cities throughout the country.
The Cathedral city of Lincoln in the Midlands is one such place in the UK that is absolutely jam-packed with historic buildings. Lincoln castle is within throwing distance of the awe-inspiring Cathedral which sits atop of a hill looking out over the city.
During the summer months Lincoln Castle runs special night time tours of the castle which offer visitors the chance to explore the history of William the Conqueror’s former fortress. No one tour is the same with different topics covered every night, ranging from the haunting spectre of the Victorian prison to the more jovial exploration of midnight falconry.
It’s not just Lincoln where you can explore castles at night time either, many other monuments around the country run similar events catering for a wide range of ages and interests. Check out the websites of your local monuments to see what’s on offer in your area.
