London – Forget football and women and other traditional pub banter – modern men are more likely to chat about their children over a pint with their friends.
Relationship issues and sexual problems are all also high on the agenda for discussion down at the boozer.
Those were the findings of more than 70 hours of footage from hidden cameras in one London pub.
They didn’t pick up a single mention of football, while women were discussed only occasionally. One man in the Lord Nelson pub was heard telling his friends how he realised he was gay while dating a married woman.
Three middle-aged men talked openly about erectile dysfunction and another spoke about his fears about having a kidney transplant.
Another customer at the pub on the Isle of Dogs, which attracts drinkers from all walks of life, including professionals from nearby Canary Wharf, told his companions the lack of affection shown to him by his parents means he values their friendship all the more.
Landlady Kim Arrowsmith said: ‘There are a lot of things today that women won’t put up with. That’s why the males know that now they have to be more sensible.’
She said that although people knew they were being filmed for Channel 4, they soon forgot the cameras were there. The Secret Life of the Pub will be shown on Thursday.
Daily Mail