Going to the pub is good for you, scientists claim
Nipping to the pub for a few hours is good for our health, a new study has found.
People who regularly go to their "local" to socialise tend to be happier and more satisfied with life, say Oxford University scientists.
And whether they are drinking alcohol or soft drinks, pub-goers are more engaged with other members of their community, according to the findings.
Those lacking a local pub had significantly smaller social networks and felt less trusting of their neighbours, according to psychologists.
The research, published in the journal Adaptive Human Behaviour and Physiology, was gleaned from three separate investigations - a questionnaire-based study of pub-goers, an analysis of conversational behaviour in pubs, and a national survey by the Campaign for Real Ale.
Those who drank in local pubs were found to socialise in smaller circles of friends, which encouraged chit-chat between all the group members.
People who frequented city centre bars were usually part of much larger gatherings and participated less in whole-group conversation.
Camra's national chairman Colin Valentine said that with 21 pubs closing across the UK each week, it was vital to strengthen planning protection for pubs,