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Entertainment forms an important part of popular culture in the United Kingdom.The British people have various forms of recreation，but one of the most common places where people entertain themselves is at the pub（which is short for“public house”）.The pub is a place where alcoholic beverages，especially beer and whiskey，are sold and consumed.The pub also serves as a kind of center of community life，where events are held and information of all kinds is exchanged.Sometimes，university professors even give lectures and tutorial lessons to their students at pubs.
The British pubs attract people not only with alcohol but also with a variety of leisure activities.Quite often the pub functions as a gathering place for sports fans when there are live broadcasts of football or other league matches on television.At weekends，there are often performances of music given by local solo artists and bands.Pubs thus function as a kind of recreation center.
The importance of pubs to British life is also evidenced by their mention in the novels of Charles Dickens，Thomas Hardy and many other British writers.It is no exaggeration to say that the pub is the main place where British society is glued together，and where one sees much of the true essence of British life.
The British also entertain themselves by attending theatres and cinemas.Britain has produced some of the world’s greatest playwrights，such as Shakespeare and Bernard Shaw，whose plays are still frequently staged around the world.What served as the soil for them to grow in was the British people’s deep⁃rooted love for the theatre.In spite of the influences of television and the Internet，there is still a large proportion of the British population who are fond of more traditional forms of entertainment such as drama and movies.About 80％ of the public attend at least one arts event each year.About 17％ of British people are frequent visitors to theatres and 34％ of the total population regularly attends cinemas.This points to one of the most important aspects of the British national character：a tendency towards conservatism in the sense of“conserving what is best”.
British films have enjoyed international acclaim since the film⁃making industry began.Famous studios such as Pinewood，Shepperton，and Elstree are among the world’s most advanced in terms of their film production facilities and techniques，and attract countless film makers who come from around the world to produce their films there.
Another important way that the British spend their leisure time is by visiting art galleries and museums.The country has more than 2，500 galleries and museums of various types.Great Britain has produced numerous world⁃class masters in various artistic fields，who have helped to make the country a center of style，fashion and pioneering ideas，attracting artists，students and audiences from all over the world.
British Museum
The British also like music very much.Hundreds of national and local radio stations broadcast a wide range of classical music，jazz，opera，folk，pop and rock around the clock every day.The Beatles，a British pop band that emerged in the 1960s，created an unprecedented global sensation with their rock and roll⁃influenced style of music，the intimate connection they forged with their audiences and their unique sense of style.The band set the tone for pop music in Great Britain and the world for a long time，and even today，there are still many devoted fans of the Beatles’music.
Dance and opera are other popular forms of entertainment in Great Britain.The British people also like traveling abroad if they can afford it.The places they love to visit are Spain，Italy and other warm countries.
In addition to these mainstream forms of entertainment，a considerable number of people also participate in gambling.Like most other developed countries，Britain has a national lottery which is very popular;about half of British people with a job buy lottery tickets.Income from the sales is used for the purposes of public welfare，including the maintenance of historic buildings.Besides，horse racing and bingo are also popular forms of gambling.
The media plays an essential role in British culture.Radio，television，newspapers and the Internet give people access to an extensive range of information.Some media figures，such as radio broadcasters，hosts and hostesses of TV programs，news anchors and newspaper columnists，often rival movie and sport stars in charm and politicians in influence.It is no exaggeration to say that the media shapes the public’s opinions，sways people in different directions，and can reinforce or undermine the government’s hold on power.
Great Britain boasts one of the world’s most complex and highly developed media broadcasting systems.News provided by the BBC（the British Broadcasting Corporation），for instance，reaches every corner of the world each hour of every day.
Great Britain also has a large number of renowned newspapers.The best⁃known among them are listed below：
The Times was founded in 1785.Its circulation still stands among the largest even today.
The Guardian was founded in 1821 as the Manchester Guardian，and adopted its present name in 1959 when the headquarters of the newspaper moved to London.Its political views are generally left of center.
The Financial Times is a business newspaper founded in London in 1888，and has since served as a barometer of sorts for Britain’s economy.
The Daily Telegraph was founded in 1855 in London.Its political views are generally right of center.
The Sun，which is a tabloid，is the best⁃sell in Great Britain.
Apart from newspapers，Great Britain also has a number of world famous periodicals，such as the Economist，which offers coverage of and commentary on current events;the Spectator，which is the oldest British magazine;the New Statesmen，which carries articles and essays about politics and culture，and the Times Literary Supplement，an influential literary weekly published by the Times newspaper.Another periodical worth mentioning is Woman’s Own，which is popular among female readers.