Have you ever xxx xxxx holding a conversation xx xxxx pub that insists xxxx xxx music over loudspeakers? xxxx trying to talk xxx xxxxx person next to you xx x xxxxx have to raise your voice xxxxx xx be heard. The music xxxx xxxx thump thump thump xx xxxx intrusive x xxx xxx background noise xxxx wholly unnecessary. Sometimes you can't hear a word the person next to you xxx xxxxx xxxxx or you only catch certain xxxx and you xxxx try to fill the gaps xxxxx make sense of what they're saying. When this happens I tend to nod, agree, xxx and smile, hoping that my response matches xxxx xxxxx xxx what they asked me. This xxxx can be xxxxx xxxx dangerous. For all I know they were telling me xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx xxxx or that their dog's just died, and I've grinned inanely and said "xxxxx xxxxxx" or something equally bland.
The xxxx solution is to xxxxx up close to the person xxx xxxxxxxx x xxxx xxxx and hold a conversation mouth-to-ear. All very intimate, and useful if you're xx x xxx xxxxx sharing secrets, but xxxx xxxxx xxxx x and not very xxxxxx. It's just about possible xxx xxxxxx a conversation with three people if you stand xxxxx xxx, but any more xxxx xx xxxxx and somebody ends up standing on the periphery xx xxxxxxxx xxxxxx xx missing out on all the juicy gossip. Which is a shame. Why go to a pub to be sociable when xx x xxxxx xxxxxx xxxx?
And then, around xxxxx o'clock, somebody behind the bar decides to raise the volume of the music even further xxxx x XX XXXXXX XXXXXXX virtually impossible. Lip reading XXXX XXX sign language XXXXXXX XXXX useful skills. There's no alternative XXX XXXX raise your voice, perhaps even shout XXX XXXX to be heard. Sorry, what was that? Could you repeat XXXX XXXX XXXXXX? No I didn't XXXXXX catch what you XXXXXX. Speak up X XXX XXXXXX please. You end up trying to cram your conversations into the brief gaps between songs, trying to complete your anecdote before the next tune XXXXXX XXXXXXX X XXXXX XXXXXXX. Damn. And there's absolutely no way to listen in XX XXXXX your friends XXX XXXXX just a couple of feet away (which presumably XXX XXXXX XX XXX the point of going out to the pub in the first place).
Before long the pub XXXXX X XXXXXXX full of little huddles XXXX XXXX atomised groups XXX XXXX. And still the music XXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX X XXXXX XXXXX XX XXX not even a very good tune anyway. It's likely by now that XXX XX XXXXXXX XXX XX XXXXXXX, or maybe you've lost your voice in the increasingly smoky atmosphere. XXXX. If your mobile phone XXXXXX XX XXXXXX dash outside XXX XXX XXXX XX be able to answer it. Hello? I'm in the XXXXXXXX'X XXXX. Hello? Hello??
By closing time XXX XXX XXXX X XXX XXXXX XXXXX. In fact XX XXX XXXX could have had a more sociable evening sat outside on a park bench with a can of shandy. But X XXXXX XXX XXX XXX XXXXXX XXXXX XXXX XXX. And XXX X XXX XXXXX XXXXXXX X XXXXX XXX. It's really not XXX XX XXXXX XXXX. If only XXXX XXX XXX turned it down XXX XXXX XXXX XXxx xxx xxxxx might be able to hold a decent conversation. Which would be nice. When will pubs learn?
