A satanic perversion of the English pub, created by soulless corporate cockroaches.... Well, it's not quite that simple.

Basically in the Eighties a lot of public houses were bought up by the major chains (like Guinness, now Diageo) and converted into places which :

• Had a common theme, e.g. names like the Rat and Parrot
• Had similar, generic looks
• Were aimed at particular market segments, e.g. It's A Scream for students, Wetherspoons for families

Now these pubs, like any avatar of the Insane Clown, are boring and dreary places. However the awful truth is that a lot of them were boring and dreary before. Only a few pubs conform to the English ideal of eccentricity, friendliness and local uniqueness. Many of them were just dingy and dark and glum.

If you are a cheerful free-marketeer, you'll think that the new pubs will inevitably compete up the ladder to become wonderful inspiring places where customer service comes with a smile and the beer and food is delicious.

I'm more pragmatic: at least since they all have the same names and logos, it is easier to avoid them.