In UK and China
By 钟素嫦

Leisure activities
Selected leisure activities: participation rates in the 4 weeks before interview by age
Age
16-19 20-24 25-29 30-44 45-59 60-69 70 and over Total
Total
Watching TV
Listening to radio
Listening to records/tapes
Reading books
Singing/playing an instrument
Dancing
Painting
Writing stories/poetry
Running arts events
Performing in a play
21
24
12
4
8
100
92
98
63
21
23
13
5
2
3
99
93
97
67
15
14
11
4
2
3
99
93
95
66
12
11
11
4
2
2
99
92
91
65
12
3
3
8
7
2
99
89
83
67
10
2
4
9
8
1
99
82
71
64
7
5
5
64
7
2
2
0
99
76
57
65
11
11
99
88
83
3
2
9
4
Weighted base (000's) = 100%
Unweighted sample
2,300
767
2,968
929
3,057
1005
####
4151
###
3852
5,094
1951
5,976
2162
41,881
14817

 watching television (99%)
 listening to the radio (88%)
.
 listening to records or tapes （ 83 ％）
 reading books （ 65 ％）

 25 hours per person every week
 at least one television set
 In 1999, 13% of households had satellite television and 9% cable television.
 BBC1, BBC2, TV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5
 a mixture of drama, light entertainment, films, sport, educational, children’s and religious programs, news and current affairs, and documentaries

 A wild range of TV programs available
 little time and energy left after work or taking care of the family
 people place home and family as the main focus of interest

Leisure activities away home 1998 all aged 16 and over
Activities visit a public house meal in a restaurant meal in a fast food restaurant library cinema historic building short break holiday disco or night club spectator sports event museum or art gallery fun fair theatre theme park camping or caravanning bingo visit a betting shop
27
26
22
19
17
17
34
32
31
12
11
9 percentages
74
69
48
40

 over 60,000 pubs in the UK
 Public bar and lounge bar
 sell pub lunches, cheese, bread, pie, fried potatoes, and chicken
 Various games, especially dart, as well as skittles, dominoes, snookers, billiards, and quizzes etc.



The traditional pub represents the most typical local culture in Britain.
The British people are known for reserve ， but pub culture perfectly promotes sociability in their communication and entertainment activities.
 The bar counter is possibly the only site in the British Isles in which friendly conversation with strangers is considered entirely appropriate and rea1ly quite normal behavior






Do not wait for table service.
Do not block all access to the bar while you cannot decide what to order.
How to meet the locals?
Buying rounds of drinks in turns
How to buy a drink?

 Developing fast
 More spare time: 114 days of public holiday
 More money: annual income--10,000 per capita in 2005
 Government is encourage people to spend money on leisure activities to stimulate national consumption


According to a survey by “Zero Survey
Company”,
 watching TV, by 60%
 playing mah-jong － 25 ％
 visiting friends and family
 Having a good sleep
 going online
 playing chess and reading.

 shopping buying things, tasting foods, hairdressing, entertainments
 traveling
1/4 of the interviewed citizens say traveling is their major leisure activity
 going to cinema enjoying the special effect and environment in the cinema
 doing sports pay to do sports in the gymnasiums or do exercise in the pubic facilities

 Britain : the greater part of most people’s leisure time is spent in the home (SR-> textbook P100)
45% of their free time watching television,
24% of their free time socializing,
22-23% on sport and hobbies,
10% on other activities
(SR-> a recent survey by the EU statistics office)
 China : more and more time on outdoor activities meanwhile the time spent at home is also increasing

Reference:

National statistics UK

Britain Embassy
 http://www.china.org.cn/