The history of pubs can be traced back to Roman taverns, through the Anglo-

Saxon alehouse to the development of the modern tied house system in the 19th century.
Traditionally the windows of town pubs were of smoked or frosted glass to obscure the
clientele from the street but in the 1990s there has been a move towards clear glass.
In 1393 King Richard II compelled landlords to erect signs outside their premises.
The legislation stated "Whosoever shall brew ale in the town with intention of selling it
must hang out a sign, otherwise he shall forfeit his ale." This was in order to make
alehouses easily visible to passing inspectors, borough ale tasters, who would decide the
quality of the ale they provided. William Shakespeare's father, John Shakespeare, was
one such inspector. The earliest signs were often not painted but consisted, for example,
of paraphernalia connected with the brewing process such as bunches of hops or
brewing implements, which were suspended above the door of the pub.
Traditional games are played in pubs, ranging from the well-known darts, skittles,
dominoes, cards and bar billiards, to the more obscure Aunt Sally, Nine Men's Morris
and ringing the bull. Increasingly, more modern games such as video games and slot
machines are provided. Many pubs also hold special events, from tournaments of the
aforementioned games to karaoke nights to pub quizzes. Some play pop music and hip-
hop (dance bar), or show football and rugby union on big screen televisions (sports bar).
Bowling is also found in association with pubs in some parts of the country and the
local team will play matches against teams invited from elsewhere on the pub's bowling
green.
Traditionally pubs in England were drinking establishments and little emphasis
was placed on the serving of food, other than "bar snacks", such as pork scratchings,
and pickled eggs, along with salted crisps and peanuts which helped to increase beer
sales. If a pub served meals they were usually basic cold dishes such as a ploughman's
lunch (bread and cheese).
In the 1950s some British pubs would offer "a pie and a pint", with hot individual
steak and ale pies made easily on the premises by the landlord's wife. In the 1960s and
1970s this developed into the then-fashionable "chicken in a basket", a portion of roast
chicken with chips, served on a napkin, in a wicker basket. Quality dropped but variety
increased with the introduction of microwave ovens and freezer food. "Pub grub"
expanded to include British food items such as steak and ale pie, shepherd's pie, fish and
chips, bangers and mash, Sunday roast, ploughman's lunch, and pasties. In addition,
dishes such as burgers, lasagne and chilli con carne are often served. Some pubs offer
elaborate hot and cold snacks free to customers on Sunday lunchtimes to prevent them
getting hungry and leaving for their lunch at home.
Since the 1990s food has become more important as part of a pub's trade, and
today most pubs serve lunches and dinners at the table in addition to (or instead of)
snacks consumed at the bar. They may have a separate dining room. Some pubs serve
meals to a higher standard, to match good restaurant standards; these are sometimes
termed gastropubs.