<P> In the mid-18th century, gin became extremely popular as it was much cheaper to buy than beer . This was known as the' gin epidemic' . By 1740, six times more gin than beer was being produced, and of the 15,000 drinking establishments in London, half were gin - shops . The Gin Act 1736 imposed a prohibitively high duty on gin, but this caused rioting, and so the duty was gradually reduced and then abolished in 1742 . The Gin Act 1751 was more successful: instead of a tax it restricted gin producers to selling only to licensed premises . </P> <P> During the 19th century, licensing laws began to restrict the opening hours of premises . The Sunday Closing (Wales) Act 1881 required the closure of all public houses in Wales on Sundays . </P> <P> After the outbreak of World War I the Defence of the Realm Act was passed by Parliament in 1914 . One section of the Act concerned the hours pubs could sell alcohol, as it was believed that alcohol consumption would interfere with the war effort . It restricted opening hours for licensed premises to luncheon (12: 00 to 14: 40) and supper (18: 30 to 21: 30). In the late 1980s the licensing laws in England and Wales became less restricted and allowed pubs to allow the consumption of alcohol on the premises from 11: 00 until 23: 00, although nightclubs were allowed to stay open much later . Significantly revised rules were introduced in November 2005, when hour limits were scrapped, and pubs were allowed to apply for licences as permissive as "24 hours a day". In practice, most pubs chose to apply for more restrictive licences . </P> <P> Traditionally, the phrase "Last orders!" is still often used to announce the last opportunity to purchase drinks, typically ten or fifteen minutes in advance and is often announced via a bell . At the point when the bar will no longer serve drinks, the bar staff will announce "Time at the bar!", or "Time, gentlemen, please!" (again, either shouted or by use of a bell). </P>

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