Traditions and customs in London

1. Pub rounds

You order at the bar, and in a group each person buys a round in turn. Not tipping the bar is normal; buying the barman a drink is the alternative.

2. Afternoon tea

Sandwiches, scones and cake with tea, from about 15:00 — a Victorian invention now largely a special occasion.

• Tip: Jam or cream first is a genuine and unresolved regional argument. Choose a side and commit.

3. Queueing

Orderly and taken seriously. Cutting a queue provokes a colder reaction than most other social errors.

4. Sunday roast

Roast meat, potatoes, vegetables and gravy in a pub on Sunday lunchtime, frequently booked out by midday.

• Best time: Sunday, 12:00–16:00

5. Remembrance poppies

Paper poppies worn in the first fortnight of November, with a two-minute silence on the eleventh.

• Best time: Early November