UK residents 'prefer a big night in'

People in Yorkshire are the most sociable in the country and residents in the South West are the biggest entertainers at home, according to new research.

The research found that those in Yorkshire and Humberside spend 15 hours, 38 minutes a week socialising, compared with those in East Anglia, who spend 13 hours, 11 minutes in the company of friends and family.

The Future Foundation, who carried out the research, said entertaining at home has risen dramatically in the past 40 years.

It found that 51% of Brits entertain at least once a week and one in 20 entertains every day.

Those in the South West spend the biggest proportion of their social time - 43% - entertaining.

The company said that as society becomes more affluent and people spend more on home improvements, they are more likely to entertain at home to make the most of their new surroundings.

The rising popularity of DIY home improvements has driven up spending on homes by 76% over the past decade.

Nicola Austin, director of consultancy at Future Foundation, said: "The 21st century home is no longer just a box to protect us from the elements, it is a sanctuary from the stresses of modern living which we use for relaxation and entertainment.

"Far from being a generation that spends all its time out on the town, we now spend more time than ever getting together at home."

The popularity of home improvements is set to continue, with an estimated 49% rise in spending on household goods predicted between 2007 and 2020, she said.

The research also predicts spending on home leisure, entertainment and recreational goods will rise 75% between the same time period, reaching £100 billion by 2020.

Jane Hunter, marketing director at Gallo Family Vineyards, said: "People are now happier than ever to show off their homes, their culinary skills and have friends over to share a bottle of wine.

"A 'big night in', be it a dinner party, a night in with a DVD or an impromptu barbecue, has become the way to share time with friends and is set to eclipse the big night out as the social event of choice."

Research also showed the South West topped a league of "Sunday lunchers", with more than 22% enjoying a traditional family lunch on a Sunday, compared with just 8.7% of those in the North West.

It also showed that over the past 40 years, the number of adults enjoying Sunday lunch together at home has dropped by more than half, from 12.7 million in the early 1960s to just 6.2 million today.

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