A Lincolnshire man has completed a self-imposed endurance test of epic proportions, spending an entire 16-hour day inside a single Wetherspoons pub. Phil Carr filmed his marathon session at the branch in Gainsborough, documenting meals, drinks, and mounting boredom in a video diary shared online.
The Gruelling Challenge Begins
Phil Carr arrived at the pub at 7.45am, describing the prospect of his lengthy stay as akin to a "prison sentence". He had pledged to his followers that he would see the challenge through, calling it the "ultimate test of endurance". He chose the Gainsborough location, joking that it was "not really near anything" and that spending 16 hours there was "the most exciting thing that happened to the place for 500 years".
His day started with a bargain breakfast, an egg muffin with a hash brown and a drink, which cost him just £3.30. He then settled in, flicking through newspapers and quickly identifying boredom as a major problem. He watched the clientele shift, noting the transition from the breakfast crowd to the day drinkers was "like watching a flower bloom".
Bargain Feasts and Boredom Units
For lunch, Phil indulged in a £6 feast of a panini and chips, washed down with a beer. To break the monotony, he made several trips to the toilet for exercise and pondered how to measure his boredom. "Is it Big Bang Theory episodes? In that case, I'm 21 Big Bang Theory episodes bored," he mused.
After promising himself a change of seating at the 10-hour mark, he moved but didn't like the "vibe" of his new spot. He then turned to the fruit machines, which he called a "mug's game", but surprisingly walked away £50 richer. His evening meal was a burger and a drink for £10.42, with pints costing between £2.50 and £3.50 throughout the day.
The Final Verdict and Aftermath
As the hours dragged on, Phil began to worry the staff were "looking blankly" at him for his unwavering presence. He rounded off his culinary journey with a final meal of nachos and another beer, costing a further £10.
His five-word verdict on the entire 16-hour Wetherspoons challenge perfectly encapsulated the experience. After his marathon, he retreated to a Travelodge, quipping that it felt like jumping "out of the frying pan and into the fire". While it's an ordeal he's unlikely to repeat, the content created from his day-long stint in the Gainsborough pub was undoubtedly unique.
