PEOPLE spend more than two months a year just chatting – with the humble pub the best place to spark up a conversation.

New research by Oxford-based academic Dr Theodore Zeldin reveals one third of Brits are chatterboxes, who believe humour and honesty are key to a good natter.

But he sounded a warning about social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter which he feared could cut down proper conversation However, 64 per cent of 3,000 people surveyed said they still found it hard to make conversation and rely on subjects such as the weather and weekend plans.

Dr Zeldin, former dean of St Antony’s College and the president of the Oxford Muse Foundation based in Ferry Hinksey Road, said: “This survey shows the majority of British people feel some difficulty about having a conversation.

“Women still talk more about emotions and relationships, but the gap is closing because men now feel more comfortable talking about these things.

“Topics like religion, which are widely spoken about in many parts of the world, still pose problems for people in Britain.”

According to the study, the average person has 27 conversations every day, lasting about 10 minutes each. That adds up to a four-and-a-half hours a day, or nearly 100,000 hours or 68 days every year.

Fifty percent of those surveyed said they had made new friends by talking to people in the pub.

Dr Zeldin said: “It’s reassuring to know that in an age where technology is encouraging less face-to-face interaction, conversations are alive and well in the real world and the pub still has a crucial role to play in British society’s social interactions.

“We know increasingly less about our neighbours, with some people never talking to those who live next door.”

Marriage and relationships head the list of topics that Brits consider meaningful, closely followed by money and job happiness.

Politics comes in fourth followed by food and drink, religion and property prices.

Dr Zeldin warned websites like Facebook and Twitter pose biggest threat to conversation.

He said: “People think they’re talking a lot more because they use these sites. But, while they improve contact, they don’t improve conversation. The best place to have a chat will always be face-to-face.”