test please delete

[RichardCranium]

am about to set off to the pub - might as well enjoy it before it gets knocked down by those sodding vandals

Have one for me.

It is sad that we are losing pubs so fast, and here is a council closing down a viable local business.

Tossers. No, you're right. Vandals.

[NickFitz]

...am about to set off to the pub - might as well enjoy it before it gets knocked down by those sodding vandals

Or not, as the case may be

Rounding the corner into the final straight, I was surprised to see the pub in darkness, with the blinds down

I approached, in case there was some notice posted explaining this unusual turn of events, but saw nothing. I then headed round towards the open seating area at the side of the building, on the off-chance I might find somebody who could explain matters - only to meet the assistant manager and the staff (and a few friends) heading round the corner towards me.

"Closed for Christmas?" I enquired.

"Power's off all round here" replied the AM, pointing to a bunch of Men at Work excavating a large hole a few hundred yards down the road. I then noticed that another bar over the road was also closed and in darkness - this time it wasn't because it had no customers and had closed early (which sometimes happens).

I have to say, I admire their devotion to duty - he'd shut at 9 when it was getting too dark to see, but he and the staff had hung around in case the power came back until about 11, when there would have been no point re-opening

I remember being in there around twenty years ago when the power went off - that time it was something internal that kept tripping the circuit breakers. There was still some twilight coming in from outside, but the till was in a dark corner.

The then-manager, Rick, rushed straight over to where I was sitting.

"Have you got your bike lights?"

"Yes, of course." (I used to cycle there - I lived on the other side of the city then.)

"Can I borrow the front light?"

I handed it over; within moments it was gaffer-taped over the open till, and service continued

However, another problem arose: the ladies' toilet had no window. The delicate matter was broached at the bar by a young lady who, venturing within, had become dubious at the prospect of seeking to satisfy her bodily requirements in absolute darkness.

"Hey," Rick shouted down the room at me, "Give her your rear light so she can use the toilet!"

To much laughter from the assembled masses, she got the light from me, returning it afterwards. From that point on, I had a steady stream of ladies directed to my table to borrow my red light - all of whom either returned it to me, or returned to explain that they had passed it to another visitor on the strict understanding that they should return it to me

Meanwhile, a regular who was an electrician had been hunting down the source of the problem. I can't remember now what it was - perhaps a dodgy fan in a flash cooler, or a loose connection in one of the illuminated tapheads - but after about three-quarters of an hour the power was restored, my bike lamps were returned to me, and I was given a free pint of Ind Coope Burton Ale and a large Jack Daniels in recognition of my contribution to the good of the community

Happy days...

[Churchill]

Good morning all!

Morning CM!

[RichardCranium]

"Power's off all round here" replied the AM, pointing to a bunch of Men at Work excavating a large hole a few hundred yards down the road.

However, despite the pub being closed, you didn't get back to 3! Drinking with the staff in the dark?

I a village where I lived some years ago there were a handful of pubs and regular power-cuts (every time there was a thunderstorm, for example). One of these pubs was filled with hundreds of candles.

One evening, driving into the valley, the whole valley was in darkness except for the yellow glow from said pub. So I went there instead of home; it was packed.

(Bearing in mind this was 20 years ago before real ale had started taking off) It was the only one of the pubs which still had those silly old manual hand pumps instead of the proper modern electric pumps. The whole village would turn out to this pub every time the power - meaning the telly - went off.

[RichardCranium]

Today is to be spent stripping the store room down, boxing it up and putting it in the loft.

[RichardCranium]

We've got a girlfriend of my wife staying next week. She's bringing her new baby. And she doesn't want to leave her 14-year old daughter at home alone. So she's coming. And she might be bringing a friend, we don't know yet. So the 18 year old punk daughter got invited (not by us) too. But she wants to bring her goth boyfriend.

So there's one woman our age, a baby, two young teenage girls and a older teenage 'couple'.

We have one spare room.

So I need to strip down the store room for the girls.

Then the living room will get converted to a bedroom for the older teenagers (who are shacked up together anyway).

When I've done that, I shall vacuum the shed of its spiders and I'll move in there.

[RichardCranium]

But it does mean some of the packing will have been done before we move.

[RichardCranium]

Although sitting here drivelling about it won't get too much done.

Apparently.

[Churchill]

Morning mate.

Did you get your bruv OK?

Yep, got back home ~03:00 Safe and sound!

Off for my tattoo soon!

Booked in at 16:00, you'll be able to hear the screams in Greenwich!

Personally I think "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysili ogogogoch" tattooed on my knob will look great!!!

[Menelaus]

Yep, got back home ~03:00 Safe and sound!

Off for my tattoo soon!

Booked in at 16:00, you'll be able to hear the screams in Greenwich!

Personally I think "Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysili ogogogoch" tattooed on my knob will look great!!!

F'ckin OUCH.

I'm afraid I wimped out - bunch of guys were getting service numbers and blood groups and I thought ... erm, no.