Tuesday 15th October 2024

I am here for work, after all. So I had better just get up and get dressed and go down for breakfast.

Outside it was trying to rain, it would be very successful in this by the end of the day.

But first, breakfast.

Fruit. Yogurt. Sausages. Bacon. Coffee.

And one of my colleagues, Jimmy arrives, so I would make it to the office, as to be honest, I didn't know the way.

After eating we climb into his Hilux, then roar off down the road, while he drives and attends a meeting.

It am the modern way.

It takes half an hour to get to the office, then after introductions, we get down to work, though in a low-pressure kind of way.

No break for lunch, instead we sustain ourselves with dark chocolate digestives, which works for me.

We were done by four, my other colleague, Patrick, takes me back to the hotel, under more leaden skies, and once we arrive back home the heavens did open and by the time we left the bar, over an inch had fallen.

We met in the bar at half six, order pints of the black stuff, and look at the menu.

We had starters, then we waited.

Turns out that the server had lost our order and denied taking it. But we reminded the poor lad of the conversation and his suggestion for having double peppercorn sauce with my steak.

Steak takes just ten minutes to reorder, cook and present the plates, so we tuck in.

No desert for me, but the others do. They persuade me to have an Irish coffee.

And another Guinness.

And then a whiskey.

And then another whiskey.

And so on.

I believe I was fine come bed time, as in not drunk or tipsy. Patrick was very merry.

So it goes.