Drink, Politics and stuff

Thedrink is over (ie. the drink has started to flow!)

My new blog can be found here:  http://thevegetable.blog.com/ ….

 or so I thought.  See next post…

My first drink - a few days off a year.  Listen to the TV in the background to hear what tipped me off the wagon…

The Beer Prayer
Our lager
Which art in barrels,
Hallowed be thy drink,
Thy will be drunk,(I will be drunk).
At home as I am in the tavern.
Give us this day our foamy head,
And forgive us our spillage’s,
As we forgive those who spill against us,
and lead us not to incarceration,
But deliver us from hangovers,
For thine is the beer,
The bitter and the lager,
Forever and ever
Barmen

The minutes of the SSP Executive meeting where Tommy resigned as convenor are here:  http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sheridan_plot.shtml#

FROM THE BBC:

10 days to go.  I can positively taste my first pint.  I plan on it being a pint of Wittebier – Kronenbourg probably.  I’ll video the experience and post it here.

A year without booze.  The longest without since summer 1982.

Talking of which, when I was over in Norn Irn last week I met a friend from those heady days of the Coach, the Belmont, Circus-Circus etc.  An old school mate.  My sister and I were at Tescos (you can see Tescos in the video I posted below – the drive through Banbridge – it appears just after “Banbridge Tech’”).  We were just pulling into a parking space and she said, “Is that Alan D???????”  I looked round and could just make out through the now lined face and baldy head that it was.  I jumped out and accosted him before he got in to his car. 

Alan was a strange friend for me to have.  He was a total tee-totaller and he never smoked.  At school I had declared, “I’m going to try everything!”

We spoke about that summer.  Alan and I had, instead of spending the last week in school, went to
Wales on a school trip.  A nice way to end my High School career.  After the trip, the school gave us a canoe to use for the summer – Alan lived beside a lough.  We also went on a fantastic cycle trip – one I will remember all my life.  Another friend, Alex, came with us.  We set off towards the Mourne Mountains.  I remember Dexy’s Midnight Runners on the radio I had in my bike-bag.  I told the guys – “This song will be number one!”

Alan reminded me of something that had nearly passed from my memory – when we were passing through Hilltown a dog ran out in front of me.  I slammed my brakes on and I went over the handlebars.  The owner of the Dog asked if the dog was ok?  I replied, “Never mind the bloody dog – what about my bike!”

We stopped off at a cottage owned by the Scottish teacher who had taken us to Wales.  I remember camping out beside a stream at the back of the cottage.  We were nearly eaten alive by midges.

We stayed a night with Alan’s sister in Kilkeel and a night in Cranfield.  I remember that evening very well.  It was fantastic weather.  I remember a couple of girls our age playing at the swings – but we didn’t have the bravery to talk to them. 

Days of innocence. 

A few weeks later, I had my first carryout (Tennents Lager). 

Oh, and my sister said I looked extremely young standing beside him.  He should have drank.

More here:  http://www.zmag.org/cartoons/by_artist.cfm?artist=12  and  http://homepage.ntlworld.com/lazenbee/

Barbara - my only regular poster - requested an eighties tune.  This is one I liked way back when.  I’ll be posting some thoughts later…