After spending a lovely hour or so at the White Lion, I headed off to my next port of call, the Hope & Anchor, where another party was in full swing. Everybody seemed to be having a really good time, from DJ Darth Vader, aka Tim Yates, to the Arab (Mick) who, using the threat of a machine gun made sure that nobody was kept waiting at the bar for too long.

Landlord Rick, who recently had his beard of 22 years shaved off to raise money for St. Michael's Hospice looks as if the replacement he is growing is coming along nicely; his moustache even appears to be growing black! It was good to see everybody having fun. Another party was going on in the Conservatory and I met some good friends when they came out to the Garden Room for a little 'fresh air.'

After catching up with a few other people, I began to head back into town for a pint at the Eagle before the special Midnight hour.