I mentioned this on Nicky’s blog (aka the CFG) last night. I had decided to go to the pub (nothing new there) for a quiet drink. Mondays are usually quite quiet with only a handful of customers going there. They’ve probably had enough over the weekend! Anyhow my ex. bless her asked if I’d like a lift there. She was preparing her evening meal (I had eaten earlier) and stopped cooking so that she could take me. No way! I told her to finish cooking and have her meal. I wasn’t in a hurry anyway so I played some guitar in the back room while she got on with it. Finally she came in and said, ‘Ok I’m ready to take you’, so off we went. I asked her if she wanted to come in with me but she declined, I think she wanted to do something else. I opened the door to the bar and could hardly get in! The place was packed. Some local friends (a rather large family with friends) were holding a party for their daughter who was 18. When I finally made it to the bar and ordered my drink I wasn’t allowed to pay for it! ‘I’ll get that came a voice from behind. It was the girl’s father. Greeting me he said, ‘It’s Sophie’s birthday and we are celebrating’. I’d never have guessed…LOL. There was also a huge buffet to dig into but as I’d eaten not long before I left the food alone. I settled down and chatted with some girls and by the time I wanted another drink another guy offered to buy it. ‘Offered’, isn’t the right word, he insisted, as he usually does with me. He’s a nice guy and is always generous in buying me a drink or two, so I accepted graciously. Ok back to chatting with other people and hey, guess what somebody else wanted to buy me a drink. ‘Well’, I thought, ‘No it’s my turn to buy a drink’ but before I could pay for his drink too, he had already paid for mine! I said I’d return the gesture but he was gone after drinking his pint. So it went on, yet another free drink without the opportunity to reciprocate. I wasn’t staying all night, in fact I was only there for two hours as I had to rise early this morning for work. I did manage to buy a drink for myself and with a tip for my favourite barmaid cost me just £3…….I’m not sure why everyone wants to buy me drinks. Either they think I can’t afford them or they simply like me or fancy me………..maybe! They are all nice people and I am privileged to know them.

Shirley Anne