So anyway, there we were in Souk Medina, off Covent Garden last night, for the Fourth Annual Mark Atherton-Mermaid of Moorgate Christmas Combo.

And a rip-roaring night it was too. About 40 turned up in all, throughout the evening, keeping conversation fresh.

Highlights included:

Belly dancers
Being bought champagne (ditto)
Lovely fresh houmous
Tommo announcing he'd finally got to third base with some one
Being proposed to twice, with a month-auction commencing between two contenders.

Lowlights included:
Being proposed to twice, with a month-auction commencing between two contenders. The two being John, the editor of a downmarket former rival trade publication, who made his offer at 22 months' from hence, and Geoff Ho, who is, well, Geoff. He came in with an 18-month offer.

[edited on request] Is this a conspiracy to get me up the aisle (or should that be down the aisle? Our church floor slopes. We discovered just how much once when mum and I were eating maltesers during communion and she went to take one quietly out of the bag during the prayer and they all fell on the floor and shook, rattled and rolled all the way down to the front of the church. Not that we ever eat in church or neglect to concentrate during Serious Prayers).

Which leads me onto the other low-lights:

John taking his editor role too seriously. One freelance who had worked with him for a couple of months full-time asked why, if his star reporter had been so good, why was she not promoted and why did she have to leave?
Cue: "I am the editor." Vs "I now write for nationals" "So what, you were no good when I sacked you" Vs "But you didnt give me a real chance to prove myself" and so on and so on!

3) Matty Wills starting up again on Richard Dawkins Vs Cliff Richard in a physical battle to see who is right: God vs Evolution. Cliff obviously, he's in the peak of physical health, as you can tell from celebrity come dancing. Hellooooo, no contest! Dawkins may have all the degrees, but God has all the best dancers.

4) People ordering some of their drinks on a non-existent tab, then leaving about 7 of us to foot the entire bill between us - GRRR! Partly the fault of the stupid waiter, who kept referring to the Tab as "The Table you have behind the bar".

5) Various fisticuffs in the streets between a certain downmarket editor, Westward-Ho! and a couple of random PRs who'd had a bit too much free lager.


6) the bar staff think spicy tomato juice requires soda water. HAS ANYONE EVER TASTED FIZZY tomato juice? It was like drinking baby poo. I imagine.

So... a great night in all. Merry Christmas!