The Bell is entirely suitable.

The Bell is an okay suburban pub. But it gets ten out of ten because the landlady, Yvonne, likes us ("We need another wedding! One of you needs to get married!") and the bar staff are sweeties. There is usually a band on Fridays, but we struck it lucky and two of the musicians were ill. So it was karaoke. Thankfully not deafening.

And we drank them dry of London Pride.

Present were myself, redcountess, arkady, valkyriekaren, vatine, ruthi, fluffymark, Cookie and Erithromycin. (Who took time off from his job as a Glasgow bouncer to pop down to London for a Corporate Ethics course ... for the same company. His business card is going to be a doozy.) We recovered nicely from our respective weeks at work. Congratulated ruthi and Cookie on their engagement. (Yvonne nearly corraled them into having the reception at the Bell.) Talked rubbish. Pubbed in proper style.

Three pub nights in a week. An embarrasment of social riches. I must be less careful what I wish for.

Always pub with BOFHs. When they recover from their week at work, everyone recovers from their week at work!

Update: Pics.

Graffiti all over town. It says TROUBLEMAKERS ON THE RUN and both our names are written down.

• What Makes A Fuckhead? is now available in French.

• Lord Of The Rings: Blood From A Stone edition.

• Free Online Computer Science Books - both zero-cost and free as in freedom. This page is marvellous.

The weather is vile, Walthamstow is still full of the severely downmarket and Boots in Selborne Walk is too pissweak to have walking sticks. We failed to get a desk, but have a lead on them. (Andrews has a second-hand selection well worth investigating further. It's per-shop, but we're keen to have a closer look. Of course, if any of you fine people have a spare desk able to hold a 21-inch monitor ...) We bought alcohol, vanilla cola, potatoes, hair dye, eye drops and p1llz. arkady is falling asleep next to me.

( And now a poll, to brighten my dull grey Saturday. )