Christmas warmth and good spirit is starting to spread around the building but misses A division. We're the only department with loads of work and Gail has broken off her engagement so is in a foul mood.
*
I am a mechanical genius. When I lift up the bonnet to see why the engine wont start I work it out immediately. The battery isn't there.
I look around a bit to see if it's slipped down the side before reaching the conclusion it's been nicked.
*
I play for Wally Utd reserves again and they win their second game of the season. Can't be a co-incidence.
Laz drives us around the pubs of Culham and Aston Tirrold and then back to the Indian. I am drunk and make a fool of myself by karate chopping the poppadoms and calling the waiter Gungadin. It is very difficult to upset these chaps.
*
We have no match this Sunday so we have a training sessionm instead. It is a very productive session as Vinkie breaks his collarbone.
*
Overcome with grief at the death of Len Fairclough, I go up the pub. I only have a couple but am drunk enough to sign up for Bondies team for the Fun Run on January 2nd.
*
Wally Utd win again with me in goal and are off the bottom. Half way through the first half the ref walks off in a strop and has to be coaxed back.
*
We have our Christmas lunch in the canteen which is crap but afterwards we go down the Horse and Barge and squirt foam spray at each other.
*
Mum and dad are away so when the pubs close we go to my house with armfulls of beer and see who can stay up longest.
Bones and Laz are early fallers but Perce and me last the pace until I nod off in front of Abigails Party T 4 AM.
*
I let in six playing for Wally reserves against Tilehurst.
Tonight we go to the football club do at Brightwell Village Hall and we meet Ashley C from school who gives me and Bones a lift back to Bones's on his moped. Perce and Laz catch us up and we play cards and polich off a bottle of Cyprus brandy.
*
The whole section go tom The Travellers Rest for our Christmas meal. It is vey rowdy and great fun and we meet up with the M division crowd. On the way out myself, Tony and Roger from M division bare our buttocks for a photo.
*
I meet Laz and Warren C at the Horse and Barge but it is so packed we can't get served so we buy brandy and beer from the off license and return to the H&B. It is mayhem and I get very pissed and am snogging any girl I can and Bones turns up with a bottle of scotch which I help himn drink and I just get drunker and drunker
Apperently I nearly gety my head kicked in whilse trying to stop a fight and I lose the lads.
I stagger around town with no idea where I am and eventually sit at any bus stop and get on the first bus that comes along. Remarkably it is the number 5 and the lads are on it. Laz is chucking up on the back seat and I arrange a fight with some bloke when we get back to Wally. Twice the driver stops the bus and threatens to boot us off but doesn't and by the time we reach Wally I am best friend with the bloke I was going to fight.
*
I have never been more drunk than yesterday but having slept for 16 hours I have no hang over.
Meet Bones at the pub and ask if he has answers as to why there are scratch marks and cigarette burns on my left hand. He's not sure.
*
Sally & Frad and Rob & Sarah join us for Christmas Day. We go to the Cross Keys at lunchtime, have dinner, get pissed and play party games at night.
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Mandy isn't talking to me at work this morning as I apparently offended her last Friday when I was paralytic. This afternoon I buy her a coffee and a packet of crisps and ask her what I did. She says she can never tell me as I would be too embarrassed.
*
Start New Year celebrations with a pub crawl of town with Prockie and Joff. We go to the Plough and Green Tree then up the Knight for the traditional seeing in of the New Year with Drovers crappy radio picking up Big Ben's chimes on a German radio station on long wave. | 