Bar

Norway and, um, Balham

So, a few drinks tonight, in the bar, since it's the Norwegian girls' last night. I've been gently playing the 'high roller' bit, buying drinks for some of the 'youngsters' – since beers are only seventy or so pence each, you could, if you wanted to, walk into the bar and say, 'drinks for everyone!' I think, though, there's a fine line between 'generous' and 'bit of a wanker'. The scale, for me, goes something like this...

Good bloke -Really good bloke – show-off – bit-of-a-wanker – eccentric.

I think I have it right, so far. Which brings me to another point. I've been talking to Alex, the manager, a bit more. It turns out that, in a previous life, he was a 'financial database programmer'. He got divorced five years ago, they sold the house, and now he's here, 'working', drinking and socialising in the bar every night. Not sure I could do it, but it seems he's very happy. and certainly doesn't need to earn anything. Oh yeah, Chrissie has a Master's degree, too. I guess this place is a 'lifestyle' thing.

Alex also mentioned a few problems they'd been having. The night before I arrived, they'd had to throw someone out. She was an 'ex-resident' who was, apparently, very high on coke. Alex was telling me that, often, people end up staying for a few months, but they forget that they're still only guests. Alex and Chrissie live there, and he reckons it's like having uninvited house guests, after a while. 'Yeah', I said, 'at least I'm going on Wednesday, and if and when I ever come back, I'll have some new material'.