8 Tuesday 10 December
It proved easier than I’d imagined to get everyone together for a meal and drinks, especially with so many people having work Christmas parties, family engagements and other stuff going on in the run-up to the festive season. In the end, today seemed to be the day most people could do, and we managed to get booked into a gastropub in a village a few miles outside town.
A couple of the guys come in ridiculous Christmas jumpers — something I get a laugh out of seeing others do, but wouldn’t be seen dead in myself. The pub’s nice enough, and is thronging with people in both the bar and restaurant.
‘Lucky we managed to book a table,’ Tom says as we get our drinks.
‘It was the last one, apparently. They’d had a cancellation an hour or two before I called. Otherwise we’
