Thursday 23 January 2014

31/12/2005 New Year's Eve

SubjectNew Year's Eve
DateCreated1/1/2006 9:05:00 AM
PostedDate12/31/2005 8:16:00 AM
BodyThe tube strike knackered my original plans for spending New Year's Eve in the West End. Plan A was to visit the 12 Bar Club for the third year running. Plan B was Decadence. As these two clubs are only a few minutes staggering distance apart I thought I could go to both and see which one contained the most people I know.  However, reports said tube stations seemed to be rapidly shutting down one by one by the early evening. I really didn't fancy taking a chance and finding I couldn't get a tube after whatever club I ended up in chucked out, and I've had enough of waiting round for night buses in the middle of winter - especially as in the early hours of New Year's Day they would probably be very packed 'cos of the tube strike and likely to not even stop to let me on - assuming they were all running anyway...

The other option was to go to one of the various local things happening, and as I knew a few of my friends would be around locally I went for that. Plan Cinvolved a pub only a couple of minutes staggering distance from home - a mate was on DJ duties and willing to play ROCK requests, plus it was free to get in and there were cheap local pub bar prices instead of West End rip-off prices. I had a look in there, but didn't see Steve who was supposed to be the DJ - as there was no one else in there I knew I declined the inviting smiles from the barmaid and headed off into the night. There was a popular local band playing at theCat & Lantern but they were charging £10 to get in and I knew it was likely to be rammed in there and very uncomfortable - plus I decided to boycott it after they cancelled my own band's Christmas Eve gig there on acount of the noise - yet they book the loudest band in town for NYE!  What's that all about then?  Another popular local band were playing at the Bell & Buck, but they wanted £5 to get in. Meanwhile, all my friends had gone to the Builders Arms as local band Three were playing and it was free to get in - this was Plan D. I headed for the Builders Arms and it's very good (but overpriced) beer and met my friends - and eventually had an enjoyable evening with good company, a good live band, and good beer.  So in spite of everything, I managed to have a decent night out in the end and saw in the New Year in fine style - plus it only took a few minutes to walk home afterwards which is always a bonus! 
PS: Three out the the four local pubs mentioned have since closed down... 

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