Working in a large city has it's benefits sometimes... and one of them is watching large crowds of office-goers heading out to their yearly Christmas party as I make my way across the city to catch my train.
Take last night for example... as I passed a well known, quite posh, real ale pub (it's based in one of the more prosperous parts of the city and is usually full of high profile well-to-do finance office workers, lawyers etc.) I saw a group of people there, stood outside, dressed in what looked like Pantomime characters. Their laughter could be heard a couple of streets away and they seemed to be having a good time but, to me, their laughter sounded a bit too loud and a bit too forced... almost as if they were collectively silently crying out: 'This isn't what we wanted to do for an office party!' I'd imagine that the alcohol had started to flow early and fast in order to take the edge off their apparent discomfort!
So from now on until a day or two before Christmas Eve, I'll be dodging gangs of well-dressed people drunkenly roving the streets, either heading off or coming out of their respective parties, that will be/have been full of stereotypical behaviour that we all expect for this time of year.
...and no, I'm not jealous at all... well, definitely not jealous of that bunch wearing the Panto gear, I'd rather take a cheese-grater to my nutsack than have to put up with that kind of party.
