A shnakey one

There's something beautiful about going for an afternoon pint by yourself. The silence. The calm. The knowledge that you are leaving after one and no one is there to coerce you into more. The lack of sound if you're lucky enough to find a pub without a TV. You're in what the kids of today call a safe space and it's just lovely.

All you have to do is sit there and watch your porter settle. The mad way the black gold moves down the glass while settling up it. You'd nearly get lost in it if you weren't so mad to drink it. Because the afternoon pint is always a glorious one. It's not about getting drunk this time, it's about enjoying a drink. Savouring the taste.

The best bartenders know the etiquette of an afternoon pint too. They leave you alone unless you want to talk. If you're in for a chat then fill your boots but if you want a bit of me time then that's ok too. In the afternoon no one is in to cause trouble, no one is on the piss, it's just time for a wee break from the world, a little moment when you're left alone.

And it's just deadly.