I'm dead beat and done in.

We had our end of the year shindig on friday (auto financed because the 'social commitee' refused to pay for things). It was a very simple affair; we were about thirty in number, drinking champagne, eating canapés and cold meats in a buffet style thing.

At about 10pm Mrs Bosswoman declared to all and sundry that yours truly would be in charge of closing the doors - whereupon, she gathered up her things, bade us all good night and swept off out into the darkness ... closely followed by a sheepish looking Idiot Boy ...

"Don't worry", he said to me in passing, "they usually finish at about midnight .."

"Not this year", i said, "they'll be out on the street by 11"

True to my word, at 10.45 i dimmed the lights, topped everyone up with a last glass (to make sure that all the bottles were emptied) and with a proprietorial voice said : "Time at the bar, ladies and gents, sling yer 'ooks"

At first everyone thought i was joking .... until they saw me stacking the chairs !

At 11.05 everyone was shuffling about outside.

"Phwouaaarrr ... we can't call it a night this early ... let's just go for a quick beer", someone said.

Off we trotted to The Montecristo bar which is about a two minutes walk on foot ... initially i said i'd have a swifty as i didn't fancy missing the last train and having to pay fifty euros to get a taxi home.

In the event, i did miss the train but didn't take a taxi - i stayed until about six in the morning and got the first train home.

After three hours sleep i took the car out to Haute Normandie and spent the weekend in various states of addled sleepiness ... not too nice for the hosts - sorry Balaj :@(