Let’s do this together YOUR COMMUNITY CORNER

I am pleased to report that I had my first pub hangover of the year on Sunday morning.

It was damn chilly but still sunny when we took our garden seats outside the back of the King Alfred pub on Saturday evening.

It wasn’t my usual local as they don’t have any outside space yet – unless you count sitting in the gutter, which is not unknown at chucking out time.

I’d been dreaming of my first pint of beer at the pub since November, and when it arrived, it was a lot colder than I’d imagined, but no less welcome.

Everyone looked so cheerful sitting around the garden and chatting, despite the plummeting temperatures. Although I suppose it is possible their smiles had frozen to their faces.

We only had the table for two hours, but I like to think we singlehandedly saved the UK pub trade, before moving on to our friend’s garden for pizzas and salad. It was too cold to eat the salad though and it’s probably still out there, frozen to the table like Scott of the Antartic’s fruitcake that was still edible having been preserved in sub-zero temperatures for 100 years.

Mind you, I’m not entirely unhappy there’s no sign of the spring heatwave we had this time last year. My eyes are itchy enough during this season without a sudden tropical heat turbo-charging my annual hayfever misery.

At the moment I’m on anti-allergy eye drops and two different types of antihistamines, and The Dark Lord tells me the snoring from my blocked-up nose sounds like a jumbo jet taking off. I told her that it would be the closest she’ll get to a holiday this year if she carries on being so rude.

Although to be honest, hearing the truth was a bit of a shock – I’ve been blaming the snoring on the dog so long, I was beginning to believe it myself.

Email me at siobhan.mcnally@mirror.co.uk or write to Community Corner, PO Box 791, Winchester SO23 3RP.