How drink sharpens the brain

Mentioning Denis Kilcommons in that last blog reminded me of the hours I spent as a young reporter in the Albert Hotel next to the former offices of the Huddersfield Examiner where I worked in my early career.

The Albert was famous for two things - the pie and peas and......well maybe it was just the one thing (or maybe I was thinking of the pie and peas separately). Anyway it was the place to go after work. Everyone drank halves of mild (to make the rounds cheaper).

Journalists, councillors, policemen - they all mixed together. The mild was weak but, even so, some drank more than they should have done (including the policemen) and drove home afterwards (including the policemen).

There is no condoning such behaviour except to say that it was nearly 30 years ago when attitudes were different. Unlike today when you know that it is simply wrong to drink and drive, in those days the main concern, particularly among the older generation, was the chance of being caught.

One of the journalists who ran the town's freelance agency went so far as to argue that he drove better on a few beers. I have heard this argument before but I had never seen it explained until I read this.