What a pleasure and privilege it was for the undergraduates of Nottingham University last Saturday evening when they were visited in their Students Bar by a silver-haired man of distinguished, not to say, handsome appearance possessed of one of the keenest intellects on the internet (er, that's me, if you haven't already guessed) and thus able to sit at the feet of the Master and discuss matters of great moment. Regrettably very few (er, well, none, actually) availed themselves of this golden opportunity. Never mind, it was an education of sorts for me, if not for them. First, the Bar itself was exceedingly comfortable and I shall, of course, be dashing off a letter to my local MP to tell him how grateful I am that my taxes are keeping students in the style to which they obviously feel entitled! I was genuinely surprised that the music was at a level that permitted conversation, unlike most pubs where the windows are in danger of shattering under the onslaught of the decibels. The behaviour of the students was exemplary. They were enjoying themselves and, as the evening wore on (and I wore out) some of them, mostly the girls, became a little raucous but well within bounds. Incidentally, the girls were exceedingly pretty and I was assured by two young trainee barristers who were part of the exercise I was engaged in, and who surveyed the scene with practised eyes, that "the totty standard was much higher at Nottingham than it is at Oxford". As you all know, I took a Third at the 'Uni of Life' so I was in no position to argue the point. The main thing is that they were all extremely pleasant and jolly young people and I was impressed. As the evening progressed, or dissolved, my intake of a surprisingly good red wine increased to the point where my wise and witty conversation was in danger of succumbing to chaos theory, and anyway, my two young companions appeared to be much more interested in the totty than in me. I don't blame them, but in any case, I made my excuses and left. I shall return next week-end and after that I shall tell you all the reason for my excursions.
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