They always had to include Yates at some point, usually the start! White port was inevitable, especially if it was your birthday. preferably doubles or more!

We tried to make the pub crawl more scientific when I was living in the Victoria Centre flats in the early eighties, by buying the Nottingham pub guide. Unfortunately we got so drunk one night we lost it somewhere between the Hole in the Wall and the Lion on Clumber St, where incidentally we were barred for taking up too much of the barmaids time.  This was the second time we were barred from the Lion - the other being for falling off a stool in front of all the punters with a secretary from Thomas Cook on my knee!

Anyway here are some legendary pub crawls as depicted in my diaries -

December 24th 1973

They don't make Christmases like this any more! Just listen to the Christmas songs from the seventies and now, and you'll be forced to agree!

We walked over to Hodgie's to call for him but he'd already gone, but Hanks was there in his car so he took us into town. We met the others at the Prince Albert, at the front of the Victoria Centre, and then went to Yates and the group split up a bit. Then we went up to the Salutation and had several drinks - it was great upstairs in there as everyone was about our age and it was packed. White Christmas kept coming on the jukebox and everyone was singing very loudly! There were lots of Christmas kisses, with pretty much everyone you met....of the opposite sex of course, and the whole place was singing to Slade. We started everyone off singing carols. Eventually we got in Hank's car and got a lidt up to the top of Carlton Hill - he dropped us there and we met the others. We went in the 69 club  where Hodgie promptly fell asleep and was then sick - Webby took him home. I got in about 2.00 am but Santa hadn't been yet!!

December 31st 1973

Mop and Fiona came round for me, then we called for Grat, Geoff and Johnno. We caught the bus into town from Carlton Hill and Hank was already on it. In the Prince Albert we met Trus, Pedro, Mick, Bert and his girlfriend, Olly and Webby. We stayed there for a pint then on to the Flying Horse, Yates's and the Sal. It wasn't as good as Christmas Eve so we decided to go to Fiona's sister's party. It was very quite - a lot of couples talking, until we got there and commandeered the record player. Mop and I went back to his house to fetch all his singles, and we ended up out on the street at midnight doing Auld Lang Syne.    

December 24th 1974

Met in the Prince Albert and moved on to Yates's, then the Bell and the Flying Horse where we bumped into Neil who is at Manchester University with me. Then we went up to the Salutation where we sang Carols, talked to girls and generally had a good time! We got the bus back to the Carlton where they had a late license, and then we danced, bunny hovered and dead anted back to Hodgies! Olly turned up late, having lost Bert and Whiff, and was then sick. We went for a walk about 1.30 with Dennis and Deke, sat on the rec, had a three legged race, climbed lamp-posts, danced jigs, played football with sugar beet and played on the cricket field.

August 24th 1976 - my 21st!

I biked up to Berts in the afternoon to to tell him we were going to Jenny's and Mart came round. We all went up to the farm at Newstead Abbey and Jude gave me a rugby shirt and some aftershave for presents. Jenny gave me and Bert a free haircut! At night we all met at my house and Mart gave us a lift into town. We started at the Sal and I'd had 5 drinks by the time Jude, Don, Jenny and Joanne arrived so Jude stood no chance of looking after me. We went to the Trip next and met Don's brother Mac. We had a couple of drinks in the Trip then another 3 or 4 in The Bell, followed by white ports in Yates's. The last thing I can remember is ordering drinks in the Tavern in the Town and that's it! I can just remember going in Scamps and pieces of what happened in there...like Judy being sick, then me being sick, then both of us being sick outside! Don gave us a lift home and I stayed the night at the farm, but didn't get to bed until 4.30 am. Then Jenny woke us at 6.30 as someone had come to collect some pigs and Jude had to show him which ones! At the post mortem of the night's events it appears we had knocked the speaker stacks over in Scamps more than once!

August 27th 1976 - Tats's 21st!

We started off at Tats's house and had some food his mum had made. We met in town at the Milton's Head  and next was The Bodega, The Dog and Bear and The Flying Horse. In the Bell Tats was sinking fast as he drank a shandy which he hadn't realised contained everyone else's drinks! I rang Jude up and told here we were getting revenge for what they'd done to us on my birthday! By the time we got to Scamps Tats was telling everyone he was twenty one! We played table football with a load of girls in Scamps and Morris asked one of them out. Bert was chasing another and she turned out to be Linda Haw's sister. We left Scamps early after Tats had been sick and then spilt his beer on some bloke's jumper. He gave the guy a pound to clean and added "get me a vodka and lime while you're there" so we thought it was time to leave! Tats went for a run through town so we had to chase him and catch him to put him in Will's car!