(As I type this garbage, I am currently being exhorted, by a tape machine in the tube to Hatton Cross, to "Mind the Gap". Just thought I'd throw in that bit of local colour.)

We checked our luggage at the Ramada Hotel, having been taken there by special bus from the tube station. We arrived at the hotel at 12:08, and went our separate ways until 13:30 whereupon the first lager of the day was consumed. And it was Carling Black Label again.

George auditioning for the part of Drunken Scot in London

Much snapping of the Snappy Totty

The silliest thing on display was a set of chrome plated amps which took up most of the floor and sounded dreadful. Al the Chair and George the Speakerless bought Hifi News Test Disc 3, and Al managed to refrain from spending £24 on a vinyl disc recorded in 1958, but Bill the Bell, Al the Scribe and Gordon the Ungodly bought zilch (unless you count a two-quid valve catalogue).

Quote of the event from one over-zealous but under-braincelled salesman: "We don't talk about moving air mass, we talk about transforming particles". More drink was consumed at lunchtime to drown our sorrows at having to pay £1.50 for a sandwich and £1 for coffee. Gordy got done for £7.50 for a salad. Salad days for the hotel.

We declared it a day at 16:00, and had another drink while waiting for the feeling to come back into our feet. The bus to the airport (courtesy of the Ramada, saving 5x70p=£3.50, it all mounts up and adds to the feeling of value-for-money which began when our hotel was upgraded all those drinks ago on Friday evening) left at 17:00 prompt, and we deposited ourselves in the departure lounge at Heathrow for a final drink before the flight.