Amidst the shouting, screaming and sounds of a broken beer glass, Bill D could only just focus on jOhn from Hull, who was running around the room screaming "Bertie! Bertie!" chasing a little bat, Bertie the Bat, who was flapping wildly, in shock, zooming from one corner of the pub to another, with jOhn from Hull running after.

Freda Underhill was screaming "a bat! a bat!" and had climbed up onto the table, holding her patchwork skirts around her ankles. sandra and jennyo were running around in a circle, jennyo calling "blessed bat" "blessed bat" occasionally through the din.

In the corner, Rhymin' Simon was just fixing an outstanding deal with a couple of out-of-towners, a funny looking bloke with pointy eyebrows and his mate. This should be enough to fix up his next couple of bills with Chongo, thought Simon, unless I decide to get some of those quality heads from Andy.

and on the other side of the room, around a dozen folkies, oblivious to the noise, were just finishing a rousing chorus of Mary Ellen Carter.