DANNI: Alright, who had the Fosters again?
CRAIG: Me. Cheers, Danni.
DANNI: No probs Craig, and here's yours Albert. So, Sharon has confirmed, she's coming to visit tomorrow evening. We'll have a bit of fun, I dare say, hit the town. She's catching a train at 3.15, she said
ALBERT: What time does it arrive?
DANNI: Don't know, give me a sec. It comes in here at...errr...7.04
ALBERT: Oh, what did you do that for?
DANNI: What do you mean?
ALBERT: Why did you look up the time? We could have had fun discussing that.
CRAIG: Bloody smart phones, killing the art of the pub conversation.
DANNI: The pub conversation?
CRAIG: Yeah. In the old days, we could have had a good crack at that: "I think it's about 6.42"
ALBERT: "I reckon 7.14". Would have been fun.
DANNI: Erm. OK.
ALBERT: It's like last Friday, when you were trying to remember the name of the Chinese minister for foreign affairs, and you just looked it up. Ten seconds later, there we are, Wang Yi. We could have discussed that for ages.
DANNI: Right. Did you know the name, then?
CRAIG: No, course not, never heard of him, but we could have still had a crack. Ying Poo, Ana Ng, Rinky Tinky.
ALBERT: Chi-Chi.
CRAIG: Chi-Chi, good one. See what you missed out on? Proper conversation.
ALBERT: Hoo Dun Pong?
CRAIG: Leave it, mate, the moment's passed.
DANNI: Well...you can save up all that great chat for when we see Sharon tomorrow. I thought we could get a table at Galuppi's, I've heard that's good.
ALBERT: What are you doing?!
DANNI: Going to book a table.
ALBERT: By ringing them? What about the laugh we could have had turning up and finding out. We could have so much fun.
DANNI: But we might not have had much dinner. Anyway, I need to find out whether they can accommodate a wheelchair, otherwise Sharon can't go, can she?
CRAIG: I the old days we'd talk about it. You've just killed a good chat. You nattercide.
DANNI: You could only say only yes or no.
CRAIG: Well, it all counts. Like in the old days.
DANNI: And what would you have done in the old days about getting Sharon some dinner?
CRAIG: Oh, that's easy.
ALBERT: Yeah. We wouldn't have invited her.
CRAIG: And we wouldn't have had dinner. We'd have stayed here.
ALBERT: In the pub.
CRAIG: It's what we know.
ALBERT: It's where we're safe. In the pub.
CRAIG: Talking.
ALBERT: Drinking. Talking. In the pub. Warm, unthreatening pub.
CRAIG: No phones, no cripples, no Chinese statesmen. Just us. Just the talking.
ALBERT: All night.
CRAIG: Every night.
ALBERT: Never reaching a conclusion.
CRAIG: Blissful pub ignorance.
DANNI: I have no idea what you're talking about.
CRAIG: Ha, just like the old days.
ALBERT: Welcome back, Danni. Welcome Back.