The New Cross Inn in New Cross is an awesome place. I was there last night with my mates from the cricket team, celebrating Wightie’s birthday. I’d been invited to it on Facebook, so on thursday made arrangements to go there with James. Last night he popped round at six, and together we got the bus to New Cross.

I was instantly taken with the place: it’s a rocker’s pub, full of big guys in leather jackets and beards. It had a good array of real ales, and had a nice, friendly vibe. Pretty soon things got going; nearly all the cricket team – most of whom I hadn’t seen since last summer – were there. There were also one or two guys I hadn’t met yet, including one chap I got talking about Hemingway with. About an hour later, a band started to warm up, and I could tell it was going to be an awesome night.

When they started to play, however, things took a turn for the worse. They were a rock band – okay, but nothing special. I was sat in the corner talking to my friends, when suddenly out of the blue between songs the lead singer decided to make a sneering comment about ”the Stephen Hawkings guy over there”, meaning me. In a room full of people, I had been singled out and made fun of. It was a totally uncalled for barely coherent rant, totally unnecessary for and very insulting. I felt utterly humiliated – it seemed unfair. I hadn’t come to be the butt of some morons joke. Furious, I started to head for the door intending to go home, but James calmed me down and talked me into staying. Nevertheless, it put a dampner on an otherwise quite cool evening. The arsehole later apologised (I think he was asked to) but it still hurt. I have no idea why he said it: maybe he thought he was being funny or cool or provocative or edgy; but in truth, he was just being a dick.

Fortunately the second band were much better, and worth staying for. The rest of the evening went without a hitch. We talked, drank and listened, and generally had a good time. I got home about one, reasonably compos mentis, fairly tired, and on the whole happy that I went, although part of me was still furious at having been singled out like that.