GLASSES. Personally, I put a lot of store by glasses. In one guise they help people to see, and in another, hold liquid. My particular favourite liquid is lager, and pint glasses seems to do a sterling job of holding it.

So you can appreciate why I have strong feelings towards glasses.

And, as with all things worth caring about, I believe they should be handled with the highest regard - something to be proud of. A glass should be gleaming, with not a crack or blemish on any part of it.

It is unfortunate that Lloyds don't have the same attitude towards glasses as I do.

Perhaps if they did, I wouldn't have have been in the position I found myself on my visit to the pub.

My friend kindly offered to buy me a drink, and usually this only serves to make the contents of a glass taste even better.

However, as I received a free glass containing my favourite liquid, a small blemish on the rim caught my eye.

It is difficult to describe in polite company what this blemish was, but perhaps if I tell you that it was something you normally find in a handkerchief, and not on the rim of a glass, you will get the idea.

The barman did not hesitate to change my drink, but my new glass was only marginally better.

I picked it up, took a big gulp of the contents, placed the glass back on the counter and then found myself peeling my hand off the sticky, dirty glass.

You will have to forgive me on this occasion for not talking in depth about the pub's decor, atmosphere and prices.

They all seemed excellent, but of all the things I look for in a drinking establishment, basic hygiene is always the firs on my list.

HJ