And so it was last Friday that I headed off to Manchester with some familiar faces to sample the Ashes.
Here are those faces early on in proceedings...
...and here are Daniel, Wee John and Other John after play had ended.
Yes, they are holding each other up.
Other sights traditionally associated with a big day at the Test included a beer snake worthy of applause..
.....and the leader of the Barmy Army (previously known as Jimmy Savile, but I suggest he's now changed his nick name).
Less expected was the sound and vision of cheering Aussies.
To be fair, their team did much better in this game than in most recent encounters with the mother country - but still couldn't win.
One particular high point for Wee John and me was the chance to hook up with two very old school friends; that's Tom on the left and Andy in the middle.
Tommy and I first met at primary school and went on to Coleraine Inst together - where we became mates with Andy, already a pal and neighbour of Wee John's. Tommy and Andy's friendship has strongly endured in Liverpool where they made their lives after university.
Two fine men, plans are already in train to meet up next month.
I suggest Wee John and I might be well-advised to drink for a slightly shorter stint than the 14 hours we braved on Friday.
