黑洞社区

Russell is running late. He joins us at the bar, wearing a tan, sheepskin-style jacket, to grab a quick pint before taking some clients to watch Arsenal play CSK Moscow at the Emirates Stadium.

鈥淲hy are you wearing that? You鈥檙e going to be sitting in a box, not out on the terraces,鈥� mocks Aidan. Russell explains he鈥檚 鈥済ot to look the part鈥�.

Talk turns to work. 鈥淔it-out is a funny market,鈥� says Aidan. 鈥淵ou can grow quickly, take on lots of work, hire many people, but then struggle with cash flow.鈥�

Matthew, the group鈥檚 financial whiz-kid, hears the word 鈥渃ash鈥� and launches into a passionate monologue about where many companies go wrong: 鈥淭hey鈥檙e very competitive and grow rapidly. Their cash flow keeps them going, but when there鈥檚 a downturn or they take on a risky job, all of a sudden it鈥檚 curtains.鈥�

Aidan laments that after 25 years in the business not looking for rapid growth, people are telling him his company is 鈥渘ot big enough鈥�.

鈥淭here are companies who鈥檝e taken risks and been successful,鈥� he admits. 鈥淏ut you need luck.鈥�

Talk moves back to sport. It emerges that Russell used to be a junior football manager. 鈥淲e鈥檇 have dads having punch-ups on the touchline and people being hit with brollies,鈥� he says.

鈥淭here鈥檚 none of that in thehockey fraternity 鈥� it鈥檚 very civilized,鈥� says Aidan who coaches children鈥檚 hockey teams in his spare time.

鈥淔raternity?鈥� laughs Russell.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like a frat club for little rich kids,鈥� smirks Matthew.

鈥淔ootball鈥檚 real 鈥� not false like hockey,鈥� says Russell. The others don鈥檛 disagree with him.

Two of their colleagues, operations managers Philip Sellek and Mark Rudland, arrive and then head to the bar. They return with a pint of Hoegaarden for Russell instead of Carling and his face drops. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 do Hoegaarden,鈥� he cries. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to the football 鈥� I鈥檒l be up weeing all evening and I鈥檒l miss everything.鈥�

There鈥檚 no sympathy from the others. Russell puts on a brave face and starts knocking it back. 鈥淚 can barely fit my hand around the glass,鈥� he moans.

Matthew says he doesn鈥檛 like London pubs 鈥� he thinks landlords don鈥檛 take care of their pipes. 鈥淚 have to drink lager,鈥� he says.

鈥淚 enjoy bitter, but wouldn鈥檛 buy it in a London pub,鈥� agrees Russell.

鈥淭he only way to find a good pub is to get on a flight to Dublin,鈥� intercepts Aidan, accentuating his Irish accent.

With that, Russell downs the last of his Hoegaarden 鈥� which he鈥檚 polished off surprisingly quickly.

鈥淥n with my Motty coat,鈥� he says, provoking laughter as he makes his exit.