At last night’s excellent performance of Othello at London’s Globe Theatre I particularly noted what happened to poor Cassio due to drunkenness. Cassio is a sensible young man and a highly respected officer in Othello’s army.

There is a scene where Cassio doesn’t want to go drinking but is bullied into doing so by the play’s bad man, Iago.
Not only does Cassio end up hopelessly drunk and acting totally out of character, but he becomes abusive, gets in a fight and ends up stabbing someone.

Because of this he loses his job, the respect of all who know him and ends up a complete loser for most of the play, and at least until it is discovered that Iago is ultimately responsible for all the bad things that occur.

There are some wonderful words Cassio speaks which explain his reaction to having been drunk and that struck an accord with me:
 
CASSIO
I remember a mass of things, but nothing distinctly; a quarrel, but nothing wherefore. O God, that men should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains! that we should, with joy, pleasance revel and applause, transform ourselves into beasts!
IAGO
Why, but you are now well enough: how came you thus recovered?
CASSIO
It hath pleased the devil drunkenness to give place to the devil wrath; one unperfectness shows me another, to make me frankly despise myself.
IAGO
Come, you are too severe a moraler: as the time, the place, and the condition of this country stands, I could heartily wish this had not befallen; but, since it is as it is, mend it for your own good.
CASSIO
I will ask him for my place again; he shall tell me I am a drunkard! Had I as many mouths as Hydra, such an answer would stop them all. To be now a sensible man, by and by a fool, and presently a beast! O strange! Every inordinate cup is un-blessed and the ingredient is a devil.
 
There was a time not so many years ago when I was very drunk one afternoon and in a posh London wine bar, and I got into a drunken row over something petty with someone who was equally inebriated. The chap in question asked me outside for a fight, something even drunk I would never contemplate, but what really sobered me up was another chap handing me a knife for my protection and expecting me to use it!

It is unbelievable to think that drink could have led to what could have become a disastrous situation for all concerned.
Don’t forget to visit www.idontdrink.net for many more stories and more information.

This week I was fortunate enough to go and see both episodes of the Imperium play at the Gielgud theatre in London. The acting was excellent and the storyline just as good. Set in ancient Rome and based around the writings of Cicero it contains all your usual characters from this period including Julius Caesar, Brutus, and Octavian.

Two things struck me. Firstly, how similar the political situation back then was to that of today. It was amusing to see the mega-rich General Pompey acting in a trump-like over-bearish manner, promising the people all sorts of never-deliverable wonders and worrying about his comb-over. We also had the Senate standing around clueless after having killed Caesar, with no prior plan what to do next, and so much indecision you could see the Republic fall apart around them – how Brexit is that.

Secondly there were two great drunks who made an appearance. The first was general Lucullus who was so drunk he lost his army – literally, and was to be seen red-faced and staggering about the set to the embarrassment of anyone who has been that legless. Then Mark Antony, the chap who had the affair with Cleopatra. He was also portrayed as a complete wreck-head and seen throwing up, falling about and generally being useless. Of all the people portrayed, Mark Antony was best placed to become an Emperor and rule the known World at the time, but alcohol was too much of a draw for him and he ended up losing everything and committing suicide instead.

I suppose it shows how much you relate to the issues drink causes once it is no longer an issue for yourself, but also how much it makes you realise how many opportunities of your own you have lost because you were a drunk. Thank God those days are behind me.

Go and see this show if you get the chance – brilliant.

There seems to be a lot of hype recently about Jean-Claude Juncker (one of the five, yes five current presidents of the EU) having a drink issue. The Sun even report him as drinking gin instead of water during meetings.
Now I am not sure if any of this is real news, but the picture of him drinking wine during a meeting really annoyed me.
I know for a fact that I could not work as well when I had had a drink and that any decision I made would have been somewhat suspect. But even when I was an alcoholic I never drank during business meetings. I did drink at lunch or at dinner afterwards but whilst the meeting was on, even if it was a working lunch I knew better than to drink alcohol.
With millions of people being dependent upon the decisions this man makes if he does have a drink problem then he needs to seek immediate help (I am willing to offer free advice) and stand down. The same goes for anyone in a position of authority. Although drink is socially acceptable in the Western world I am sure that a photograph of Juncker smoking a joint during a business session would lead to immediate dismissal. Why should taking the alcohol drug be any different.

One thing you really notice when you quit drinking is how much time you have for others. This weekend I had a wonderful time with my grandchildren. We went to the amazing Romney Hythe and Dymchurch railway on the Kent coast. We stayed in a camp site, we had a fire and toasted marshmallows, we swam in the sea and played on my kayak, both children had a go steering my land rover round the field, we had stories and games and then on the way home we went strawberry picking. When I used to drink I remember being too busy to do all these sorts of things, or finding that next pub got in the way. The sheer delight of being able to dedicate my time and attention to these two most special of little people is hard to describe. Why waste your time on booze when you can have so much else to live for.

Out walking in the park that backs on to our house late last night we came across this blazing fire. This is in the middle of a massive field of tinder dry long grass itself surrounded by ancient woodland (if you look closely you can see how near the grass is). The fire was far too big for us to put out so we called the fire brigade who were there within minutes and duly put it out with water throwers. It was obvious from the scattering of beer cans surrounding the fire that a crowd had spent the afternoon here getting drunk and having fun and then simply walked off and left the fire raging. This is on a night when over forty fire engines are in attendance elsewhere trying to put out a massive heath fire probably started by similar idiots.
Even when I used to drink in my youth and might well have had a camp fire going, I still had the sense to put the thing out afterwards!

Last night I was fortunate to go to the IRIS theatre at London’s Covent Garden to see their latest Shakespearian production The Tempest. I loved the whole show and would thoroughly recommend it, especially the way you move around St Paul’s churchyard from scene to scene www.iristheatre.com  The best bit for me was the scene with the three drunks. This was so well played the actors must regularly practice with real alcohol. It was especially amusing to witness the audience reaction when a mock drunken fight started, and the actors moved amongst the audience swaying drunkenly and aiming blows at each other whilst spilling wine (water) over the people nearest to them and looking like complete wreck-heads.

It was also PRIDE day, and so walking from the theatre to catch out train home from Charing Cross we witnessed the aftermath. Not only have I never before seen so much rubbish strewn around, but the streets were also littered with drunks. I can only assume that an afternoon drinking excessively in boiling sunshine at Trafalgar square and with too little water taken on board had been too much for many people. Watching people reeling along, swaying and tripping over the smallest item, it was as if the Shakespearian characters had followed us home!

How nice to wake up with a completely clear and fresh head this morning and not to be suffering some dreadful aftermath as thousands of those we saw last night must be. Thank goodness I can now enjoy watching drunkenness being portrayed and not myself feeling the need to imbibe.